Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Today on the best of "The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Bringing more students into public service starts with giving them a way in and a reason to see themselves thereNASA is testing a faster way to recruit top engineering talent inside the federal hiring guardrailsFederal financial management has always been a no‑fail mission. The past year has added new pressure to a workforce already stretched across competing demandsAs AI reshapes work, a new program is showing what it takes to keep upSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is battling one of the worst Ebola outbreaks on record, calling on its workforce to help contain its spread overseas. But the CDC is dealing with last year's staffing cuts and still lacks permanent leadership in many of its roles. Further, Internal surveys show employees responding to the outbreak are also dealing with low morale. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Small Business Administration is expanding its scrutiny of socio-economic contracting programs to now include a review of the women-owned small business program. SBA is giving these firms until late June or early July to respond to a survey and provide the agency with “personal and business tax returns for the last three years.” For more about this new audit and an update on SBA's continued scrutiny of the 8(a) program, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Even as defense spending rises, many investments are still going into high-cost, limited systems, raising questions about whether the U.S. is building the right mix to sustain a prolonged fight. Here to share her analysis is senior defense policy analyst for the Center for Defense Information at POGO, Virginia Burger.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Even with new money in place, DHS contractors are still dealing with delays, restart friction, and gaps left by the shutdown showing how long it can take for funding to translate into real execution. Here to walk us through how the Department is responding is CEO of the Professional Services Council, Jim Carroll.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Even with increased funding and production, rebuilding key missile stockpiles could take years, creating a gap between current demand and available supply. We get a closer look now from Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Read the report here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/rebuilding-us-missile-inventory-multiyear-project See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A long-awaited HR modernization project is taking a big step forward. The Office of Personnel Management has awarded a nearly $400 million contract to Oracle. The vendor is expected to deliver a governmentwide IT platform to consolidate and replace the more than 100 HR systems currently in use across agencies. For the latest, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down for an exclusive interview with Jason Parman, OPM's principal deputy associate director for HR Solutions and OPM Director Scott Kupor.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So‑called “Trump Accounts” are being described as a way to give kids an early start on saving, but the real questions are how much value they deliver, and where they actually fit among the choices families already have. Here to help us sort out the considerations is the president of Armed Forces Mutual, Mike Meese.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A lot of people have life insurance, but that doesn't always mean they know what it's meant to cover or whether it would actually do what they expect. For federal employees, those questions often start with FEGLI and follow them into retirement. Here to help us sort through some key decision points is Tammy Flanagan, principal at Retire Federal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Suicide prevention depends on reaching people early, but the military doesn't always have clear visibility into whether its training is being completed or making a difference. A recent GAO review highlights gaps that go beyond compliance. We hear more from Rashmi Agarwal, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management at GAO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Suicide prevention training is meant to protect service members, but the Pentagon can't fully track who's completing it or whether it's helping Life insurance is one of those benefits people tend to carry, but not always understandIt's being pitched as a simple way to build wealth early, but whether it works may depend on how it fits real lifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Department's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office has been in a period of transition lately. Several years after its creation, Pentagon leaders decided last year to fold the CDAO into the Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering. Before that, the CDAO reported directly to the deputy secretary of Defense. Andrew Mapes is the acting principal deputy chief digital and AI officer. He talked with Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis about the realignment and how it's positioning CDAO to deliver AI capabilities at scale.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Agriculture Department's sweeping plans to relocate employees are coming into focus. Employees are starting to receive their relocation notices. In the coming weeks, they must decide whether to move to keep their jobs or quit the agency. At one impacted component staff are being offered incentives if they stay or go. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As countries race to adopt artificial intelligence, the challenge is building capability they actually control, without falling behind or over‑relying on outside providers. Alan Webber, Program Vice President - National Security, Defense and Intelligence at IDC, tells us what it takes to get that right.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A series of changes across policy and regulation are reshaping the federal marketplace at the same time. Together, they point toward a system with tighter requirements and sharper expectations around performance and accountability. Here to help us understand the combined impact on the contracting community is Managing Partner at Centre Law and Consulting, Barbara Kinosky.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's no shortage of analysis about how government contracting works and where it's broken. What's harder to pin down is who actually has the leverage to change it. The Baroni Center at George Mason is trying to move from research to influence, and Mike Derrios says that only works if you're plugged directly into how the system really operates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Everybody studies government contracting, the open question is whether anyone outside the system can actually move itFederal contracting is heading into a different kind of environment, more controlled, more structured and less forgiving Sovereign AI, systems built by national governments that run on their own data, infrastructure and rules is hard, expensive and absolutely necessarySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Army is warning that an amendment in the House Armed Services Committee's version of the 2026 defense policy bill could discourage technology companies from building data centers on military installations and jeopardize the service's modernization efforts. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At most agencies, probationary employees left their jobs at a higher rate than other federal workers in 2025. That's according to analysis of about two dozen agencies in a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Early last year, agencies implemented mass terminations of employees on their probationary period, who have limited job protections. For a look at how those separations panned out, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spoke with GAO's director of strategic issues, Dawn Locke.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Questions about the future of another reconciliation package are rippling through Congress, with implications for how and when lawmakers take up the annual defense policy bill. Mitchell Miller joins us with the latest from Capitol Hill.