Federal Drive with Tom Temin

The Defense Department is proposing a sweeping rule that would significantly expand the government's scrutiny of foreign ownership and influence across the defense industrial base, requiring tens of thousands of uncleared contractors to comply with security requirements historically applied only to companies handling classified information. For more, Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Scott Freling, co-chair of Covington's Government Contracts practice, and Heather Finstuen, partner at Covington & Burling. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's grant processes are about to get a little more transparent. That's because a new law requires FEMA to publish a dashboard of public assistance claims stemming from federal disasters. That requirement comes as the administration and Congress consider broader reforms to FEMA. 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.

The Federal Laboratory Consortium has introduced a professional designation designed to strengthen how federal labs move research into real‑world use by building recognized, transferable expertise. The goal is to create a clearer marker of credibility for agency leadership, industry partners and the workforce itself. My guest is Andy Myers, technology transfer lead at the Kansas City National Security Campus.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A joint effort bringing together Navy medicine, the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA and academic researchers is reshaping how the government studies human performance under changing gravity. The focus is building durable capability for longer, more demanding missions. My guests are Rich Folga and Dr. Michael Schubert. Dr. Schubert is Professor in the ENT Department at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Mr. Folga is Aerospace Medical Research Device Program Manager, Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Using allied rail systems in Europe, the Army is testing how rail evacuation could expand medical capacity during large‑scale conflict. Here with more details on what's being tested by this exercise is Col. Crystal Belew, Commander of the 519th Hospital Center.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" The Army is testing whether rail networks can carry medical evacuation in modern warfare What happens to the human body when missions become longer, more demanding and harder to support from Earth? As federal missions grow more complex, technology transfer is getting a credential meant to sustain expertise and credibility over timeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Postal Service generally pays its own bills through its own revenue. That's been the way it has operated for more than 50 years. But the agency is floating the possibility of Congress stepping in to provide more financial assistance to keep the agency from running out of cash early next year. 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.

House Republicans are demanding more information about the costs of settlements for federal employee disputes with their agencies. A new letter from leaders on the Oversight committee argues that agencies are settling too often, instead of fighting cases they could likely win. But the letter is also coming under scrutiny from federal employment attorneys. Here with more, 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.

A tougher federal anti‑fraud posture is changing how grants and contracts are scrutinized, especially when routine compliance decisions come under review after problems emerge. We'll look at where scrutiny is showing up, who's being held accountable and what recipients are expected to get right with Michael Anderson, counsel at Smith Anderson.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the federal government takes on more financial risk, a GAO review of government‑wide grants management points to staffing limits, data mismatches and unclear roles that complicate how funds are awarded and overseen. The findings suggest persistent operational challenges that accounting fixes alone haven't solved. Jeff Arkin is director of strategic issues 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.

Insurance pricing plays a powerful role in signaling where disaster risk is increasing and where the federal government is increasingly exposed when coverage breaks down. We'll examine a proposal that would bring the federal government into the reinsurance market, how that could affect those signals and what questions leaders should ask before shifting risk further upstream. Professor Ben Collier of the University of Wisconsin is here to guide us through those questions.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 Managing disaster risk is about how risk is understood, priced and communicated across the system The size of the federal grants system is well known, how well it's set up to manage that scale is another question Receiving federal funds now comes with a different kind of risk calculus for granteesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee was originally scheduled to sunset in September 2025. But the pandemic watchdog has an ongoing mission; it's overseeing another broad tranche of funding. The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act signed into law last year will keep the PRAC up and running for at least another 8 years and tasks the committee with keeping tabs on the budget reconciliation bill. Ken Dieffenbach is PRAC's executive director. He talked with Federal News Network's Jory Heckman about the committee's ongoing work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Trump-appointed advisory committee is urging sweeping overhauls at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The FEMA Review Council approved its final report to the president last week. The group's report do not include earlier, draft recommendations that would have cut FEMA's workforce by up to 50 percent. Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me with the details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal execution increasingly turns on how risk is managed across contracts and capabilities. Recent policy signals are testing whether existing structures can absorb that pressure. Here to break down the root issues is Stephanie Kostro, president of the Professional Services Council.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From fintech tools to new credit models, consumer finance has changed faster than the regulatory framework around it. Todd Zywicki says that gap is a central focus of the new Institute for Consumer Financial Choice at George Mason University, which is designed to bring more empirical research into consumer‑finance policy debates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For many federal employees, retirement planning stalls at the same point: uncertainty about whether the numbers, timing, and assumptions really hold up. Instead of chasing certainty, there's a better way to assess readiness. Joining me to explain how feds can evaluate retirement readiness using structure rather than stress is Certified financial planner Thiago Glieger.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 GertonIf you feel unsure about retirement, you're asking the right question Innovation has expanded choice in consumer finance, but it's also exposed limits in how well regulation keeps up and who ends up bearing the risk Fixed‑price contracts assume stable requirements. Federal missions rarely cooperate, and the friction between the two is back in focusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management is being urged 'not' to shut down the Combined Federal Campaign. More than 40 Democrats penned a letter to OPM, warning that ending the CFC would be “disastrous” for the organizations that rely on it. The letter comes as the Trump administration is signaling a possible decommission of the decades-old program. Here with more, 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.

Military spouses were on Capitol Hill last week to push lawmakers to support legislation aimed at expanding access to capital and Small Business Administration resources for military spouse entrepreneurs , The effort's advocates say this could help address the persistently high military spouse unemployment rate and improve military retention. 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.

Lawmakers return for a packed two‑week work period, with several major bills queued up for action. At the same time, unresolved redistricting fights around the country are raising longer‑term questions about the shape and capacity of the next Congress. Loren Duggan, managing editor at Bloomberg Government, joins us to sort through both the immediate agenda and what's coming next.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When GI Bill abuse surfaced years ago, veterans' benefits kept flowing to schools that met higher‑education standards but failed veterans themselves. Now, as accreditation standards are back under review, advocates say lessons from that era still haven't fully been applied. They're pushing to give Title 38, the veterans' benefits law a clearer role in determining which schools qualify for GI Bill dollars. Joining me to explain how those changes could better protect veterans before harm occurs is Vice President for Veterans and Military Policy at Veterans Education Success, Will Hubbard.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At stake in the Bagram bombing case is whether contractors retain broad immunity when supporting military operations and how much legal distance the government can place between itself and the work it assigns. The outcome could shape how the Defense Department handles oversight and risk‑sharing in future conflicts. I talked with Lisa Himes, of counsel with Rogers Joseph O'Donnell.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 From the battlefield to the benefits system: how government decisions during war echo long after service ends Veterans have seen this story before and they're paying close attention to what comes nextCongress is heading into a busy legislative stretch, even as larger questions hang over its futureSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

IRS employees temporarily reassigned to cover frontline work during this year's filing season will stay on these assignments a while longer. The agency is asking IT and human resources staff to stay on temporary details for another 120 days. Most impacted staff have been in training and are now addressing a backlog of amended tax returns. 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 number of contract awards to 8(a) small businesses are down across the government. But Native American, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian-owned companies are feeling the brunt of the downturn. The Small Business Administration also has slowed down the approval of new applications to the 8(a) program. SBA hasn't processed an application since August. All of these concerns drove the Native American Contractors Association to finally speak up about the impact of the Trump administration's actions on their communities. For more on this latest in a growing number of concerns about 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.

