Trump asks $44B more for TX & FL; PR to wait

      President Trump recently requested billions of dollars in cuts to student loans, Army Corps of Engineers and Energy Dept. programs to help pay for $44 billion in additional disaster aid. Previously, $51 billion already had been spent on hurricane relief.

      The hurricane aid mostly would go to Texas and Florida, while the White House would make a later request to cover most of Puerto Rico’s needs.

      Puerto Rico has asked for $94 billion for recovery efforts.

More information: Bloomberg story: http://goo.gl/QCftgR
New York Times story: http://goo.gl/3RW5uA

Federal agencies spending data not fully accurate

      While 78 federal agencies collect and submit spending data to comprehensive databases, GAO identified problems with the accuracy of the data and its presentation on Beta.USAspending.gov.

      Based on a projectable sample representing approximately 94% of all records in Beta.USAspending.gov, GAO found major issues with accuracy.

      GAO said less than 1% of contract award records were fully consistent. Fully consistent means each data element reported matches authoritative agency sources. This was a decrease from 2014, when GAO found 2% to 7% fully consistent.

      GAO also found problems with completeness and use of the data.

More information: GAO report: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-138

Chapman wins a round

      Small business activist Lloyd Chapman, head of the American Small Business League, won an interim victory in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco by obtaining the release of a list of subcontractors to Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

      Sikorsky, along with the Defense and Justice departments, had argued that the information was proprietary under the DOD’s Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program. The program was designed to evaluate DOD’s small business subcontracting.

      Chapman filed a FOIA request for the information, but was refused, so he filed a lawsuit. While the case is not settled, the Justice Dept. has released a list, albeit with redactions, according to an article by GovExec.

More information: GovExec story: http://goo.gl/KKPQjL

Shutdown maybe; CR likely

HUBZone map frozen until 2020

DHS buys foreign-made uniforms

Fewer protests to GAO in FY2017

Column: Embezzlement--Protecting Your Assets

Washington Insider: