Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the House Armed Services Committee chairman, proposed a bill to reform defense contracting.

It would curb use of sole source contracts while encouraging use of fixed-price contracts, increase contract oversight by agencies, and promote integrity in contracting by moves such as limiting post-federal-employment by procurement officials including lobbying and legal work, and requiring those officials to get approval before handling procurements from contractors that employed them previously.

Near Earth Objects

To read a NASA report on near-Earth objects that might threaten this planet, go to http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ on the Web.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin agreed in testimony that such near-Earth objects are critical.