Cyber spending often focuses on new platforms and advanced defenses. But experience shows those investments fall short when organizational practices, training and accountability don't evolve alongside them. Here with a perspective on why people remain central to effective cyber security is Senior Director, Civilian Experience and Policy Research at ForsMarsh, Nicole Togno. Cyber spending often focuses on new platforms and advanced defenses. But experience shows those investments fall short when organizational practices, training, and accountability don't evolve alongside them. Here with a perspective on why people remain central to effective cyber security is Senior Director, Civilian Experience and Policy Research at ForsMarsh, Nicole Togno.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From emergency alerts to disaster communications, the systems that keep the public informed depend on secure communications networks. Here to explain how the FCC is approaching cybersecurity through the lens of public safety and why preparedness matters as much as regulation is Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission, Zenji Nakazawa.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 GertonWhat does the FCC have to do with cyber security? You can buy better tools, but that alone won't get you to perfect cyber securitySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Department has struck deals with some of the nation's largest technology companies to deploy their advanced artificial intelligence capabilities on its classified networks. 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.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is urging water, power and other critical infrastructure organizations to prepare to operate without internet and other technology services. That's the overarching goal of a new initiative unveiled by CISA this week. The agency says organizations need to be prepared to operate through IT outages and other challenges during a geopolitical crisis. 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.

Federal leaders are under growing pressure to improve how the public experiences government, even as they manage compliance, security and aging systems. We'll explore where agencies are encountering the most friction and what's helping them move from intent to execution with general manager for U.S. federal government at Granicus, John Boerstler.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new executive order makes fixed‑price, performance‑based contracts the default across the federal government, requiring extra justification and senior approval when agencies want to do something else. That shift could reshape how contracting officers plan, justify and manage major programs, according to Senior Fellow at the George Mason University Baroni Center for Government Contracting, Emily Murphy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At a moment when trust in government is closely tied to how work actually gets done, the National Academy of Public Administration is treating recognition as more than a ceremony. We'll talk about why NAPA is making “Celebrating the American Public Servant” a year‑long effort and what they're learning about durability, trust, and service across every level of government with James‑Christian Blockwood, president and CEO of the Academy.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 Public Service Recognition Week often thanks people for what they do. This year, one national effort is asking something harder: how the country understands public service in the first place A new executive order makes fixed‑price, performance‑based contracts the default across the federal government Customer experience modernization sounds straightforward, until agencies try to execute itSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal hiring managers will soon have a new tech resource at their disposal. The Office of Personnel Management has just rolled out “USA Class.” It's an AI tool that can generate federal position descriptions. With the new resource, OPM is hoping it can relieve some hiring burdens for HR staff. Here with more, 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.

The State Department has concluded its widespread reduction in force nearly a year after it began. The department is officially separating hundreds of Foreign Service officers who received reduction in force notices last summer. The department tried to part ways with these employees before, but has kept on paid administrative leave since July 2025. 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.

A Sammies award this year recognizes USDA research that improved animal health and food productivity through genetics. Dr. Paul VanRaden joins us to explain how long‑term public investment delivered results for the dairy industry and for the broader public.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Public Service Recognition Week is usually about gratitude. This year, it follows workforce reductions, sharper accountability rules, and renewed debates about capacity and morale. Scott Kupor says recognition, in this moment, is less about ceremony and more about how the government expects people to do their jobs.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 Public Service Recognition Week comes at an uneasy moment for the federal workforce after cuts, restructuring and tighter performance rules. So what does “recognition” actually mean right now? For a lot of employees, recognition isn't about awards, it's about trust, respect and whether their work still matters day to day A conversation with a 2026 Sammies awardee whose federal research reshaped an entire industrySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the State Department, a growing demand for passports has led the Bureau of Consular Affairs to rethink its customer experience strategy. In 2025, the bureau issued more than 27 million passport books and cards. That's a one-year record. Matt Pierce is the deputy assistant secretary of State for passports. As he told Federal News Network's Jory Heckman, the department is managing to hold processing times at record lows – despite that record volume.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Government Accountability Office is facing a budget cut from House appropriators for the second year in a row. GAO would need to cut roughly 1,000 jobs under a bill being advanced in the House Appropriations Committee. 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.