'EXPRESS INSURANCE' ALLOWS COMPANY TO EXPORT PICKLES TO CHINA

Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
North Carolina Small Business Grows Sales of Pickles in China,
Becomes Ex-Im Bank’s 500th ‘Express Insurance’ Customer

Washington, D.C. --- With the export financing support of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), a small North Carolina food manufacturer will be significantly increasing sales of its signature "Miss Jenny’s Pickles" to stores in Mainland China. The sales increase is being made possible as the company that produces them, Old Orchard Foods, LLC, becomes the 500th small business using the Bank’s ‘Express Insurance’ product.

Old Orchard was started in January, 2010 by two self-described "burned-out" stockbrokers, Jenny Fulton and her former sales assistant, Ashlee Furr. In just three years the company’s pickles are being sold in 1,000 stores in the United States, and now 40 stores in China.

"The Miss Jenny’s Pickles success story is one that is being repeated all across the country," Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg said. "Jenny Fulton and her business partner are great role models for what can be accomplished by smart, energetic and dedicated entrepreneurs. They and many other small-business exporters who use Express Insurance are discovering that they can seize opportunities to sell overseas, grow their sales and make sure they are paid by using export finance products that Ex-Im Bank offers."

Fulton says she expects Ex-Im Bank’s Express Insurance product to result in her sales to China increasing about 400 percent. And she plans to soon expand into Canada as well.

"Ex-Im Bank’s export-credit insurance enables us to offer terms to our foreign buyers, so they don’t have to pay for the whole order at once," Fulton said. "Our export sales have permitted us to hire our first full-time and four part-time employees, and with the new orders from China supported by Ex-Im’s Express Insurance we hope to turn those part-time jobs into full-timers by the end of the year."

Fulton was inspired to seek export opportunities after hearing a presentation by Ex-Im Bank Chairman Hochberg during one of the Bank’s "Global Access for Small Business" forums. Her experience that day was later recounted during a segment of the CBS-TV News program, "60 Minutes."

Express Insurance, a product launched in April 2011, provides small businesses with a user-friendly and cost-effective option to protect against foreign-buyer nonpayment and enhance access to working capital financing because banks are more likely to lend to companies if their foreign accounts receivable are insured. The policy features a streamlined application, complimentary policy quotation, foreign-buyer credit reports and buyer credit-limit pre-approvals often in five working days.

Old Orchard Foods is based in Kernersville, North Carolina, a town of just over 23,000 people located ten miles from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Global Business Solutions, Inc., an export-credit insurance broker based in Winston-Salem, explained how the policy works and helped Old Orchard during the policy acceptance process.

SECRETARY SALAZAR'S REMARKS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY ON PUBLIC LANDS

Secretary Of Interior Ken Salazar

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
Secretary Salazar: Renewable Energy on Public Lands and Waters Making Rapid Advances
Looming sequester threatens to slow progress on permitting

BOSTON – The Obama Administration’s renewable energy program has authorized dozens of renewable energy projects on public lands and will hold the first-ever auctions for commercial wind development in the Atlantic this year, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told offshore wind stakeholders at a conference in Boston today. Salazar noted that the rapid progress – as well as conventional oil and gas development on federal lands and waters – could be stymied by potential cuts under sequestration.

"We have made impressive gains, approving dozens of utility-scale solar, wind and geothermal projects in the West and transitioning from planning to commercial leasing for offshore wind," Salazar told about 300 industry leaders in a keynote address at the Offshore Wind Power USA Conference. "The potentially devastating impact of budget reductions under sequestration could slow our economy and hurt energy sector workers and businesses."

Salazar said he elevated renewable energy development to a departmental priority and Interior worked with industry, state, tribal and local partners to approve 34 projects on public lands in western states and to build an offshore regulatory framework in the Atlantic. The 18 utility-scale solar facilities, 7 commercial wind farms and 9 geothermal plants Interior green-lighted onshore would provide 10,400 megawatts when built, enough to power 3.4 million homes. The developers estimate that these projects would support 13,000 construction and operations jobs.

Mandatory budget cuts under sequestration, however, could delay Interior’s ability to issue permits for new development, plan for new projects, conduct environmental reviews and lease new federal lands for future development – both for renewable and conventional energy. Delays in offshore oil and gas permitting in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, could affect more than 500 exploration plans and development documents that are anticipated for review this year.

Onshore, nearly 300 oil and gas leases issued for public land in western states could be threatened under sequestration, delaying prospective production and deferring payments to the states and the U.S. Treasury. Delays in coal leasing could defer $50-60 millions of dollars in revenue sharing among states and the Treasury. Sequestration could have serious consequences for the emerging domestic renewable energy industry. The cuts would mean fewer studies, fewer opportunities to obtain meaningful stakeholder input, and delays in identification of potential use conflicts. The result could be a slower pace in identifying and leasing wind energy areas in federal waters, adversely impacting Interior’s ability to address offshore renewable energy management in a timely manner.

Under a ‘Smart-from-the-Start’ strategy, Interior has identified six Wind Energy Areas along the Atlantic coast that contain the greatest wind potential and fewest conflicts with competing uses. Interior has already issued two non-competitive commercial wind leases, one off Massachusetts and another off Delaware, and is moving forward with the first-ever competitive lease sales for Wind Energy Areas off Virginia and Rhode Island/Massachusetts, which will offer nearly 278,000 acres for development. The areas proposed could support more than 4,000 megawatts of wind generation – enough electricity to power 1.4 million homes. Salazar also signed a lease and approved a Construction and Operations Plan for the 130-turbine Cape Wind project, the first commercial wind development slated for federal offshore waters.

