Federal Drive with Tom Temin

The IRS is trying to modernize a more than 50 year old IT system that's critical to its work. Every filing season, the agency is working on a future state of its integrated data retrieval system. This system would be a long awaited win for the agency, which has struggled to get the funding and staffing necessary to modernize some of the oldest legacy IT system still running in the federal government, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman is here with 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 out with some new guidance on how agencies can adopt zero trust security architectures. CISA's latest guide focuses on a security concept called micro segmentation. It's considered critical to containing hackers and malware before they wreak havoc across networks and steal sensitive data. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday spoke with Shelley Hartsook, an Acting Associate Director in CISA cybersecurity division.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You'd expect the Department of Veterans Affairs to lead on accessibility, given the community it serves. But a recent report from the VA's Office of Inspector General found that just four out of 30 sampled IT systems met federal accessibility standards under Section 508. The findings raise serious questions—not just for the VA, but for every agency building digital tools for the public. Joining me with the details on what went wrong, and how the department is working to get it right is Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations, Daniel Morris See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act left most federal benefits untouched—but it did introduce several new tax provisions that could impact how Americans save, contribute, and plan for retirement. From catch-up contributions to Roth conversions, the fine print could mean big changes for your financial future. To help us make sense of it all, we're joined by Thiago Glieger, a wealth advisor with RMG Advisors.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After months of uncertainty, the Department of Labor is resuming enforcement of affirmative action requirements for federal contractors who hire veterans and people with disabilities. While broader affirmative action rules tied to race and gender were rescinded earlier this year, these programs remain in place by law—and they're now being revised to reflect the administration's policy priorities. Here to break down what contractors need to know, what's being proposed, and why this moment matters for compliance and equity alike is Partner at Haynes Boone, Dan Ramish.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 Affirmative action for veterans and people with disabilities is back on the books and back under scrutiny Tucked into the new reconciliation bill are tax changes that could reshape how you save for retirement Accessibility isn't optional—it's essential, and a new report shows what can go wrong when it's not built into federal tech from the startSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Since January, the Trump administration has moved aggressively to cut the size of the federal workforce. After months of changes and constant fear of potential job loss as layoffs loom, many federal workers found themselves struggling with high levels of anxiety or seeking therapy and medication for the first time in their lives. Some experienced chronic insomnia, depression, aggressive outbursts, isolation and even self harming thoughts Federal News Networks Anastasia Obis is here to break down new findings from an exclusive Federal News Network survey on mental health impacts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees may soon start seeing and hearing more about religion at the office. New guidance is out telling agencies to protect religious expression in the workplace. The Trump administration is hoping it will help recruit and retain federal employees of faith. Here with details is 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.

