On January 5, 2012, President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey discussed changes in the military’s long-term plans and how the proposed changes will establish future budgeting priorities.

We recently attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where we discovered 2 game-changing technologies.

The best way to improve sales is to sell where they know you.

The race to exhaust funds and execute programs will be intense in 2012. Agencies will be motivated to spend their money before it gets taken away.

Since Jan 3, 2011, the Senate has introduced 1914 bills and the House has introduced 3508 bills. 57 bills have been signed into law.

As the biggest shopping day of the year approaches, it's important to note the Federal Government is also "shopping."

While the US has finally signed the Korean-US Free Trade Agreement, there is still work to be done on the other side of the Pacific before the agreement takes effect.

The Sec of Defense said the Pentagon is making “targeted changes” to weapons programs, upgrades and operations costs.

After weeks of secret meetings, the deficit-cutting panel established under last summer's budget deal doesn’t look like its making progress.

That’s a quote I recently heard from a high-level Government Executive. Yes…there are many inefficiencies out there, but who can afford to fix them in the current budget environment?

I am just getting back from a trip to Morocco. It was great and I saw "everything" because I hired a guide.

New regulations and budget cuts always lead to new business.

An important element of the ongoing healthcare debate is the regulation of medical devices. To date, there has been much ambiguity in regards to the Administration’s intentions.

In past years a decrease in "war funding" has always led to a decrease in defense funding because war funding was part of the defense budget.

The Department of Defense announced plans to award $37.8 million to academic institutions to support the purchase of research instrumentation. There were 165 awards to 83 academic institutions.

U.S. District Court Judge James C. Cacheris ruled last week on a motion to dismiss certain counts of an indictment charging an alleged scheme to make illegal contributions to a 2006 Senate campaign and a 2008 Presidential campaign.

It seems the Department of Defense is trying to drive a wedge between Government and Industry.

Email me at gmeyers@cassidy.com and I'll add you to my email list for weekly updates (or whenever I hear something interesting).

The Federal Government has 6 months to spend a 12 month budget.

Americans face a new and widely overlooked threat. Counterfeit prescription drugs are being unknowingly consumed across our nation. Without changes in policy, this issue will continue to grow at an already alarming pace.

None of the “usual favorites” are playing for this year’s National Basketball Championship. This year’s “Final Four” consists of 4 teams who were counted out from the beginning of the basketball tournament—but, each team has two things in common: A great game plan and preparation.

In the recent discussions about budget proposals and spending cuts, one piece of legislation that would boost our economy—the South Korea–United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA)—has been absent.

What the Multi-Billion Dollar USAF Air Refueling Tanker Competition Means for Business...

Bloomberg Businessweek ran an article last Tuesday on Chairman Bachus’ letter to the Financial Services Committee regarding implementation of Dodd-Frank’s new rules for Wall Street. In his letter the Chairman stressed his intention to review implementation of the Volker rule and in particular to:

Management Sciences for Health’s January newsletter highlights various initiatives in health financing in the developing world, including an innovative financing partnership in Uganda with USAID and local partners which helps Ugandans meet critical family planning needs.

Senator Grassley continues his focus on the investment and payout policies of endowments. It is no secret that he and others in the tax writing committees have long held concerns about the actions and composition of certain sub-sets of the nonprofit sector.

In an effort to save the US military money, Gander Airport, in New Foundland, Canada, is “speeding up” its aircraft servicing and creating a rapid refueling program for US military aircraft that land there.

While there will certainly be plenty of disagreement on details, it appears there may be some level of consensus in this Congress on the need for tax reform, including corporate tax reform.

There is current technology that allows us to inspect internal source code and third-party code and it does not require companies to expose their valuable source code.

What do you do if the rabbit (you are trying to keep out of your garden) is living inside your garden? The answer seems quite simple, but this is the problem we are living with in cyber security.