Calling 2013 a pivotal year for the industry, Salazar said Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will propose additional commercial lease sales this year for Wind Energy Areas offshore New Jersey, Maryland and Massachusetts and is working to determine industry interest in three areas off North Carolina. BOEM also is processing a lease request from a company with Department of Energy funding to develop cutting-edge floating wind turbines in federal waters off Maine. Other demonstration projects are proposed off Virginia and Oregon.

In addition, BOEM is considering a mid-Atlantic wind energy transmission line that would 7,000 megawatts of wind turbine capacity to the grid. This Atlantic Wind Connection would run from southern Virginia to northern New Jersey, collecting power produced by wind facilities off New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia and bringing it ashore.

FORMER SEN. CHUCK HAGEL SWORN IN AS U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE



Chuck Hagel is sworn into office as the 24th defense secretary by Michael L. Rhodes, the Defense Department's director of administration and management, as Hagel's wife, Lilibet, holds a Bible at the Pentagon, Feb. 27, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel Takes Office as 24th Defense Secretary
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2013 – Just before his private swearing-in ceremony as the 24th secretary of defense, Chuck Hagel and his wife, Lilibet, arrived at the Pentagon this morning and were greeted by Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, military assistant to the secretary of defense.

Hagel said hello to waiting members of the Pentagon press corps as he hurried up the steps of the Pentagon’s river entrance. From there, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little and other defense officials accompanied him into the building.

Family members and his immediate office staff attended the ceremony, during which Hagel was sworn in by Director of Administration and Management Michael L. Rhodes.

Hagel then hosted the daily senior staff update meeting attended by DOD civilian and military leaders.

In a statement released after Hagel’s Senate confirmation yesterday, Little said the new secretary received congratulatory phone calls from his predecessor, Leon E. Panetta, congressional leaders, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki.

In his conversation with Secretary Shinseki, Little added, Hagel "indicated his desire to meet as soon as possible to continue and deepen the strong partnership between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs on common priorities for serving our troops, veterans and military families."

After the staff meeting, Hagel will speak to service members and civilian Defense Department employees in the Pentagon Auditorium. The address will be covered live on the Pentagon Channel. It’s scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. EST.

This afternoon, Hagel will meet with the service secretaries and attend meetings at the White House.

Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement that he’d travelled across the world with Hagel and has seen him in action in the U.S. Senate.

"Wherever he is, his talent and dedication to our country are clear. He feels a deep commitment to our men and women in uniform, and as the head of the Pentagon, I know their interests will always be close to his heart," Biden said.

"Most importantly," he added, "I know the president will be able to rely on Chuck’s sound, unvarnished judgment on any issue where our troops are involved. For that and many more reasons, I’m looking forward to working with Secretary Hagel."

President Obama Dedicates a Statue Honoring Rosa Parks | The White House

President Obama Dedicates a Statue Honoring Rosa Parks | The White House

NEW TERRORIST DESIGNATIONS FROM U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Terrorist Designations of the Commander Nazir Group and Malang Wazir
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 26, 2013
　

The Department of State has designated the Commander Nazir Group (CNG) and its sub-commander Malang Wazir as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of the designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which CNG and Malang have any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with CNG, Malang, or to their benefit.

Since 2006, CNG has run training camps, dispatched suicide bombers, provided safe haven for al-Qa’ida fighters, and conducted cross-border operations in Afghanistan against the United States and its allies. In addition to its attacks against international forces in Afghanistan, CNG is also responsible for assassinations and intimidation operations against civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

CNG leader Commander Nazir died in early-January 2013, but the group has since chosen a new leader, and in a statement vowed to continue the group’s activities, including supporting al-Qa’ida and conducting attacks in Afghanistan. In the same statement, Malang was named as a part of CNG’s top leadership. Acting as a sub-commander for CNG, Malang has overseen training centers and has been known to send fighters to Afghanistan to support the Taliban.

Although CNG and Malang have been behind numerous attacks against international forces in Afghanistan, the group has also been known to attack targets in Pakistan. For example, Malang claimed CNG responsibility for a March 2008 vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack in front of an army brigade headquarters in Zari Noor, South Waziristan, Pakistan, which killed five Pakistani soldiers and injured 11 more. In May 2011, CNG broke a ceasefire agreement and attacked a Pakistani army camp in Wana, Pakistan, with missiles and rockets.

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - February 27, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - February 27, 2013

THE BUILDING OF THE USS MONITOR

FROM: U.S. NAVY
Monitor: A Naval Shipbuilding First

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (AW) Tim Comerford, Naval History and Heritage Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- It was a juggernaut; a Confederate 275-foot blackened structure of iron that would forever change the face of warfare.

The ship was a black-iron beast reborn from the frigate Merrimack, a burnt husk raised and armor-clad, transformed into a ship with no purpose but war. Its formidable complement boasted more than 300 men and its iron-bound hull bristled with cannons. The renamed ironclad ram, CSS Virginia, seemed unstoppable given existing maritime technology. This was the monstrosity that was being built to wreak havoc in U.S. waters, with hopes of decimating the Union Navy. The time for action was slipping through Union hands, like fingers trying to grasp water.

Through intelligence reports, Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles learned of the refitting of the Merrimack, which began in July 11, 1861.

Welles published an announcement in August of 1861 calling on designers to submit plans for ironclad warships to the Navy Department. One of resulting plans was for that of the Monitor.

The Monitor was almost never built. John Ericson, a Swedish-born New York engineer and inventor submitted a steamship plan for what he called, "An impregnable steam battery of light draught, suitable to navigate the shallow rivers and harbors of Confederate States." But his plan was rejected, because the board of Naval officers questioned its stability. Ericson went to Washington and personally demonstrated the soundness of his design to the board. That fateful day, the board gave him permission to build what would be the Union's answer to the CSS Virginia - a 172-foot icon of Union justice that would mete out destruction wherever it went, armed with two menacing cannons.

The engineer's plan had some characteristics that helped convince the board that his design was the right one. It was small; larger ships would have taken longer to build, time they did not have with the work on the CSS Virginia. It was completely iron; no vessel of wood could stand up to the bombardment from the battery of the CSS Virginia. It featured a revolutionary turret; the rivers and inlets of the southern U.S. were too narrow and it would be impossible for ships to turn broadsides at all times to shoot their cannons. It featured a shallow draft; the shallow waters off the coast of the South called for a ship that could maneuver nimbly.

Ericson returned to New York to begin building his ship, splitting the workload between eight New York state companies and one Baltimore comapny in order to build faster. Continental Iron Works constructed the hull, Delamater and Company built the steam engines and Novelty Iron Works formed the 8-inch thick turret.

Contracts to begin building were signed Oct. 4, 1861 and 118 days later a new type of ship was born into the world of naval supremacy. Even by 2013's standards, 118 days to build any kind of working ship is a remarkable feat but at the time that speed would seem almost impossible.

"It's a complex ship," Calhoun said. "It was a far cry from the wooden warships that were being built. Any ship that has been built in the 20th century has flaws in it and not everything goes by the book when you take the ship out to commission it. The fact that they built this brand new ship that no one had ever attempted to build before in 118 days and not have many flaws in it is remarkable."

The Monitor was a small, dynamically-designed, low lying craft with only 10 feet of draft and 987 tons displacement and a crew of only 65 Sailors.

"You will perceive by the dimensions that she is not very large, but she carries a couple of guns that throw a shot weighing 170 pounds," wrote Alban C. Stimers, a Naval Officer inspector of the ironclads, of the Monitor, in a letter to his father. "When equipped and manned ready for sea she was only 20 inches out of the water. This gives her the most singular appearance. I could not for a time get over being impressed with the idea that she was sinking."

The new ship was launched Jan. 30, 1862, outfitted over the next month and placed in commission Feb. 25 under the command of Lt. John L. Worden. After trials and modifications, Monitor received orders March 4, 1862 to move to Hampton Roads. She left New York March 6 and encountered her first challenge: stormy weather, which abundantly demonstrated both the inherent seakeeping problems of the design and some more-easily correctable technical difficulties. But her most notable challenge was only two days off. Late March 8, just a few hours after CSS Virginia had spread terror among the Union fleet, the weather-beaten Monitor arrived off Hampton Roads, where her exhausted crew spent a long night urgently preparing their ship for a battle that made history.

The Navy will honor Monitor Sailors March 8 with a graveside interment ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony for the remains of two unknown Sailors recovered from the USS Monitor shipwreck. The unknown Sailors were lost along with 14 of their shipmates when Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras, N.C. Dec. 31, 1862. All 16 Sailors will be memorialized on a group marker in section 46 of the cemetery, which is between the amphitheater and the USS Maine Mast memorial.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL ADDRESSES PENTAGON EMPLOYEES AND SERVICE MEMBERS

New Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel addresses Pentagon employees and service members during an all-hands call during his first day at the Pentagon, Feb. 27, 2013. Hagel earlier took the oath of office to serve as the 24th defense secretary. DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENTOF DEFENSE
Hagel Vows to Ensure Well-being of Service Members, Families
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2013 - New Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel promised today to always be frank with the men and women of the department and said he expects all to be direct in return.

Hagel spoke to the Pentagon workforce and a worldwide audience on the Pentagon Channel just after taking the oath as the nation's 24th defense secretary.

"I'll never ask anyone to do anything I wouldn't do," the secretary said. "I'll never ask anybody to do more than I would do. That's the story of your lives. I wouldn't be worthy if that was not the case."

Army Sgt. 1st Class John Werth, a native Nebraskan and combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, introduced the new secretary. He said Hagel already had held the most important job in the department: that of a combat infantryman. Hagel served in Vietnam as a young enlisted soldier and was wounded twice.

This is a defining time for the world, Hagel said.

"It's a difficult time. It's a time of tremendous challenge, but there are opportunities," he added. "I think it's important that we all stay focused, obviously, on our jobs, on our responsibilities, which are immense, but not lose sight of the possibilities for a better world."

Service members should not forget that America is a force for good in the world, he said.

"We've made mistakes. We'll continue to make mistakes. But we are a force for good," he said. "And we should always keep that out in front as much as any one thing that drives us every day."

The military needs to deal with the budget realities, the geopolitical challenges, cyber issues and the threats of terrorism, Hagel noted.

"We've got ahead of us a lot of challenges," he said. "They are going to define much of who we are -- not this institution only, but our country, what kind of a world our children are going to inherit. That's the bigger picture of the objective for all of us."

Facing these challenges is difficult, the secretary said.

"But it's also pretty special," he added. "When you think about ... how many generations have had an opportunity to be part of something great, as difficult as this is ... we can really do something pretty special for our country."

The secretary promised service members he will do everything he can "to ensure the safety, the well-being, the future of you and your families."

"Now, I've got to go to work," he said.

GSA CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OFFICER TESTIFIES BEFORE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE

FROM: U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Metzler Testimony at House Subcommittee
Testimony of Cynthia Metzler
Chief Administrative Services Officer, U.S. General Services Administration
Before the
Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
February 27th, 2012

Good morning Chairman Farenthold, Ranking Member Lynch, and Members of the Subcommittee. My name is Cynthia Metzler, and I am the Chief Administrative Services Officer of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). In that capacity, I promote efficiency within the agency and, in part, ensure that our travel and conference policies have strong controls, effective oversight, and focus on reducing costs.