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's a growing push to build new skills across government, especially in AI. But if the surrounding systems don't support that learning, the investment may not translate into performance. A new body of research is challenging how agencies think about the problem. Here to share those findings and recommendations is he Upskilling Lead in the Administrative Modernization Program at Oregon State University, Dr. Priyanka Dave.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The rollout of Schedule Policy/Career and a proposed government-wide nondisclosure agreement are putting new pressure on how federal employees think about their jobs from security and accountability to what they're willing to say out loud. The effects are starting to show up in real ways across agencies. John Hatton of NARFE connects the dots for us.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton When the rules change, people will change how they work Agencies are doubling down on AI upskilling, but new research suggests they may be solving the wrong problem Congress is at a pivot point on reconciliation and the defense billSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The emergence of artificial intelligence-driven cyber threats is forcing a shift in how agencies manage software vulnerabilities. In a new directive released this week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency laid out how agencies should prioritize the highest risk vulnerabilities on their networks. For more, Federal News Network Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New data from Democrats on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee shine fresh light on just how rough its been for many small business contractors over the last 15 months. A new report from Senator Ed Markey, ranking member of the committee, found since January 2025 when President Donald Trump took office, agencies have reduced spending by 19% and thousands of small firms have left the federal market. For exclusive details on this new data and what it means for federal small business contractors, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new report on Medicaid fraud starts from the ground up, built with input from the people who depend on those services every day. It lays out ways to tighten oversight while preserving access to home and community‑based care. Here to walk us through the problem and the solutions is Leslie Ford, Senior Fellow with the Able Americans program at the National Center for Public Policy Research.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From administrative decisions to care management, health AI tools are influencing outcomes in ways patients may never see. But many of those systems fall outside the usual oversight framework, and that can leave gaps in accountability and increase the risk of errors or inconsistent standards. Here to discuss her recent diagnosis of this space is the Bipartisan Policy Center's Maya Sandalow.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The limits of biomedical research often come down to access, tools, networks and where the work happens. ARPA‑H is piloting a system meant to level that out while improving reliability. Here to tell us how this will all work is Dr. Paul Sheehan, program manager for IGOR at ARPA‑H.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton ARPA‑H is testing a model to make research faster, more repeatable, and less dependent on where or with whom you workA lot of health AI isn't where you think it is and it's not overseen the way you might expect The people who rely on Medicaid helped design a plan to curb fraud without putting their own care at riskSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The General Services Administration, the landlord for much of the federal government, says none of the owned or leased buildings it has data on meet the minimum occupancy standard set by law last year. But GSA is reexamining the data it's collected so far. Among its concerns, the data doesn't differentiate office space from rooms where employees aren't working. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The House Armed Services Committee is pushing back against President Donald Trump's executive order that removes collective bargaining rights for civilian workers in the defense department. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This moment in the labor market looks stable on the surface, but underneath it's driven by caution and constrained choices. Workers are holding on rather than moving on. My guests are Matt Terry from The Economist Enterprise and Brendan McCarthy from Nuveen.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Efforts to improve federal hiring and pay often run into the same problem. The system that defines jobs has stayed largely the same, even as the work itself has changed. Here to walk us through the problem and a path to modernization is Gabe Menchaca, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Niskanen Center.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new program at Arizona State University is connecting students to federal service while they're still in school, through a model that blends coursework with hands‑on experience. It's part of a broader effort to strengthen the talent pipeline and widen access to government careers. Shannon Portillo, Director of ASU's School of Public Affairs, is here to give us more information about the initiative.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Bringing more students into public service starts with giving them a way in and a reason to see themselves there Federal hiring problems may start with how the jobs are defined What looks like stability in today's workforce may actually be caution, as more people choose to stay put in an uncertain economySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More details are emerging about the practical implications of Schedule Policy/Career. New guidance from the Office of Personnel Management comes as agencies face a looming deadline to formally reclassify thousands of career federal employees … in effect, those reclassifications will strip workers of long-standing civil service protections. Here with the latest, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Congress just passed fiscal 2026 appropriations for most of the Department of Homeland Security in May. But lawmakers are already moving forward with crafting a 2027 budget for DHS. The House Appropriations Committee's homeland security spending bill pushes back on some cuts proposed by the Trump administration. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cyber threats are moving beyond data and into the systems people depend on every day, including water and wastewater infrastructure. A new GAO report finds persistent vulnerabilities, shaped by uneven resources, aging systems, and limits on federal oversight. Here to break down the findings and recommendations is Dave Hinchman, director of information technology and cybersecurity at the Government Accountability Office.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For more than two decades, the Army Corps of Engineers has worked with partners to change how dams are operated, reducing flood risk and boosting local economies along the way. A new analysis says the returns are significant, but funding is now at risk. Jim Howe of The Nature Conservancy explains what the program actually does and what could be lost.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seafood isn't usually top of mind at the Agriculture Department, but that's starting to change. A new Office of Seafood is meant to help grow domestic production and connect producers to markets using USDA's existing tools. Mike Illenberg is acting director of the office, and he's here to tell us how they're getting started.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry GertonThe government wants more of your seafood to come from U.S. waters and it's standing up a new office to help make that happen A long-running federal river program delivers real returns, but now it's on the chopping block The systems that keep water flowing are more connected than ever and more exposed to cyber risks than most people realizeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.