The new director of national intelligence says the government should look to the private sector for ways of speeding the processing of security clearances, Government Executive magazine reported.

Speaking to a Washington conference April 4, DNI Mike McConnell said financial institutions process the equivalent of a Top Secret clearance within two weeks, yet they have near-zero instances of dishonesty. OMB said federal security clearances took an average of 101 days in the first half of the current fiscal year.

The Office of Management and Budget wants to a standard Microsoft Windows desktop configuration on all computers sold to the government.

OMB has told agencies to begin complying with the requirement by Feb. 1. Karen Evans, the agency’s e-government chief, said all contracts should contain provisions requiring the standard configuration, Federal Computer Week reported.

OMB says the standard configuration will improve security and reduce costs. Federal employees would be blocked from changing their PC’s security settings.

A New York congressman plans to propose legislation to cut off federal contracts for companies that owe back taxes.

Democratic Rep. Edolphus Towns had scheduled a hearing on the bill April 19 before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s subcommittee on government management, organization and procurement, which he chairs.

According to published reports, the bill would require companies applying for a contract to give the IRS permission to tell contracting officers whether the company has paid its taxes. Companies working to pay off tax debts would still be eligible for federal contracts.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is backing creation of a Defense Readiness Production Board to oversee the rebuilding of military equipment and supplies that have been drawn down during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Missouri Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton said: “Congress needs to put money to fix and refill the stocks of equipment.  But we also need to mobilize this nation and its industrial base to make more capacity for repair and rebuilding available faster.” He said the board would “identify solutions to critical military readiness shortfalls.” 

Albuquerque businesswoman Joan E. Schlueter has been appointed chair of SBA’s National Advisory Council.

  The council provides advice to Administrator Steven Preston. She has been a member since 2003.

  Schlueter, owner and CEO of On Site Hiring Consultants, was one of the eight national founding partners of Women Impacting Public Policy, an advocacy group.