Under new leadership, GSA has refocused on its mission of delivering the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology service to government and the American people. GSA has instituted a number of reforms internally to meet this goal. To streamline and simplify our services, make GSA more efficient, and provide greater accountability and transparency, GSA is consolidating many of our central services. The Acting Administrator has put in place new leadership in the Public Buildings Service and the Federal Acquisition Service to reinvigorate our business lines and continue our reform efforts. To lead the consolidation of GSA’s financial services and to stress the importance of strong oversight of GSA’s finances, we have hired a new Chief Financial Officer. Last year, to ensure taxpayer funds were being used wisely, we cut
Senior Executive Service bonuses substantially and put in place a targeted hiring freeze across the agency. And by engaging GSA’s staff through the "Great Ideas Hunt," we have put in place simple reforms that are anticipated to save taxpayers an estimated $5.5 million per year.


GSA’s travel policies have also been reformed to reflect this mission. GSA has put in place strict internal travel and conference policies to reduce costs, provide strong oversight, and ensure that travel only occurs when necessary. Additionally, as part of our agency’s mission to serve our Federal partners and deliver savings, we are providing tools to allow agencies to better manage their travel and conference spending and we are working with OMB on changes to government-wide travel policies to increase efficiency and effectiveness, reduce costs, and incorporate industry best practices. These efforts are in line with the Administration’s aim to promote cost reduction across a wide range of administrative expenses, particularly travel and conferences.


GSA’s Policies –
GSA has instituted rigorous new controls and oversight to ensure that all proposed travel and conference expenses are cost-effective, serve legitimate mission needs, and have appropriate levels of review.

Travel can only be approved when all other alternatives, including video-conferencing, teleconferencing, and webinars have been considered. Additionally, travel must be for work related to GSA’s essential mission, such as building inspections or conducting litigation. To ensure all travel requests received appropriate review, GSA has instituted policies that limit the use of blanket authorizations and require that travel is authorized in advance on a trip-by-trip basis. And to make sure that what is often the most costly travel is only done for legitimate purposes, any international travel request must be approved by the Deputy Administrator.

Conferences can no longer be held without submission of a detailed justification, a proposed budget, and review and approval from multiple divisions. At minimum, this means any conference, no matter the proposed cost, is reviewed both by the head of the relevant division and GSA’s Chief Administrative Services Officer (CASO). In line with Administration guidance, when the proposed cost of a conference is more than $100,000, the Deputy Administrator must approve it, and if a conference is more than $500,000, the Acting Administrator must approve it and document the justification for why it must be held. To ensure that we carefully scrutinize any internal management meetings, the Deputy Administrator must review and approve these regardless of cost. Additionally, even attendance at a conference requires multiple layers of
approval, including by our CASO. Employees must justify their potential attendance and outline their expenses.


GSA now requires mandatory annual online training regarding conference attendance for GSA employees through the Conference Attendance Training module. This training highlights the importance of considering cost-effective alternatives like teleconferencing, and ensures every employee understands the difference between appropriate and inappropriate expenses. Employees learn about the Federal Travel Regulations, ensuring better compliance. To date, more than 11,000 GSA employees have completed the training, and we have presented the training to other agencies to either incorporate into their own training courses or to use our web capability for their own agency use.

In line with the Administration’s policies, we also have provided greater transparency into our conference expenses. We have posted all approved, agency-sponsored conferences held last year with a cost of over $100,000 on a publically available website that includes the budget and a justification for why the conference was held. We are contemplating ways to provide additional transparency into our travel and conference expenses.

All told, these changes under our new leadership have dramatically reduced costs, improved oversight, and made certain that travel and conference expenses are fully justified and missionrelated. Through the end of Fiscal Year 2012 alone, these policies have helped to save more than $28 million in travel and transportation costs.


Government-Wide Efforts –
This Administration has been clear about the need to cut wasteful spending and increase efficiency. Executive Order 13589, "Promoting Efficient Spending," directed agencies to cut waste in Federal government spending and identify opportunities to promote efficient and effective spending, including a reduction in conference and travel costs. This EO was further translated into guidance with OMB Memorandum M-12-12, "Promoting Efficient Spending to Support Agency Operations," which provided policies and practices to achieve these efficiencies. Among other items, this Memorandum directed agencies to reduce their travel
expenses by 30 percent off a Fiscal Year 2010 baseline, require the approval of senior officials for conferences with expenses over $100,000, prohibit conferences with expenses of more than $500,000 (unless the agency’s head provides a waiver finding that exceptional circumstances exist whereby spending in excess of $500,000 on a single conference is the most cost-effective option to achieve a compelling purpose), and increase transparency on these costs.The requirements on travel and conferences have already been implemented within GSA, and are outlined in detail above. To further these efforts government-wide, GSA has also looked for ways we can assist agencies by providing tools to help them better manage their travel and conference costs.


To help agencies prioritize use of Federally-owned space, GSA has created an online tool known as "Federal Meeting Facilities," which identifies Federal agencies that have conference and meeting space for agencies’ use. Conducting business and hosting conferences in space controlled by the Federal government is one way to reduce travel and related costs. The tool allows agencies to search and sort through a variety of different offerings, with contact information for the agency point of contact to work with to secure the space.


Additionally, GSA intends to enhance our e-Gov travel system through the award of ETS2 to help further consolidate online travel booking services, driving additional cost-savings and efficiencies while delivering improved accountability and reducing waste. ETS2 will be leveraged to standardize conference spend reporting to meet the requirements of OMB to provide greater transparency, as well as internal control enhancements that will allow agencies to track, monitor, and control conference attendee numbers and dollars spent.


