by Leslie Adlam
On October 4, 2011, the House overwhelmingly passed a clean Continuing Resolution, H.R. 2608, to keep the government running through November 18th. The 352-66 vote came after contentious provisions over how to fund FY11 emergency disaster assistance funding were dropped when FEMA announced that it had enough money to keep operating through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2011. The Senate passed the clean bill on September 26th by a vote of 79-12.

House and Senate leaders are now at work on developing an omnibus spending bill making appropriations for the majority of government programs for fiscal year 2012. The question on everyone’s mind in Washington is how likely is it that the Super Committee will succeed in proposing a plan for $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction by its Nov. 23 deadline.

Congress has never passed an authorization bill for the Department of Homeland Security! On October 6, 2011 Chairman Peter King along with several other Members of the House Homeland Security Committee introduced HR 3116. The House version creates an Acquisition Review Board that will centralize departmental oversight of all acquisitions to eradicate wasteful spending, and requires the Department to independently verify the integrity of its major acquisitions and to notify Congress of any major acquisition. The introduction of HR 3116 follows the Sept. 21 passage of a DHS Authorization Bill (S. 1546) by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation is holding a series of hearings to explore innovations in technology procurement at TSA to stimulate job growth. Chairman, Mike Rogers is looking for new ways to communicate and develop partnership with private industry in TSA Technology procurement practices.

Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia, held a hearing to examine the Intelligence Community’s (IC) reliance on contractors and whether the IC has rebalanced its workforce in the decade since September 11th. Daniel Gordon, Administrator for the Federal Procurement Policy at OMB, testified that the evaluation process is over and Policy-Letter 11-01, Performance of Inherently Governmental and Critical Functions, has been issued to all agencies.

HUBZone Expirations May result in Loss of Eligibility of Nearly Half of All HUBZone concerns, affecting Small Business Subcontracting Plans and Set-Asides.

On Thursday, October 6, 2011 the Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies held a hearing entitled “Cloud Computing: What are the Security Implications?” Chairman Lungren on the hearing:
“In light of the Administration’s ‘Cloud First Policy’ and the announced transition by the Department of Homeland Security to cloud computing, my Subcommittee will be examining how government information is being managed and secured in the cloud environment. We also want to hear how the private sector is implementing this shared technology option, its cost savings and risk concerns.”

SENATE CYBER LEADERS SAY HOUSE RECOMMENDATIONS SHOW CYBERSECURITY LEGISLATION CAN PASS IN 2011
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Maine., and Federal Financial Management Subcommittee Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., Wednesday said the legislative principles laid out by the House Republican Cybersecurity Task Force demonstrate that comprehensive cybersecurity legislation can and should pass Congress this year.