Order protecting gay contract workers in effect

President Obama’s executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against workers based on sexual orientation and gender identity went into effect April 8.

The order applied to all contracts over $10,000.

The Labor Department estimated that about 100,000 contractors would be affected annually.

Contractors are required to include non-discrimination language in their job postings and to report incidents in which a gay worker is denied a travel visa for a work event.

More information: Executive order: http://goo.gl/QvSkZL
Final rule: http://goo.gl/zGMGwW
Labor Dept. analysis: http://goo.gl/RbtXIg

Costs soar on VA hospital construction in Denver

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking over construction management of the delayed and over-budget new Denver veterans hospital being built by the Veterans Affairs Dept., the Associated Press reported.

VA officials estimate that $830 million is needed to finish the work. VA officials were planning to ask a House panel for the funds to complete construction.

The cost was initially $328 million when the project was a joint venture with the state university. Going forward on its own, the VA’s costs rose to $800 million and now $1.7 billion.

Three other VA hospital construction projects--in Las Vegas, New Orleans and Orlando - are behind schedule and over budget.

DC shared services hub

The Defense Department is in the final stages of authorizing a single shared services office for all commodity IT for the Washington DC metro area, known as the National Capital Region, according to a report by Federal News Radio.

The new office would be under the Defense Information Systems Agency. The new office would be called the Pentagon DISA Field Service Activity (Pentagon SSP) once it is authorized.

More information: FedNewsRadio report: http://goo.gl/nGdXAV

Benefits for US vendors

Forty nine of the top 100 federal contractors also won federal grants, loans or tax credits over the past 15 years, according to a study by Good Jobs First, a nonprofit ( http://goo.gl/zKz28L).

The vendor with the most grants and tax credits was General Electric, with $836 million.

Outcry over USASpending.gov website redo

Weighing in on mentor-proteges

GSA: schedules need transformation

Column: The USASpending.gov website has changed--to the detriment of small business.

Washington Insider: