After delay, Senate confirms Sam Brown to lead VA memorial affairs
The combat-wounded veteran and former Senate hopeful will oversee operations at hundreds of VA cemeteries and memorial sites.
Watchdogs
Watchdog agency’s closure could lead to more military financial scams
The White House moved to close the Consumer Financial Protection Board, which fielded 100,000 consumer complaints every month from veterans and troops.
Nuclear arsenal agency’s construction oversight may hide overruns: GAO
National Nuclear Security Administration officials may not have the information they need to manage and assess project performance, investigators said.
White House medical unit handed out pills to ineligible patients
A Pentagon watchdog found "severe and systemic" problems with the unit’s internal controls on medication, among other issues.
HUD again fails to track how much its housing offices spend improperly
Agency leaders vowed that by late next month, they will provide a plan outlining what IT investments are needed to roll out a better system.
$50M+ improperly spent on DOD credit cards during COVID pandemic
In one instance, funds were spent to investigate a sinkhole, according to a recent Defense Department Inspector General report.
Federal agencies don’t trust each other’s security clearances
Despite ongoing reforms, some employees may still see their clearances get held up when they switch agencies.
Pentagon fell short in tracking $1 billion in Ukraine aid, IG finds
A Pentagon Inspector General report found that the Defense Department has not complied with enhanced tracking requirements for $1 billion in Ukraine aid.
Pentagon watchdog to review Austin’s hospitalization, notification
The Pentagon’s internal watchdog says he will review the secrecy surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization.
National Parks need $22 billion to address growing maintenance backlog
In November, House Republicans passed their version of the interior-environment appropriations bill, which called for a $436 million cut to the NPS budget.
Federal watchdog to investigate Osprey’s safety record after crash
Lawmakers asked the Government Accountability Office to look into the fleet's history in December.
