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April 11, 2008
- FCC Adopts Rules for Delivery of Commercial Mobile Alerts to the Public During Emergencies
- Committee Republicans Concerned About Inaction on Authorization Bill
- House Armed Services Committee to Pentagon: Move on Wartime Contracting Report
- Federal Computer Week: Air Force Pushing Ahead on Cyberspace
- Washington Post: Weapons Upgrade Faces Big Hurdles
- Government Oversight & Accountability
Around Town
FCC Adopts Rules for Delivery of Commercial Mobile Alerts to the Public During Emergencies
The FCC adopted rules earlier this week that will support the ability of the nation’s wireless carriers to transmit timely and accurate alerts, warnings and critical information to the cell phones and other mobile devices of consumers during disasters or other emergencies. The FCC’s Order adopts relevant technical requirements based on the recommendations of an advisory committee. Wireless carriers that choose to participate in the Commercial Mobile Service Alert System will be required to comply with the rules adopted in the Order within ten months from the date of announcement that a federal agency has been designated to collect and transmit the alerts to the wireless carriers. The text of the Order can be found at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-99A1.pdf
Committee Republicans Concerned About Inaction on Authorization Bill
Republicans and Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee disagreed earlier this week over whether legislation authorizing programs and policies for the Homeland Security Department will be done this year. Ranking member Congressman Peter King (R-NY) said “I’ve seen nothing to indicate there is going to be an authorization bill. If not, it’s going to be a tragic mistake.” The annual Homeland Security authorization bill is a way for lawmakers to direct the Department, which has grown in size and budget every year since it was created in 2003. The committee has marked up an authorization bill every year since 2004. But Congress has never sent a final authorization bill to the White House because it either did not get through the full House or was never taken up in the Senate. King and others believe it is critical for the committee to keep producing an authorization bill each year to set national homeland security policy and further establish the committee’s jurisdiction in Congress.
House Armed Services Committee to Pentagon: Move on Wartime Contracting Report
House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton and ranking member Duncan Hunter urged Pentagon officials today to act quickly on a report due to Capitol Hill late next month on changes in wartime contracting. During a hearing on contingency contracting, the chairman said his panel must have the Pentagon’s report by May 1 to incorporate into the FY 09 defense authorization bill any of the recommendations that require changes to the law. The committee plans to mark up the massive Pentagon policy measure in early May.
Making News
Congressman John McHugh (R-NY) has made it known that he will be actively seeking his party’s top spot on the Armed Services Committee in the next Congress.
In the News
Federal Computer Week: Air Force Pushing Ahead on Cyberspace
FCW reports that the Air Force is finalizing a doctrine to guide its operations in cyberspace, a domain in which it plans to invest $5 billion during the coming years as it seeks to establish its new Cyber Command. More at: http://www.fcw.com/online/news/152194-1.html
Speaking at the Cyber Warfare Conference 2008, Lt. General Elder noted “Offensive cyber attacks in network warfare make kinetic attacks more effective.” An interview with him can be found at: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39378374,00.htm
Washington Post: Weapons Upgrade Faces Big Hurdles
The WP reports that Army plans to develop the most expensive weapons program in history may be in jeopardy because it depends on three separate military programs plagued by cost overruns, immature technologies and timetable delays. Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/07/AR2008040702604.html?referrer=emailarticle
Government Oversight & Accountability
The Government Accountability Office has issued numerous reports over the past several weeks:
As part of an ongoing review, for which two reports will be issued later this year, GAO issued an update focusing on the Department of Defense’s critical infrastructure protection (DCIP) efforts, with specific focus on challenges DOD faces in incorporating critical Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and Special Access Program (SAP) assets into DCIP. This report evaluates the extent to which DOD is (1) identifying and prioritizing critical SCI and SAP assets in DCIP and (2) assessing critical SCI and SAP assets for vulnerabilities in a comprehensive manner consistent with that used by DCIP for collateral-level assets: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08373r.pdf
In testimony given before the House Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, Committee on Homeland Security, the GAO offered an assessment on the Department of Homeland Security’s management function and its progress toward implementing transformation strategies. Overall, GAO believes much remains to be done. The full testimony can be found at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08646t.pdf
Undercover purchases of sensitive and stolen military items from websites such as eBay and Craig’s list were the focus of a GAO report requested by the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08644t.pdf.
Testimony on the Army’s Future Combat System offered by the GAO and following up on two reports issued in March can be found at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08638t.pdf ; supplementing this testimony was a statement issued by the GAO relating to the restructuring and rebuilding of the Army which will costs “billions of dollars”: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08669thigh.pdf
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