Pentagon Cloud Contract Funds May Be Held Back for Explanation

The annual defense policy bill proposed by House Republicans would bar the Pentagon from spending half the money designated for a broad-based cloud computing contract until Defense Secretary Jim Mattis offers Congress more information about the project. The report should include "a description of the characteristics and considerations for accelerating the cloud architecture and services required for a global, resilient, and secure information environment to enable warfighting," according to the draft authorization measure issued Friday by House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry of Texas and obtained by Bloomberg Government.

California Congressional Democrats united against reopening of DRECP

Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D., D-Palm Desert, on Friday released a letter signed by 38 of the state's 39 Democratic members of the House of Representatives in opposition to reopening the DRECP. The letter to Bureau of Land Management state Director Jerome Perez was written by Rep. Ruiz and argued against the Department of Interior's recent threat to overhaul the DRECP, which was years in the making. The DRECP was crafted with input from thousands of Californians, as well as business and mining leaders, environmentalists, farmers, recreational enthusiasts and more.

Democrats jump on Pruitt’s lobbyist-planned trips to probe conflicts of interest

Democrats are jumping on new revelations about lobbyists planning Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's lavish trips to Morocco, Australia, and Israel to show conflicts of interest. "The outsized role you have given lobbyists and non-governmental individuals in setting both your domestic policy agenda as well as your international travel is concerning and leads to even more questions about your ability to objectively serve the American people," said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., in a sent Friday to Pruitt asking for a full list of industry representatives that the agency has collaborated with on planning his overseas excursions.

Democratic Congressman: Let’s Force Gun Owners To Turn Over Their AR-15 And Other Rifles

Honestly, who wrote this? Yeah, I know it's from Rep. Eric Swalwell , but who on this staff wrote this rather great piece of comedy regarding military-style assault rifles. He wants to ban them, buy them back, and prosecute anyone who doesn't abide by his proposed law : Reinstating the federal assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004 would prohibit manufacture and sales, but it would not affect weapons already possessed.

HASC chairman Thornberry pushes for Trump’s military parade, pay raises for servicemembers

A key lawmaker on Friday unveiled his proposal for a massive defense policy plan that endorses the president's military parade in addition to boosting pay for servicemembers and increasing troops, weapons and equipment. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, proposed $639.1 billion in a military base budget, in addition to another $69 billion for a war chest called the Overseas Contingency Fund.

ARRL Executive Committee Hears Updates on Parity Act, FCC Petitions, Small Satellites

Meeting on April 21 in Windsor, Connecticut, the ARRL Executive Committee heard a status update on several regulatory matters and the Amateur Radio Parity Act from ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD. Imlay reported that ARRL continues to work multiple avenues in its efforts to secure passage of the Parity Act.

The Latest: Bill seeks national park status for White Sands

Legislation is being introduced that would elevate the home of the world's largest gypsum dune field in southern New Mexico from a national monument to a national park. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich made the announcement Friday while visiting New Mexico, saying the change would boost recognition and visitation.

The Latest: Kansas approves adoption bill seen as anti-LGBT

The Latest on bills in Oklahoma and Kansas to protect faith-based adoption agencies that won't place children in LGBT homes : Kansas lawmakers have joined their counterparts in Oklahoma in passing legislation to grant legal protections to faith-based adoption agencies that won't place children in LGBT homes. The Kansas Senate approved a bill early Friday that would prevent agencies from being barred from providing adoption services for the state if they refuse to place children in homes violating their religious beliefs.

Oklahoma, Kansas approve religious veto on LGBT adoptions

State lawmakers in Oklahoma and Kansas have approved legislation to grant legal protections to faith-based adoption agencies that cite their religious beliefs for not placing children in LGBT homes. Supporters of such measures argued that the core issue is protecting a group's right to live out its religious faith, while critics saw them as attacks on LGBT rights.

Kansas, Oklahoma approve religious veto on LGBT adoptions

State lawmakers in Kansas and Oklahoma have approved legislation to grant legal protections to faith-based adoption agencies that cite their religious beliefs for not placing children in LGBT homes. Supporters of such measures argued that the core issue is protecting a group's right to live out its religious faith, while critics saw them as attacks on LGBT rights.

Mike Pompeo brings his reset button to the State Department

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is moving immediately to fill vacant senior positions at the State Department, a task so large it has the feel of a "presidential transition" as opposed to a hand-off from one member of President Trump's Cabinet to another, according to Republican foreign policy experts. "That is true in the sense that there's so many vacancies," Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Elliot Abrams told the Washington Examiner.

Outside groups line up to give in northeast Ohio U.S. House primary

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's decision this week to pour $300,000 into Tuesday's congressional primary to support former Ohio State wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez against state Rep. Christina Hagan means that establishment Republicans are concerned enough about the race that they have now invested more than a half a million dollars to boost Gonzalez. “I think it indicates that they're worried,” said David Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron.

House chaplain regains job after challenging Ryan

Patrick Conroy, chaplain of the House of Representatives, delivers an interfaith message on the steps of the Capitol in Washington for the victims of the mass shooting ... WASHINGTON - The embattled chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives has won his job back just hours after sending a scalding letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan that accused a top Ryan staff aide of telling him "something like 'maybe it's time that we had a Chaplain that wasn't a Catholic.' " Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, forced Reverend Pat Conroy to tender his resignation last month, sparking a firestorm.

Oklahoma passes faith veto on LGBT adoptions; Kansas close

Oklahoma legislators approved a measure Thursday to grant legal protections to faith-based adoption agencies that cite their religious beliefs for not placing children in LGBT homes and lawmakers in Kansas were close to passing a similar measure. The Oklahoma House's 56-21 vote sent its measure to Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who has not said whether she would sign it.

Eric Swalwell Unloads GunPlatform Liberals Really Want

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California wants to ban assault weapons, instate a federal gun buy-back program for those who own them and criminally prosecute those who refuse to hand them over. The representative wrote an op-ed in USA Today Thursday rolling out what he feels is the gun control policy America should adopt, one that would take "military-style semiautomatic assault weapons" away from law-abiding citizens and threaten them with jail time if they refuse.

Los Angeles congressman says he’s target of sex abuse suit

A Los Angeles congressman acknowledged Thursday he is the unnamed target of a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse of a teenage girl more than a decade ago and his lawyer said the allegations were "absolutely false." Rep. Tony Cardenas is "sickened and distraught by these horrific allegations, which are 100 percent, categorically untrue," attorney Patricia Glaser said in a statement.