GSA is also utilizing data to allow agencies to make better decisions about where to host conferences, when they are determined to be needed. GSA’s Conference Planning Tool compares potential destinations by major cost drivers, such as airfare and per diem, enabling agencies to make data-backed decisions on where meetings should be held. GSA is training administrative officers in over 20 Federal agencies on how to identify low cost destinations and venues for conferences and meetings.As part of this effort, GSA is also utilizing its unique leverage, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Defense (DOD), to help achieve savings through government-wide travel policies. As a first step, GSA froze the Federal per diem travel reimbursement rates, keeping FY13 reimbursement rates at FY12 levels. This will result in an anticipated $20 million in avoided costs in FY13, helping to meet the Administration’s directives to reduce government-wide travel costs.

Additionally, GSA is proposing to eliminate what is known as the conference lodging allowance. This allows travelers attending a conference to exceed the maximum lodging per diem rate by up to 25 percent when authorized by the hosting agency or by the traveler's agency if a conference is hosted by a private party. We have already taken away this provision at GSA, and are currently following the process to eliminate this provision government-wide.

Finally, GSA is interested in finding ways to further reduce the government’s travel costs longterm. Last year, we announced the formation of a Government-Wide Travel Advisory Committee (GTAC). The GTAC’s purpose is to review existing travel policies, processes, and procedures to determine ways agencies can achieve their mission-related travel needs at the lowest possible cost. To ensure we get input from all relevant stakeholders, the Committee’s members will be chosen from the travel industry, local and state governments, travel and convention bureaus, and representatives from corporations and the Federal Government. The GTAC will provide advice and recommendations for improvements to increase travel efficiency and effectiveness, reduce costs, and incorporate industry best practices. To ensure
transparency on how these recommendations are formulated, Committee business will be posted publically, in line with the rules for Federal Advisory Committees.

In sum, GSA believes that these government-wide efforts will result in significant savings for government and the American people.


Conclusion –
The Administration is focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the government, including reducing travel and conference costs. GSA is committed to helping with those efforts. We have already taken swift action on GSA’s internal policies, provided tools to other agencies to help them make better travel and conference spending decisions, and are working with OMB and DOD on broader reforms that would result in even greater savings long-term.

GSA is fully dedicated to its renewed mission of delivering the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology service to government and the American people. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today and I welcome any questions you have.

Controlando trenes con precisión espacial

Controlando trenes con precisión espacial

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MAKES REMARKS WITH GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER WESTERWELLE



U.S. Sec. Of State Kerry Takes Cell Phone Photo Of Brandenberg Gate.  Credit: U.S. State Department. 

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Foreign Ministry
Berlin, Germany
February 26, 2013

FOREIGN MINISTER WESTERWELLE: And I will speak in my native language.

SECRETARY KERRY: For sure.

FOREIGN MINISTER WESTERWELLE: So Mr. Secretary John Kerry, ladies and gentlemen, welcome in Berlin to all of you. And I will now continue in my native language.

(In German.)

So once again, John, thank you so much for coming to Berlin so early in your new office. We are honored and we are delighted to have not only an experienced politician here in Berlin as a guest, but also someone who has some very special personal background with this city. So please welcome, and may I ask you now to take the floor.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, guten tag. Thank you very much, Guido. (In German.) And I thank you all very much for a generous welcome. (In German), if you don’t mind, because it’s easier for me.

But it’s a great, great privilege. I want to start by thanking the Foreign Minister for his very generous welcome today. I want to thank him for his hospitality, but I also thank him because he and I have met and worked together at a number of conferences in various parts of the world over time. So we begin with a relationship and we begin as friends, and I look forward to continuing that.

It’s also – the Minister has mentioned a personal connection here to the city, and it’s a great pleasure for me to be able to return to Berlin, which is a special city indeed. As a young man, I spent some time here when my father worked here as a Foreign Service officer in the 1950s. In those challenging times the United States stood with the people of Germany, and through the years we have worked successfully side by side in order to meet an extraordinary number of challenges across Europe and around the world.

Germany is without doubt one of our strongest and most effective allies in the world, and we are very, very grateful for your leadership, the leadership of your government, and the sustaining friendship and support of your people because it has made a difference. A lot has changed, but today the ties that bind the United States and Germany obviously remain stronger than ever, and they are, again, going to guide us through these challenging times, I’m confident, Guido. I look forward to continuing discussion.

We began now, and in a short period of time I think it’s fair to say we touched on a remarkable number of issues, found significant agreement, and talked about things that we will continue to talk about over lunch.

We are going to discuss our ongoing efforts to build a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. And I want to thank, on behalf of President Obama and the American people, I want to thank the Foreign Minister and the Chancellor, and I will have a chance to thank her personally in a little while, for Germany’s steadfast support in a very difficult undertaking in order to make this critical transition work for everybody.

As I said in London, we are, of course, talking with all of our allies about the issue of Syria in advance of our meeting in Rome on Thursday, and I want to especially thank the Foreign Minister for Germany’s leadership in increasing the pressure on the Syrian regime. The German Patriot missile deployment in Turkey is important, and Germany’s support in planning the future reconstruction with the Friends of Syrian People is also an important consideration.

And of course, the Foreign Minister and I are going to talk about one of the most important things in our relationship, and that is our strong economic partnership. President Obama has announced his vision, which I think is an important one and shared by the Chancellor and others here, for a new economic partnership with Europe. Germany is our largest trade partner in Europe, and we want to see even more trade and investment that will create jobs – jobs for Germans, jobs for Americans, jobs for all Europeans – and help to lift the European economy at a time that it obviously needs it. That’s why it is a priority for President Obama and one that I will work on diligently to try to advance a comprehensive, transatlantic trade and investment partnership. And I look forward to hearing the Foreign Minister’s views and sharing thoughts about how we can accelerate that and try to do it seriously and rapidly.