In conversations concerning cyber security, the topic of building firewalls always comes up. People believe if they build a big enough fence it will keep the threat out. The problem is the threat is already inside the fence.

On December 3rd, it was announced the U.S. and South Korea had reached an agreement to amend the three year old free trade agreement known as KORUS FTA.

It could be argued that the tax deal brokered between the White House and Republicans earlier this week hints at the start of bipartisan dealings to come in the new year.

This week the entire forty-two member Senate Republican Conference sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid making it clear they would vote against cloture on a motion to consider any legislation until the chamber has acted to fund the government and extend the Bush-era tax cuts.

In response to a large peanut butter recall early in 2009 a bi-partisan coalition of Senators introduced a bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1936.

The recent failure of the U.S. and South Korea to reach a final agreement on the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement should be viewed as a temporary setback.

While Bill S. 3480 – Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010 (sponsored by Senators Lieberman and Collins) is a good start, it does not adequately address the protection of our nation’s critical cyber supply chain.

With the government focused on reducing expenses it is more important than ever to focus on retaining business.

In light of the October 29th interception of two explosive devices on cargo flights departing from Yemen and headed for the West, the recently-released Congressional Research Service (CRS) report by Lauren Ploch, “Countering Terrorism in East Africa: The U.S. Response,” is both timely and relevant.

With the 2010 election results almost complete, guesswork is in high gear about both the direction and scope of energy legislation in the 112th Congress.

One of the greatest, and confusing, disappointments of the 111th Congress has been its inability to enact legislation to re-authorize a broad array of infrastructure programs.

There is some belief that partisanship in the 112th Congress will be worse than what we say in the 111th. However, it would be a mistake to believe that we are destined for two years of outright Congressional gridlock.

The Mid-term power shift will result in significant changes on both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees.

Each Veteran’s Day gives us an opportunity to focus on the contributions and sacrifices the members of our military have and are still making. We honor them and thank them for all they have done for our country.

On a recent Veteran’s Day, Gerry Cassidy hosted the annual Cassidy & Associates Veterans Day luncheon for all of us in the firm who had served in the armed forces. Our Guest of Honor was the oldest living Marine at the time, Mr. Herb Bowen.

Last week the SEC issued a set of proposed rules regarding whistleblower bounties. Some believed that the whistle blower provision as originally written in the bill, could lead to rulemaking that encouraged employees with knowledge of malfeasance to eschew internal integrity programs in favor of going directly to the SEC.

Now that Washington, D.C. has had an opportunity to thoroughly digest and analyze last week’s mid-term election and dramatic gains by the Republican Party, the nation’s attention has pivoted toward consideration of whether or not a divided government can effectively work together to aid our nation’s economic recovery. One area where many Washington analysts believe progress through compromise can be made is in U.S. Trade policy.

Capitalizing on voter discontent, Republicans claimed control of the House of Representatives picking up 60 seats with a few right leaning races still to be decided. In the Senate the Republicans gained six seats outright.

The mid-term elections have provided more certainty to the ideological direction of the next Congress. What remains to be seen is how jubilant Republicans and melancholy Democrats will cooperate with each other for the remainder of the 111th Congress.

Since the polls closed and results started flowing, people have been trying to analyze what the future holds for tax issues in the lame duck session and into the new year. It is hard to predict accurately what will unfold.

The mid-term elections are still several days away, but that hasn’t stopped some from looking ahead to the final weeks of the year when Congress will be focused on must-pass legislation to keep the government open for business.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has just embarked on a 13 day mission to Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Australia. The travel mirrors an interesting shift in U.S. foreign policy strategy under the current administration.

As you can see, we have launched a new website and we are very excited. I believe it reflects three elements at the core of our success on behalf of our clients– embracing change, a vibrant energy and a great pride.

Many people across the country were surprised late last year when Congress failed to pass an estate tax fix of any kind. It seemed impossible that Congress would allow the estate tax to lapse given the massive revenue loss. But here we are and the “tax-free” year is quickly coming to an end.