More than 20 million U.S. adults live with chronic neocortical brain damage caused by stroke, Alzheimer's, or traumatic injury—conditions with few effective treatments. A new research initiative aims to change that by using regenerative medicine to repair damaged brain tissue and restore lost function. Joining us to explain the science and the vision behind the program is Jean Hebert, Program Manager for Health Science Futures at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new directive from the Office of Management and Budget is pushing federal agencies to consolidate how they buy goods and services, aiming to streamline procurement, reduce duplication, and improve efficiency. But this shift raises important questions about agency autonomy, innovation, and the role of small businesses in federal contracting. Here to unpack the implications is Emily Murphy, former Administrator of the General Services Administration.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NIH is facing growing backlash over canceled research grants, internal pushback, and sweeping policy changes under the Trump administration. Just last week, the administration asked the Supreme Court to block a federal order that would force the agency to reinstate grants it cut over conflicts with its stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. With billions in funding at stake, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya joins us to break down what it all means for researchers, institutions, and the patients who rely on them.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 The Director of the NIH joins me amid growing controversy over grant terminations, the Bethesda Declaration, and what it will take to make America healthy What happens when the federal government tries to centralize how it buys everything? A bold new research effort could offer hope to more than 20 million Americans living with brain damageSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anyone who pays attention to cloud computing in the federal community knows the term FedRAMP, but more than a decade after the program's establishment, it's becoming something new and hopefully a lot more streamlined. Part of that is the FedRAMP 20x Phase One pilot. The program management office is moving to a more elective or discretionary style of security verification rather than a prescriptive one. Pete Waterman is director of FedRAMP at the General Services Administration. He talked with Federal News Network's Jason Miller as part of our annual cloud exchange.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The House may be out, but the Senate returns this week with a lot still up in the air. Appropriations are moving slowly—just two bills have cleared the House, and only one is pending in the Senate. A continuing resolution looks likely, and talk of a shutdown is already starting. Meanwhile, redistricting is back in the spotlight. WTOP's Mitchell Miller joins us to break down what's ahead.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If nothing changes, social security benefits will start to decline by 2034. Math is math...and there simply are more people are drawing social security benefits than there are people paying in to the program. There is a lot of talk about how to solve the problem, but so far, not much action. Here with ideas about what might work is the director of the Retirement Security Project and senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, Dr. Gopi Shah Goda.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Between the largest force reduction in its history and major workforce realignments, the Social Security Agency has been struggling to deliver basic services. New technology is supposed to fill the service gaps, but most of the experts needed to develop and deploy those tools have left the agency. Here with more details on the impacts of these staffing reductions is the Director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Kathleen Romig.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 How the DOGE-driven reductions at the Social Security Agency are playing out now The numbers on the shortfall in the social security program are more clear than ever...what's not clear is when and how Congress will fix it The House is out, but the Senate is in, with big questions on nominees ahead See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration has been overhauling the civil service in multiple ways. They're attempting to close the door to more political appointees, while also making it easier to remove career federal employees from their jobs. But those workforce changes don't appear to resonate positively with many Americans, including those who support the administration's cuts more broadly. Here with a closer look at some new survey data is 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 Agriculture Department is moving ahead with its reorganization plans. This includes relocating most DC area staff to regional hubs around the country. USDA says the relocation will bring employees closer to the communities they serve and will move them to places with lower locality pay. Federal News networks. Jory Heckman has been following the story and is here with more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. Postal Service is facing a paradox: mail volume is projected to decline by as much as 41% by 2035, yet the number of delivery addresses grows by more than a million each year. A new report from the USPS Office of Inspector General outlines several scenarios for the future of mail—and none of them are easy. Here to explore the operational and financial challenges ahead, the impact of electronic diversion, and what innovations might help the Postal Service remain affordable, reliable, and relevant in a digital-first world is Research Analyst with the USPS Officer of Inspector General, David Neu.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. A team from the National Weather Service spent more than a decade, mostly on their own time, to develop a tool that could link weather data about heat with heat-related injury data to predict heat risk. When that tool went nation-wide, it transformed emergency management, public health, and education. It also earned this team a 2025 Service to America Medal. Here to tell us more about this life-saving technology are Michael Staudenmaier, Chad Kahler, and Mark Loeffelbein of the National Weather Service.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 As record temperatures scorch communities nationwide, a new predictive tool is helping agencies get ahead of the heat Fewer Letters, More Addresses: Can the Postal Service Keep Up?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Defense Department is working to incorporate right to repair provisions in all new and existing contracts, Congress is wrangling over how to strike the right balance between military readiness and protecting companies intellectual property rights. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis joins me today with more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A decade ago, data on federal spending was a bit of a mess. Yes, even back then, we had usaspending.gov but the data on that site tended to be inconsistent, inaccurate and problematic in a lot of other ways. The reason we have the version we do now is partly because of the DATA Act and partly because of a lot of hard work on the part of Federal Financial Management leaders. The DATA Act is one of the 25 moments of the last 25 years that we're marking as part of Federal News Network's 25th anniversary. Federal News Network's Jared Serbu is writing about it this week, and he 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.

July is Military Consumer Month, which makes it a great time for servicemembers, veterans, and military families to check in on their financial health. But a lot of folks don't realize they're eligible for benefits they're not using. Here with some practical advice on how to find those benefits, make the most of them, and boost your financial fitness is 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.

