Federal Drive with Tom Temin

If Black Friday and Cyber Monday are about what you can get, then today is about what you can give. For Giving Tuesday, four groups that support needy members of the military have joined forces with one another and with industry. They're reaching out to the public to raise funds under a program called Mission Give. For how it all works, we turn to the president of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Robert Ruark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin Promotion to the ultimate behind-the-scenes agency job Four military-connected groups team up to help service members in need Time to stick a fork in this bogged down procurement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Protests of contracts went down last fiscal year. And that's not the only development on the procurement front. The micro purchase threshold, the simplified acquisition threshold, the 8(a) sole source contracting ceiling, and several other similar acquisition limits are likely to go up in 2025 and to boot, the oversight and accountability of subcontracting by primes is going to get more scrutiny, just some of the story lines. Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller, has been covering in his latest reporters notebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You won't see her name in the newspapers. She won't introduce sweeping policy. What she *will* do is ensure all the people who do the mission-related work of the Federal Deposit Insurance Company can do *their* work. Jennifer Schoen is the newly named director of the FDIC's division of administration, and she joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heated debates over military pay and quality of life issues continue as Congress finalizes the 2025 defense policy bill. House Armed Services Committee members told this to their Senate counterparts. "It's disheartening to see most of the recommendations from the house LED panel not included in the Senate version of the bill." Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has more and specifically, what do House lawmakers want that the Senate is leaving out of the NDAA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The National Institutes of Health procurement arm issued requests for proposals on a multiple award contract three and a half years ago. The program, known as CIOSP4, still hasn't made any awards. It's still bogged down in protests. The program it replaces had been extended several times. My next guest says it's time for NIH to start over. Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Electromagnetic spectrum which enables wireless communications is both scarce and in high demand. Until now, deciding who can use a particular frequency has been a zero sum game. The government auctions it off, and the winner has it for keeps. My next guest says the current spectrum management process is unsustainable. She led a major MITRE Corporation study, which suggests what it calls a dynamic approach to spectrum management. MITRE's chief spectrum economist Carolyn Kahn joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin This Interior Department senior executive has done it all when it comes to money Has the time come for a new approach to spectrum allocation? Congress takes up the Department of Government Efficiency cause Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've been interviewing some of the federal executives who recently became fellows in the National Academy of Public Administration. My next guest is one of them. And if it has to do with the disbursement of money, she's done if or overseen it. The deputy assistant secretary for budget, finance, grants and acquisitions at the Interior Department, Andrea Brandon joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can find lots of reasons why it takes more than two years to build the annual defense budget. A big one is the fact that DoD acquisition systems and its financial management systems don't talk to each other, at least not very well. That's a problem the Pentagon is starting to solve, though programs, big and small are beginning to use a common data lexicon, and officials are hoping for some big management gains. Thanks to that added visibility we get details from Federal News Network's Jared Serbu.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a new feature coming soon for participants in the Thrift Savings Plan. A little over a year from now, starting in January of 2026 participants will be able to make Roth in plan conversions in the TSP with some important tax implications. That's not the only thing changing there. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman caught up with the TSP Director of External Affairs, Kim Weaver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That plan of president-elect Donald Trump to slice the government down to size. It's known as the Department of Government Efficiency. The outside advisory group headed by Elon Musk is getting some traction in Congress. Here with the latest, WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Department of Veterans Affairs said last summer it would need a lot more money this fiscal year than first appropriated, $12 billion more. Well now the Veterans Health Administration has revised that requirement down to about six and a half billion dollars. For why, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman asked VAs Under Secretary for Health, Shareef Elnahal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most contractors may not know it, but the Space Systems Command has special authority to put them on what it calls the contractor responsibility watch list. Well now the Space Force has put one contractor on that very list. In fact, it's the first use of the watch list that we know of. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the season of seasons. Thanksgiving season. Christmas season. And for federal employees, it's nearly *open* season. It has a lot of moving parts. Federal. Long time expert in all things having to do with federal employment and post-employment Tammy Flanagan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In her years at Customs and Border Protection, my next guest rose from a newbie uniformed officer to senior executive port director for Newark-New York. That means the fourth busiest airport, and *the* busiest port. TenaVel Thomas joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin How CBP manages two of the busiest ports of entry in the United States Open season is like hunting season. You've got to aim carefully Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congress is approaching another deadline to reach a government spending agreement for fiscal 2025 at the same time, Social Security Administration leadership is warning that without enough resources, the agency will once again hit record low staffing. House appropriators heard a final pitch this week about what the agency says is a crisis for the workforce and for customer service. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman has more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin OPM tries a shift-left approach to anticipating the costs of new tech projects What senior executives say about the incoming Trump administration Contractors are also wondering about Trump's government-cutting plan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Federal employee's aren't alone in wondering about president-Elect Donald Trump's so-called department of government efficiency. So are federal contractors. They wonder what the DOGE will think government *should* be doing. More now from the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The efficiency department hasn't arrived yet, but many agencies try and optimize costs already. A case in point the Office of Personnel Management. When thinking of new technology projects, OPM officials are trying to get a handler on potential costs earlier. I got more detail when I spoke with OPM's deputy chief information officer, Melvin Brown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Career senior executives interact the most closely with political appointees. They're often the buffer between appointees and the civil service. For what senior executives might be thinking of the incoming and unorthodox Trump administration, we turn to the president of the Senior Executives Association, Marcus Hill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's new online cybersecurity education platform went live this month. Its goal is to make it easier for federal employees, veterans and anybody else, to get much needed cybersecurity training. For more on the CISA learning platform, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday spoke with CISA's Chief People Officer Elizabeth Kolmstetter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Donald Trump first become president, he took a go-slow approach on the spread of environmental regulation. A group called the Environmental Protection Network got together to opposed this approach. Comprised of former EPA employees, it's gearing up again. Here with what it plans, network executive director Michelle Roos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that the contours of the next Congress are fully known, what about that continuing resolution that expires December 20th? And there's still a disaster relief request from the White House for a cool hundred billion dollars. A congressional update now from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Defense Department has a new plan to deploy 5g wireless systems on military bases and other locations around the world. Planners want to fill in the gaps not covered by telecom companies in remote and austere locations. The Pentagon says the new strategy will accelerate DoD development of private 5g networks tailored to the particular needs of each base. Details now from Federal News Network's Jared Serbu.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to its customers, the National Archives and Records Administration knows it only has a moment in time to meet their needs, whether it's an elementary school student or an experienced researcher, NARA tries to provide that same level of experience to whomever is searching for a document. For more, Federal News Network's executive editor Jason Miller caught up with Sheena Burrell - Chief Information Officer until last Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He may still be out politicking, but former President Barack Obama has already established his library. As of this past summer it has a new director, appointed by the director of the National Archives and Records Administration. Kenvi Phillips joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin A new director for the latest presidential library Former EPA employees gear up to resist what they fear from the Trump administration What Congress is doing during the week when people are eating the other turkeys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Out of pocket costs are going up quite a bit next year for enrollees in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. Premiums are rising by an average of 13.5% beginning in January. But there's more to the story for how those premium rates get put together, along with a few strategies for dealing with rising prices, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman got more from the Office of Personnel Management. Associate Director of healthcare and insurance, Laurie Bodenheimer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A nine year old lawsuit claiming the Secret Service has not paid the full amount of overtime owed to its agents is one step closer to resolution. The suit focused on an Office of Personnel Management policy that Secret service agents had to work two consecutive hours of unscheduled extra duty to receive overtime pay. But that policy has been overturned, and attorneys representing Secret Service are looking for a class action settlement. For more on the case, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman spoke with a partner at Clark Hill that's representing the agents, Nicholas Wieczorek. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The White House has issued two long, detailed policies for development use of artificial intelligence. One last year and one last month. That's fine, the U.S. should lead and should set an example of ethical use of this technology. My next guest cautions, with federal and state-level laws and regulations aimed at AI, the whole industry could end up hobbled. The head of AI Policy at the Abundance Institute, Neil Chilson, joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency is seeking a simple but tricky-to-execute approach to cybersecurity. It would essentially break software into small pieces that are hard for hackers to access. Here with the details, the program manager in DARPA's Information Innovation Office, Howard Shrobe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin DARPA tries a simple but profound concept to improve cybersecurity Could too much regulation kill the very industry the government was to foster? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Space Development Agency is pushing back the launch of its first group of low Earth orbit satellites. Now this delay highlights the difficulties the agency has had in transitioning from using a few big satellites to a network of smaller and cheaper ones. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis joins us with the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pentagon is moving closer to kicking off its long awaited cyber security Maturity Model certification program. Small business advocates, though, are still worried about the high cost of CMMC compliance. Well, now there's a draft legislation coming from Capitol Hill to provide some smaller companies with a CMMC tax credit. Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me with the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The stock market continues to defy logic, something it seems to do best. Now some 117 thousand federal employees and retirees have Thrift Savings Plan accounts worth more than a million dollars. There ought to be many more. At least, that's what federal retiree and financial advisor Abe Grungold says. He joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nobody's in favor of corruption, except maybe the corrupt. When corruption comes to light, it's often the Justice Department that take the lede. My next guest leads a non-profit that works anti-fraud at the front end by supporting whistleblowers. She's the president and CEO of the Anti-Fraud Coalition, Jacklyn DeMar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first woman to direct the Transportation Department's Volpe Center recently retired. A 20-year federal employees, she worked an earlier 20 years for the Massachusetts Port Authority. Now she's among the new inductees to the National Academy of Public Administration. Joining me with a recap, Anne Aylward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin The Transportation Department says farewell to one of its most distinguished employees This group actually tries to stop what everyone else just complains about TSP millionaires are busting out all over Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Open season is in full swing. That's when federal employees and retirees review their health care insurance choices for 2025 this year, especially the Office of Personnel Management says you've got plenty of reasons to take advantage of Open Season. For one thing, premiums are up sharply, and companies are making lots of changes in their plans during our recent Open Season exchange, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman got more from OPM acting director Rob Shriver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Integrated acquisition environment is facing an expanding customer base, while the name of the system screams acquisition, the General Services Administration officials realize a broader cross section of federal managers that work in grants, legal offices and agency specific programs. They also rely on the system and its data to make decisions. For more, Federal News Network's Executive Editor Jason Miller caught up with the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for GSA Integrated Award Environment Memi Whitehead, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices