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Latest Policy Publications
POGO’s experts push policymakers to enact commonsense reforms that tackle waste, corruption, and abuse of power; hold those who’ve violated the public trust accountable; protect our constitutional rights; and make the government work for all people.
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Analysis
It’s Final--No More Lobbyists on Federal Advisory Committees
Yesterday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued final guidance on a June 2010 memorandum from President Obama seeking to remove registered lobbyists from federal advisory committees.
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Analysis
Three Takeaway Lessons from the GAO Audit of the Federal Reserve
Bailouts and financial oversight are making headlines again this week with the ongoing Wall Street protests and the three-year anniversary of the bailout legislation.
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Analysis
Whistleblowers Convene in the District, Lobby Policymakers for Reform
Members of the whistleblower community gathered in the courtyard of the Steven R. Mott House last Monday and Tuesday for the 2011 Washington Whistleblower Assembly, entitled "A Conference for Accountability."
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Public Comment
POGO Urges Public Disclosure of Contractor Past Performance Data
POGO provides the following public comments to FAR Case 2009-042, “Federal Acquisition Regulation; Documenting Contractor Performance,” (76 Fed. Reg. 37704, June 28, 2011). POGO supports the proposed amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) standardizing the co...
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Analysis
New Features Added to Government’s Contractor and Grantee Responsibility Database
Almost six months have passed since the public debut of the government's contractor and grantee responsibility database, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, or FAPIIS. POGO was initially less than thrilled with FAPIIS, but we were optimistic that ...
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Analysis
Is the Pentagon Downplaying Design Flaws in the Joint Strike Fighter?
Earlier this month, Bloomberg News reported on a "design flaw" in the wing of the Air Force and Marine Corps variants of the F-35 discovered during testing. The F-35 program office told Bloomberg and at least one other news outlet that the problem is not serious.
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Public Comment
POGO Wants More Safeguards in DoD’s One Offer Proposed Rule
The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) provides the following public comment to DFARS Case 2011-013, “Defense Acquisition Regulations System; Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Only One Offer.” (76 Fed. Reg. 44293, July 25, 2011) The proposed rule, issued b...
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Analysis
New Rule Will Help Contractor Whistleblowers Reach Out and Touch Someone
Starting this week, coffee drinkers and water cooler gossips at companies like Lockheed Martin will have something new to read on those lunch room bulletin boards. The Department of Defense (DoD) issued a final rule requiring its contractors to display fraud hotline posters, l...
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Testimony
Testimony of POGO’s Scott Amey on the Intelligence Community Contractors: Are We Striking the Right Balance?
POGO recommends that intelligence community agencies, Congress, and the Committees with jurisdiction conduct assessments of intelligence community service contracts in order to gain a better understanding of the types of services procured, the total dollars awarded, the contra...
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Policy Letter
POGO Tells Congress Not to Weaken the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
For more than three decades the FCPA has served as a deterrent to bribery and helped to level the playing field for law-abiding firms using solid business practices in international commerce. However, there is a misinformation campaign underway to convince Congress that a law ...
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Policy Letter
POGO Joins Groups Urging Deficit Reduction Super Committee to Disclose Lobbying Contacts
The undersigned are writing to urge you to immediately take steps to voluntarily disclose the efforts of outside interests to lobby you on matters related to the Committee on Deficit Reduction. Likewise, we urge you to also disclose the campaign contributions you receive betwe...
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Testimony
POGO’s Ben Freeman’s Testimony Before the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Personnel on “General and Flag Officer Requirements”
The increasing proportion of officers relative to enlisted personnel, as well as the tendency for higher ranking officers to do work that could be done by lower ranking officers, is known as brass creep or as officer or rank inflation. The pace of brass creep has accelerated i...