The list of shared concerns goes on and on: security, counterterrorism, financial regulations, trade, many, many other issues. So I am really delighted to have an opportunity to dig into these issues with the Foreign Minister. I am confident that in the years ahead the German-American partnership is going to continue to be strong, continue to be as important as it has been, and in fact, I’m sure it can grow. And we look forward to doing that.

I will say that I had an opportunity a little while ago at a coffee shop to share thoughts with a large number of young people. It was really interesting for me as an American to listen to the questions of young Germans and their hopes for the future. They’re very similar to the hopes of young people in America, all of whom are connected today in ways that are profound and important to all of our hopes and to all of our politics. So I think all of what we do here and talk about is really for future generations. That’s what this is about, and Guido and I look forward to having an in-depth lunch and a longer conversation about these issues.

Thank you, my friend.

FOREIGN MINISTER WESTERWELLE: Thank you so much.

QUESTION: Concerning the Euro (inaudible), Mr. Kerry –

SECRETARY KERRY: I think we have – wait, wait.

MODERATOR: I have two questions, the first question from Jill Dougherty, CNN.

QUESTION: Secretary Kerry, thank you very much. I want to ask you about Iran. As we know, the Iran talks are taking place in Kazakhstan. And how realistic is it to expect any type of progress toward any type of agreement? I mean, just look at the facts. You have Iran continuing to enrich uranium to 20 percent, practically on the eve of the talks they say that they’re going to be building more reactors, they’re installing new centrifuges. Why shouldn’t we think that they are just playing for time, because after all, they have elections coming up in June? Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Jill, look, I want to respect the fact that the Almaty talks are going on. And given that, I think it would really be a mistake in the middle of the talks for me to try to talk at any length about what the dynamics of those talks are. Let me simply say this: Our P-5+1 proposal includes reciprocal measures that encourage Iran to make concrete steps in order to begin addressing international community’s concerns. Those concerns are very clear; we couldn’t make them more clear.

And so what I will do in the middle of these talks today here in Germany is express my hope, and I think our hope, that these talks can advance that dialogue and that Iran itself will make its choice to move down the path of a diplomatic solution. There is a diplomatic path. There is a clear way through this. And I want these talks to have their chance to work through before I comment further.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.) Mr. Secretary, (inaudible). You already mentioned Syria in your statement. People keep dying there on a daily basis. What can the U.S., what can Germany do in terms of an immediate support for the militant opposition in Syria? And will that topic be on the agenda in your talks later today with Secretary Lavrov of Russia?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, my talks – there will be a lot of topics on the agenda with Foreign Minister Lavrov. And I look forward to that conversation. He and I know each other fairly well. I’m anxious to have a chance to sit down with him. And I think I should let him have an opportunity to define that agenda with me. So I’m not going to comment on talks that haven’t yet taken place.

With respect to Syria, we began a discussion. We have more to talk about in the course of lunch. But there’s a reason we’re going to Rome. We’re going to Rome to bring a group of nations together to precisely talk about this problem. And I don’t want to get ahead of that meeting or our ability to begin to think about exactly what will be part of it. What I’ve said previously is I’ve gone to London, I’m here in Berlin today, I’m going to Paris tonight and then to Rome, precisely to consult with our friends and allies. And I think it’d be a mistake to start laying out what we’re going to do before we’ve consulted, number one, and number two, before we’ve all come together to make those decisions. So we’ll see where we are when we get to Rome.

FOREIGN MINISTER WESTERWELLE: (In German.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.

AMBULANCE COMPANY TO PAY $800,000 TO RESOLVE MEDICARE FALSE CLAIMS ALLEGATIONS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, February 25, 2013
South Carolina Ambulance Company to Pay U.S $800,000 to Resolve False Claims Allegations
Williston Rescue Squad Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $800,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by making false claims for payment to Medicare for ambulance transports, the Justice Department announced today. Williston, based in Williston, S.C., provides ambulance transport services in the southwestern part of South Carolina.

Medicare is a federally-funded health care program that is intended to provide basic medical insurance to people over the age of 65. Medicare reimburses providers only for non-emergency ambulance transports if the patient transported is bed-confined or has a medical condition that requires ambulance transportation. The settlement resolves allegations that Williston billed Medicare for routine, non-emergency ambulance transports that were not medically necessary and that Williston created false documents to make the transports appear to meet the Medicare requirements.

"Billing Medicare for unnecessary ambulance transports contributes to the soaring costs of health care," said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. "The Department of Justice is committed to pursuing companies that waste limited Medicare funds."

"Medicare fraud is stealing, and it is crippling America’s health care system. We have doubled the number of attorneys working these cases in South Carolina. Take notice, if you are bilking the Medicare system designed to support our elders, we are working to find you. For the honest service providers, which is a greater majority of the community, you can report fraud at 1-800-MEDICARE," said William N. Nettles, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by Sandra McKee under the qui tam, or whistleblower provisions, of the False Claims Act. McKee is a clinical social worker at a facility that regularly received patients transported by Williston’s ambulances. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Ms. McKee will receive $160,000 as her share of the government’s recovery.

This resolution is part of the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and another step for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in May 2009. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department has used to recover nearly $10.2 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs. The Justice Department’s total recoveries in False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $14 billion.

FDIC REPORTS INSURED BANKS HAD $34.7 BILLION IN 4TH QUARTER EARNINGS

FROM: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

FDIC-Insured Institutions Earned $34.7 Billion in The Fourth Quarter of 2012

Full-Year Net Income Rises to $141.3 Billion, the Highest Since 2006

Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported aggregate net income of $34.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012, a $9.3 billion (36.9 percent) improvement from the $25.3 billion in profits the industry reported in the fourth quarter of 2011. This is the 14th quarter in a row that earnings have registered a year-over-year increase. Increased noninterest income and lower provisions for loan losses continued to account for most of the year-over-year improvement in earnings. For the full year, industry earnings totaled $141.3 billion — a 19.3 percent improvement over 2011 and the second-highest ever reported by the industry after the $145.2 billion earned in 2006.