The Defense Department is tightening its grip on foreign investments in U.S. defense contractors. A newly revised reporting form—SF 328—is at the center of the change, requiring broader disclosures and clearer documentation. That means more companies, even those working on unclassified programs, could face delays or denials if they're not prepared. Here with the details of what firms need to know is Special Counsel with Cooley, Grant Schweikert.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump signed an executive order in March directing an immediate increase in domestic critical mineral production. But directing and doing are two different things. The scientists at Idaho National Labs have been on the front lines of critical mineral extraction for decades and have often led the development of new technologies that make that extraction faster, cheaper, and cleaner. Here to discuss how they're supporting the President's direction is Directorate Fellow at INL, Dr. Bob Fox.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 U.S. wants to ramp up domestic production of critical minerals—but turning policy into progress takes more than just an executive order New rules on reporting foreign investment in defense contractors have some firms scrambling It's Military Consumer Month—and if you're a veteran or part of a military family, you might be missing out on benefits you've earnedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Several agencies under the Trump administration are going through some personnel changes. A top official at the State Department is taking over as the acting head of the General Services Administration, and President Trump is withdrawing his pick for lead of it at the Department of Veterans Affairs amid plans to shrink its tech workforce and budget. 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.

Organizations across the world have been scrambling to address a critical cybersecurity vulnerability in Microsoft's widely used SharePoint software, that includes federal agencies who are on a tight deadline to mitigate the vulnerability earlier this week. Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday is here with the latest See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over nine months from March 2023 through January of 2204, bad actors diverted nearly eight million dollars of payments from legitimate grantees through the Health and Human Services grant payment system. The HHS Office of Inspector General investigated, and is out with a new report documenting the root causes and corrective actions to prevent future fraud. Here with the details is the Assistant Inspector General for the Office of Audit Services at the Department of Health and Human Services, Tamara Lilly.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As federal employees are thinking about saving more for contingencies, U.S. savings bonds could be a high-yield option. The Savings Bond payroll program was terminated in January, but there are new and easy ways to buy and redeem savings bonds. Here with more insight into the whys and hows of this investment opportunity is owner of A-G financial services, Abe Grungold.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a contactless system to detect fentanyl and other opioids in real time on site. By eliminating the need to send samples to a lab and wait for test results, this technology has the potential to transform security screening for cargo, baggage, mail and even people. Here with more on the process and its implications is senior technical advisor in the National Security Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Kristin Omberg.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 What new advances in the rapid detection of fentanyl could mean for counter drug operations Why this might be the time to add savings bonds to your investment portfolio might be How HHS addressed a problem with fraudulent grant paymentsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration's cuts to the federal workforce have left many out of work, employees contemplating their next steps. Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government is giving former Feds and a wide range of other public servants a chance for a full scholarship while earning their master's degree in public administration. Applications go live this September. For a closer look at this program, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman spoke with the Chief Communications officer for the Harvard Kennedy School, Adam Farina.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Senate lawmakers are looking at big reforms for the intelligence community. The Intelligence Authorization Act advancing in the Senate would overhaul the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It would also push the intelligence community to embrace artificial intelligence and other game changing technologies Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday is here with more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With six months in office, it's clear that the Trump Administration is running its own playbook. But are those play based on best practices? The National Academy of Public Administration was chartered by Congress to help the federal government operate on good government principles, and they're out with a new set of papers suggesting how this Administration might be more effective. Here to share his perspective is the President and CEO of the Academy, James-Christian Blockwood.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With every change in presidential administrations comes an opportunity to look under the hood of existing programs. The Professional Services Council is helping NASA better understand their industry base and advising their members on preparing for SBA's new audit of their 8a business development program. Joining me with more details is the President of the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed the Trump administration to proceed with its restructuring plans for federal agencies and the workforce is not the final word. Cases are still making their way through lower courts at the same time as several agencies have issued RIF notifications. Here to help us make sense of the variety of issues is managing partner at Tulley Rinckey, Michael Fallings.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 A legal perspective on the precedents set by the ongoing court cases around federal workforce RIFs and restructuring From NDAA to SBA, there's a lot for government contractors to keep their eye on Do public administration best practices resonate with current political leaders in Washington?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 the heavy lifting for the 2026 defense authorization bill wrapped up in the House last week. That Chamber's Armed Services Committee finished its annual marathon markup session with a 55-2 vote that sent the bill to the House floor. And there were at least a couple of surprises from the Republican controlled committee areas where the bill contradicts some significant Trump administration priorities as we continue our coverage of this year's NDAA process, Federal News Network's Jared Serbu has details on that aspect of the legislation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration has created a classification of political appointees called Schedule G. The new employment category will let agencies hire non career federal employees to work on the administration's policies. The White House says Schedule G will improve operations and efficiency, but some critics are wary of the executive order's broader implications Here with more is 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.