Recently, there has been renewed debate about whether or not adoption of this type of tax structure would help the U.S. address the growing deficit and debt problem.

The passage of the health care reform act impacted many facets of the not-for-profit health sector. There is now some concern that the tax exemption for hospitals is at risk of being eliminated at some point in the future.

Thanksgiving in Washington comes early this year and the dinner plates will be overflowing.

The excerpt below is from a BNA Daily Tax Report (sub. req’d) article on a complaint filed against a number of BCS bowl related entities by Playoff PAC an organization advocating for a college football postseason.

The recent egg recall, due to an aggressive outbreak of Salmonella, only served to increase the public pressure on the Senate to pass S510, the Food Safety Modernization Act.

In a recent article, The Washington Post reports that a year after publishing its cyber-security policy review, the White House continues to lack a coherent strategy for preventing cyber attacks.

The New York Times recently highlighted efforts by some lobbying firms in Washington to hire additional Republicans to boost their influence if the Republican Party succeeds in regaining control of the House Representatives and the Senate after the November elections. It was a familiar story about the implications of shifts in the balance of power in Washington.

After a six-week Recess including town hall meetings and aggressive messaging, the House and Senate return to Washington with a full plate of work.

New information on the dwindling numbers of livestock producers in the U.S. has prompted a series of meetings led by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak over the last few months.

Including small businesses in competitions for government contracts has long been an important issue.

The Washington Post ran an article on Saturday August 21, 2010 on the disparity between corporate profits and corporate spending on new workers. Recovery will not come under the current paradigm

As posted earlier today on the Huffington Post

This past week, it was reported that DHS has been dispatching teams of cyber security experts to assess defensive capabilities at key power plants across the country.

Quietly and effectively, the Obama Administration is in the process of instituting a U.S.-Africa policy that promotes enhanced trade between the United States and Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).

The Brookings Institute’s Metropolitan Studies Program published a report last month which examines how exports impact U.S. metropolitan economies. Export Nation found evidence that export intensive industries boost growth, provide higher wages and foster innovation.

As posted earlier today on the Huffington Post. What is happening today in the Republic of Guinea deserves a closer look from other African nations and the international community.

As the days and weeks tick down, so do the chances of passage for a number of bills held up in the Senate. One of these is S.510, better known as the Food Safety Bill.

In a recent blog post, I described the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that airline manufacturer Airbus benefitted unfairly from European Union subsidies. More recent news has broken, as the WTO has decided to delay its decision on a similar case examining whether Airbus competitor Boeing also benefitted from similar subsidies.

Could Gen MacArthur have envisioned this level of cooperation, and the use of today’s information technology.

My wife and I decide to write the MINI E down as something to consider in the future when replacing a commuter vehicle.

In a ruling that many US Senators are already hailing as a “landmark decision”, the WTO has effectively shaken up the commercial aircraft market landscape.

While the media has characterized the eleven people recently arrested on a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan as members of a “Russian spy ring”

MIT released an interim report today examining the future of natural gas as a fuel in an increasingly emissions averse world

One way to benefit both the US and Korea is to finally approve the US and Korean Free Trade Agreement, which was signed on June 30, 2007.

Supreme Court nominations have the potential to echo through history. It is the President’s opportunity to impact the tenor of the court long after his term has ended

Last week The Ninth Circuit reversed a trial court’s dismissal of charges in an indictment alleging that a California man had violated federal law by contributing $26,000

Over the weekend President Obama sent a letter to Congress urging them to pass a measure to shore up state and local budgets and stave off public employee layoffs

Over the weekend, draft regulation was leaked concerning the grandfathering of employer sponsored healthcare plans in existence prior the implementation of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Earlier this year, legislation was introduced in the House that, as much as anything we’ve seen, strikes at the heart of some of the most challenging foreign policy, international affairs and security issues that the U.S. faces today

I got a blast campaign email today from Dr. Charles Crist, Sr. who is the father of current Florida Governor Charlie Crist who is running for the U.S. Senate. When it became apparent that the Governor would not win his party’s nomination in the primary, he quit being a team player. He decided to run as an independent.

With less than 60 legislative days on the Congressional Calendar before the 2010 mid-term elections, Congress finds itself with much unfinished business.

Children vary in how they think, how they learn and how they cope. That diversity has to be addressed if schools are going to be successful in helping them complete their education. And, not all schools are equally prepared for that challenge.

Congressional consideration of legislation to address our energy problems seems to be moving to the front burner again.

After my first ever visit to Kabul, Afghanistan last month, I’ll be paying close attention to what action the Afghan government takes on the heels of last week’s “peace jirga”

With the federal government currently trying to implement health care reform legislation, Cassidy & Associates continues to stay abreast of the political landscape.

As primary season gets into full swing and the November midterms approach it is important for corporate employees in Washington and across the country to be mindful of the rules governing campaign work in the office

Despite record rains and flooding in Iowa, 2008 was a good year for farmers. Due to spikes in prices for crops such as corn and soybeans, net farm income increased 60% from 2007 to 2008. However, even farms that had a profitable year received an extra influx of cash due to a provision in the Stimulus bill.

As hurricane season begins in the Caribbean, aid organizations worry that tropical storms will exacerbate the challenges already facing relief workers in Haiti.

With much to do both in Washington and back in their districts, members are under a constant time crunch. Unfortunately this can leave important initiatives in jeopardy.

The House Agriculture Committee is in the process of holding a series of hearings across the country in order to review the current agricultural policy as lawmakers prepare to draft the 2012 Farm Bill

CFOs are always looking for ways to reduce risk and achieve greater return on investment

This survey will almost certainly make it into the hands of those in Congress working behind the scenes on nonprofit tax reform

Since 2008, negotiations by the World Trade Organization on multilateral agreements have stalled. Disagreements on major issues between key nations have resulted in a deadlock. Coupled with a domestic political stalemate on three free trade agreements, all of which have been negotiated but are stalled in Congress, the future of bilateral trade barrier reduction is uncertain.

The recently passed healthcare bill which aims to cover millions of uninsured Americans included several provisions that corporations are feeling the effects of, in spite of the fact that many of these conditions will not be enforced until 2014.

BNA news (subscription) has reported that Alan Fu, of Prudential Financial Services, sent an email to the Treasury Department in which he highlights a possible effect of the Financial Services Reform bill currently before the Senate. Fu wrote that:

While impacts are still being assessed, undoubtedly there will be far reaching economic and environmental repercussions for the region

Cassidy & Associates Sr. VP Tom Dennis gives another update on where things stand with the Senate’s latest effort to move Climate Change legislation forward.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Colin Peterson has held and scheduled a number of oversight field hearings across the country to advance consideration of the reauthorization of the Farm Bill which expires in 2012

The Partnership for Philanthropic Planning sent a letter to the ranking members of the Finance and Ways and Means Committees today urging them to move forward with reconciliation on the Tax Extenders Act of 2009.

Currently, the food industry is not obligated to regulate the amount of sodium in products as sodium is generally recognized as safe by the FDA

The GAO report previously highlighted shows that the government is taking a hard look at tax exemptions in the Internal Revenue Code.

The long-awaited Kerry-Graham-Lieberman draft of a climate bill is slated to be released on April 26^th, and President Obama is weighing in

Recent events in Kyrgyzstan emphasize the importance of the U.S. Air Force world-wide infrastructure.

Last Friday’s announced retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens may have the unintended consequence of also retiring fleeting hopes for the passage of a comprehensive climate change and energy bill during this session of Congress.

The easy targets have already been taken — leading the government to start seriously considering areas that were previously unthinkable.