"The improving trend that began more than three years ago gained further ground in the fourth quarter," said FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg. "Balances of troubled loans declined, earnings rose from a year ago, and more institutions of all sizes showed improved performance."

Sixty percent of all institutions reported improvements in their quarterly net income from a year ago. Also, the share of institutions reporting net losses for the quarter fell to 14.0 percent from 20.2 percent a year earlier. The average return on assets (ROA), a basic yardstick of profitability, rose to 0.97 percent from 0.73 percent a year ago.

Fourth quarter net operating revenue (net interest income plus total noninterest income) totaled $169 billion, an increase of $7.3 billion (4.5 percent) from a year earlier, as gains from loan sales rose by $2.4 billion and trading income increased by $1.9 billion. Net interest income was $2.7 billion (2.5 percent) lower than in the fourth quarter of 2011, as the average net interest margin fell to a five-year low.

Asset quality indicators continued to improve as insured banks and thrifts charged off $18.6 billion in uncollectible loans during the quarter, down $7.0 billion (27.4 percent) from a year earlier. The amount of noncurrent loans and leases (those 90 days or more past due or in nonaccrual status) fell for the 11th consecutive quarter, and the percentage of loans and leases that were noncurrent declined to the lowest level in four years.

Financial results for the fourth quarter of 2012 and the full year are contained in the FDIC's latest Quarterly Banking Profile, which was released today. Also among the findings:

Total loan balances increased. Loan balances posted their sixth quarterly increase in the last seven quarters, rising by $118.2 billion (1.6 percent). Loans to commercial and industrial borrowers increased by $53.4 billion (3.7 percent), while credit card balances posted a seasonal increase of $28.2 billion (4.2 percent) and loans secured by nonfarm nonresidential real estate properties grew by $14.6 billion (1.4 percent). However, home equity lines of credit declined by $12.6 billion (2.2 percent), and real estate construction and development loans fell by $6.6 billion (3.1 percent).

"Growth in lending continues to be led by commercial and industrial loans," Chairman Gruenberg noted. "Insured institutions of all sizes increased their loan balances during the quarter."

The flow of money into deposit accounts increased sharply. Total deposits increased by a record $313.1 billion (3 percent) in the fourth quarter, surpassing the previous quarterly high of $308 billion set in the fourth quarter of 2008. Deposits in domestic offices increased by $386.8 billion(4.3 percent), while deposits in foreign offices fell by $73.7 billion (5.1 percent). The amount of domestic deposits in accounts with balances of more than $250,000 rose by $348.5 billion (8.2 percent).

The number of institutions on the FDIC's "Problem List" declined for a seventh consecutive quarter. The number of "problem" banks fell from 694 to 651 during the quarter. During the recent financial crisis, "problem" banks reached a high of 888 at the end of the first quarter of 2011. Eight FDIC-insured institutions failed in the fourth quarter. This was the smallest quarterly total since the second quarter of 2008, when two insured institutions were closed. For all of 2012, there were 51 failures, compared to 92 in 2011 and 157 in 2010.

Full-year net income improved for a third consecutive year. The increase in annual earnings over 2011 was attributable to lower expenses for loan-loss provisions and higher noninterest income. Banks set aside $58.2 billion in loss provisions in 2012, a reduction of $19.3 billion (24.9 percent) from 2011. Noninterest income was $18.4 billion (8 percent) higher in 2012, as gains from loan sales rose by $11.2 billion (174.4 percent). The average ROA rose to 1.0 percent, from 0.88 percent in 2011. This is the first time since 2006 that the industry's annual ROA has reached the 1 percent level.

The Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) balance continued to increase. The audited DIF balance — the net worth of the fund — rose to $33.0 billion at December 31 from $25.2 billion at the end of September. Assessment income and a decrease in estimated losses associated with past bank failures made the biggest contributions to growth in the fund balance. The fund also received an additional $1.8 billion that had been previously set aside for debt guarantees under the FDIC's Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program (TLGP). The program began in October 2008 and ended when the last debt guarantee expired on December 31, 2012. At its peak, the program guaranteed $346 billion of outstanding debt. TLGP contributed a total of $9.3 billion to the DIF over the life of the program. Estimated insured deposits grew 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter.

U.S. CONGRATULATES KUWAIT ON IT'S NATIONAL DAY AND LIBERATION ANNIVERSARY

Kuwait Map.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Kuwait's National Day and Liberation Anniversary
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
February 26, 2013
The United States has long valued its friendship and cooperation with Kuwait, and I am pleased to congratulate the people of Kuwait as you celebrate the 52nd anniversary of your independence and the 22nd anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation.

As we jointly promote efforts to advance peace and prosperity in the Middle East and beyond, the United States will continue to rely on the close ties we have built together over many years. These ties extend well beyond the shared sacrifice of our militaries to include the fields of education, business, health care, and culture.

On behalf of the American people, please accept our congratulations once again on these important anniversaries, as well as our best wishes for peace, prosperity, and happiness.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOKBritain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. The country witnessed the historic election in May 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs, known as bidoon, staged small protests in February and March 2011 demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups - supported by opposition legislators and the prime minister's rivals within the ruling family - rallied repeatedly in 2011 for an end to corruption and the ouster of the prime minister and his cabinet. Opposition legislators forced the prime minister to resign in late 2011. In October and November 2012, Kuwait witnessed unprecedented protests in response to the Amir's changes to the electoral law reducing the number of votes per person from four to one. The oppostion, led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribalists, some liberals, and a myriad of youth groups, boycotted the Decemeber 2012 legislative election, resulting in a historic number of seats won by Shia candidates. Since 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court dissolved the Assembly once in June 2012) and reshuflled the cabinet 12 times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.

THE CENTENNIAL MOUNTAIN RANGE



Centennial Mountains

This 28,000-acre mountain range, which forms the boundary between southwest Montana and Idaho, is some of southwest Montana’s wildest country. It is considered an important corridor for wildlife movement, providing an east-west trending mountain range connecting the Yellowstone Ecosystem with the rest of the northern Rocky Mountains. Abundant wildlife in the Centennial Mountains include moose, elk, deer, wolverines, badgers, black bears, a wide variety of birds, and occasionally wolves and grizzly bears. Due to the presence of grizzly bears, proper food storage and carrying bear spray is encouraged. A variety of waterfowl, including trumpeter swans, can be found on the adjoining Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. About 60 miles of the 3,100-mile Continental Divide National Scenic Trail ( CDT) runs through the mountain range. The CDT through the Centennials is usually well-maintained, although natural events can change conditions rapidly. Several side trails provide access from both the Montana and Idaho sides of the CDT. Wildflowers are especially abundant during the mid- to late summer. CDT travelers should be aware that guard dogs on the Sheep Experiment Station are very protective of the sheep herds and very aggressive toward domestic dogs (keep them leashed through Agricultural Research Service lands).

FROM: USA.GOV WEBSITE

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

 

FROM: U.S. NAVY

An EA-6B Prowler assigned to the Patriots of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140 approaches the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Dwight D. Eisenhower departed Naval Station Norfolk on a deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations and Theater Security Cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Kameren Guy Hodnett (Released) 130224-N-KG407-423

130210-N-WD133-036 MCMURDO STATION, Antarctica (Feb. 10, 2013) The Military Sealift Command-chartered tanker ship MV Maersk Peary, provides fuel to the National Science Foundation-chartered scientific-research vessel R/V Nathanial B. Palmer at McMurdo Station ice pier. Maersk Peary is in Antarctica offloading fuel in support of the annual Operation Deep Freeze Antarctica resupply mission and will supply 100 percent of fuel needed for the upcoming year. (U.S. Navy photo by Larry Larsson/Released)

 

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL'S COMMENTS ON TEN YEARS OF WAR IN DARFUR

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Ten Years of War in Darfur
Press Statement
Patrick Ventrell
Acting Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 26, 2013

The United States is deeply concerned that, ten years after the outbreak of war in Darfur, the Darfuri people continue to suffer from increased insecurity, human rights abuses, and sexual violence. Brutal conflict among Sudanese Government forces, rebels, and militias, and continued aerial bombardments and indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas by the Sudanese Armed Forces, in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, have led to the deaths of nearly 300,000 people, the vast majority unarmed civilians. Over two million Darfuris remain internally displaced and as refugees in neighboring countries. Reversing the cycle of violence and impunity requires accountability for the perpetrators.

The United States strongly supports international efforts to bring peace, security, and humanitarian relief to the people of Darfur. We unequivocally support UNAMID, the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, and demand immediate, unimpeded access for peacekeepers and humanitarians throughout Darfur. Over the past decade the United States has provided over $7.5 billion in funding for humanitarian, transition, and peacekeeping assistance for vulnerable populations in Darfur and eastern Chad.

An effective and inclusive political process is urgently needed to avoid another decade of war and to address the crisis of governance that fuels Sudan’s civil wars. We call on the Sudanese Government and all rebel groups to engage without preconditions in such a process, using the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur as a basis to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The United States remains a committed partner to the people of Darfur, and to all those working for the more peaceful, stable, and prosperous future they deserve.

ARSENIC AND LIFE ON OTHER WORLDS

Mono Lake: Home to the Strange Microbe GFAJ-1 Credit:  Wikipedia; Inset: Jodi Switzer Blum

FROM: NASA
Astronomy Picture of the Day
2010 December 6
How strange could alien life be? An indication that the fundamental elements that compose most terrestrial life forms might differ out in the universe was found in unusual Mono Lake in California, USA. Bacteria in Mono's lakebed gives indications that it not only can tolerate a large abundance of normally toxic arsenic, but possibly use arsenic as a replacement for phosphorus, an element needed by every other known Earth-based life form. The result is surprising -- and perhaps controversial -- partly because arsenic-incorporating organic molecules were thought to be much more fragile than phosphorus-incorporating organic molecules. Pictured above is 7.5-km wide Mono Lake as seen from nearby Mount Dana. The inset picture shows GFAJ-1, the unusual bacteria that might be able to survive on another world.

SENATE CONFIRMS SEN. HAGEL AS DEFENSE SECRETARY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Senate Confirms Hagel as Defense Secretary
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2013 - The Senate today confirmed former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel to serve as secretary of defense, ending a protracted confirmation process.

Hagel, a decorated Vietnam veteran, will be sworn in tomorrow, succeeding Leon E. Panetta who is retiring.

The vote in the Senate was 58-41.

In a farewell message to the department, Panetta said it has been "the privilege of a lifetime to lead the men and women of this Department, and I am grateful that President Obama selected such an outstanding leader to take my place."

Panetta thanked service members and civilians for working each day to keep America safe. "I also want to share with you my pride in what we've been able to accomplish together as one team and one family at the Department of Defense," he said.

President Barack Obama nominated Hagel on Jan. 7. He testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 30, and the committee recommended him for confirmation to the full Senate on Feb. 12.

Hagel earned two Purple Hearts during service as an Army sergeant, and served as senator from Nebraska from 1997 to 2009.

Hagel "has signaled his very strong commitment right away to get down to business, to get deeply invested in the work of the Pentagon and its military and civilian workers" if he were to be confirmed, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said during a Pentagon news conference earlier today.

U.S. DOD Press Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon

DOD Press Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon