Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are showing up to work and not getting paid on time during the second longest government shutdown. State Department employees who process passports are among those working without pay. That's an unusual step, because that part of the agency is fee funded, and it can normally pay staff on time during a lapse in congressional funds. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has been covering this issue, and he joins us now 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 Small Business Administration acted in record time to suspend ATI Government Solutions from federal contracting. SBA made the decision the day after a video emerged from the O'Keefe Media Group, a right wing activist organization, showing that an official from ATI admitted to defrauding the SBA is eight a program for more on the broader implications of the ATI suspension. Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins us now to discuss.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This year, there's been a lot of focus on streamining the Federal Acquisition Regulation as the Trump administration moves through its big FAR overhaul project. But increasingly, the burdens of an overcomplicated acquisition system aren't just an issue for traditional government contractors. It's becoming a bigger and bigger topic for academic institutions too. To dig into that topic, I talked with Aron Beezley. He's the head of the government contracts practice group at the law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP.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's sweeping cuts to federal grants are triggering a wave of legal challenges, especially from nonprofits and research institutions. And more cases are landing in the Court of Federal Claims. Here to explain why, and what funding recipients need to know before they sue is partner at Jenner & Block, David Robbins.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From program design to policy evaluation, social scientists offer methods and insights that could strengthen federal decision-making. But institutional barriers and cultural divides still keep many of them on the sidelines. Joining me to explain what government is missing and how to fix it is the Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez.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 GertonEngaging more social scientists could help government programs work better and deliver more Grant terminations are rising and federal funding recipients may need to head to court Big contract compliance burdens...aren't just a problem for contractorsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With open season just around the corner, rising premiums may be top of mind for enrollees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, but there are a number of other changes that employees and annuitants will want to be aware of for Plan Year 2026 that includes several plans entering or leaving FEHB, as well as benefits changes across the government's insurance programs. For more, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman recently sat down with the Director of Marketing and Fundraising at Consumers Checkbook, Kevin Moss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Environmental Protection Agency is deepening its work with water utilities on cyber security issues. The EPA has recently launched a program to scan for Internet exposed devices at water and wastewater facilities. That work comes amid rising concerns about nation state hackers targeting water systems and other critical infrastructure for more Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday is here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We've spent a lot of time over the past month talking about how the government shutdown is affecting executive branch agencies. But it's a big issue for the federal judicial branch too. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts recently announced the judiciary has exhausted the funding it needs to keep all court operations up and running. So courts are having to make choices about what activities continue during a shutdown. Nick Boyle is partner at the law firm Latham and Watkins. He's here to talk more about those impacts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Justice Department's civil rights fraud initiative is putting contractors and grant recipients on notice, with demand letters that raise the stakes for DEI compliance and False Claims Act exposure. The risks are real for firms of all sizes. Here with guidance on how companies can prepare is partner at Proskauer and expert in government contractor employment law, Guy Brenner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Government Ethics surveys executive branch agencies each year to track common ethics concerns. Intelliworx analyzed the latest results and found that questions about gifts, financial conflicts, and outside work top the list. Here to discuss the findings is business analyst with Intelliworx, John Martin.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 do federal employees ask about most when it comes to ethics? A new fraud initiative puts DEI programs under the government's microscope We'll take a look at some of the shutdown's impacts on the federal judiciarySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, service members and their families have been exposed to hazardous conditions and privatized military housing. The Change the Air Foundation recently launched what's probably one of the most comprehensive efforts yet to collect data. The Defense Department has never been able to track accurately what military spouses say. It's a survey created by families, for families. For more Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Erica Thompson, a military spouse, and the military families liaison for the Change the Air Foundation.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's latest round of federal employee layoffs will remain on hold for now. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from carrying out widespread reductions in force for about 4000 employees while the case proceeds through the court. A judge initially put these layoffs on hold in mid October, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has the latest.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How can newer companies apply innovation to quickly achieve major impact? In this segment of "Government Contractors to Watch" sponsored by JP Morgan Chase, I'll talk with Alexander Granados, CEO of Prescient Edge, about how they deployed AI to drive innovation.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 and Congress are weighing changes that could reshape how the Federal Emergency Management Agency prepares for, responds to, and helps communities recover from disasters. There are quite a few reforms on the table. To help understand them, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute is hosting a Rapid Readout this week to unpack it all. For more info, Federal News Network's Jared Serbu spoke with Daniel Bresette, who is president of the EESI.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From energy efficiency rollbacks to withdrawn FDA rules, the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda marks a sharp turn in federal regulatory priorities. It's the first formal roadmap of the second Trump administration, and it presents evidence about timing, ambition, and impact across key sectors. I'll break it down with Senior Policy Analyst at the GW Regulatory Studies Center, Sarah Hay.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 Trump administration's first Unified Agenda is already reshaping federal regulation Trump administration and Congress weigh changes to FEMAA company that went from startup to program-of-the-year winner through AI innovation See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Cyber Security and infrastructure security agency has been sounding the alarm about cyber threats to us critical infrastructure like power and water systems. CISA officials are particularly concerned about hackers targeting so called operational technology or OT systems. Targeting of those systems could pose major health and safety risks. For more on what the agency is doing to combat those threats. Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday spoke with the OT cyber lead at CISA, Matt Rogers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

About 1.4 million federal employees missed their first full paychecks last week. The financial hit has led one major federal union to say enough is enough, but the missing paychecks are just one of the several converging challenges feds are facing right now. Here with more is Federal News Network's drew Friedman, who is writing about all this in this week's edition of the federal report. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There is word today that some staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are coming back to work this week. In this case, we're talking specifically about the employees who process invoices and payments for government contractors. But even if that happens as planned, they'll be facing a big backlog of work, and that's likely to mean payment delays for vendors. A lot to talk about this week with 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 Trump administration's second term has triggered an exodus from the Justice Department. Over 100 senior career officials have departed in just eight months. Civil rights, immigration, and environmental enforcement units are among the most affected, raising alarms about institutional memory and legal capacity. Here with more details and analysis is Bloomberg Law reporter Suzanne Monyak.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Pentagon's tech pipeline is littered with promising innovations that never make it to the field. MITRE's new Transition Maturity Framework aims to change that by replacing the slow, siloed acquisition process with a collaborative, data-driven approach. For insight on how this framework could help warfighters—and why it might be a fix for the “ditches of death”—we turn to MITRE's senior vice president for national security, Keoki Jackson.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 new framework aims to build a bridge across the defense acquisition valley of deathDOJ has lost over 100 career leaders since January, sparking concerns over its capacity and expertise Yet another way the government shutdown is making things tough for contractorsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many federal employees missed their first full paycheck last week as the second longest shutdown continues with no end in sight. Even some shutdown exempt employees are waiting on paychecks that were supposed to arrive. The Food and Drug Administration says some employees are receiving delayed paychecks because of a glitch in its system. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has been following all this, and he joins us now with more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Current and former federal employees affected by the massive 2015 Office of Personnel Management data breach may be losing their identity protection services in the coming year. IDX, the company providing these services since 2015 sent out emails earlier this month telling recipients of their identity protection services that they would have to renew on their own dime after receiving services for 10 years. Federal News Network's Executive Editor Jason Miller joins me now to tell us what's going on with the contract and the identity protection services. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the government still stuck in limbo, there was some hope that at least those still forced to work during a government shutdown, as well as members of the military could get some relief. However, that legislation too went by the wayside, which means we're back to square one. To find out where things currently stand, we welcome back to the program Loren Duggan, Deputy News Director for Bloomberg Government. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When the government shuts down, the damage goes far beyond federal payrolls. New contracts stall, supply chains seize up, and small firms face cash flow crises. Here to explain how shutdowns ripple through the industrial base and why the long-term costs may be greater than we think is Director of the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Jerry McGinn.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 GertonA Supreme Court case could redefine contractor liability in combat zones What a government shutdown really does to the industrial base The Senate dashes the hopes of those still currently working without pay during the government shutdownSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Supreme Court will hear Hencely v. Fluor on November 3, revisiting a decades-old precedent that shields contractors from state-law claims tied to military operations. Here to explain how the combatant activities exception works, and why this case could reshape risk and accountability for contractors in conflict zones is 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.

Federal employees are getting a reprieve from the round of reductions in force the Trump administration threatened to impose during the government shutdown this week for a second time, a federal judge extended a temporary restraining order blocking those RIFs to even more federal unions. But we still don't know how many jobs the administration is actually trying to cut, or exactly where Federal News Network's Jared serbo has been following the case, and he joins us now with an update on where things stand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For years, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission has seen its recommendations adopted by Congress and federal agencies, but for the first time, the Commission's policy proposals are moving backwards under the weight of workforce cuts and other changes across government. 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.

Lt. Cmdr. Melissa DeVera's leadership helped deliver billions in sanitation projects to tribal nations, improving access to clean water and public health infrastructure. Her work building partnerships and expanding opportunity earned her a prestigious Flemming Award—and the gratitude of communities she's served.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While government spending may be precarious in the U.S. at the moment, that doesn't mean defense companies can't look elsewhere to provide their services. Other countries are entrusting the defense industry more and more. Here to discuss where those firms are finding the most demand, we welcome Daniel Sennott, former Republican staff director for the House Armed Services Committee and now co-leader of Holland & Knight's National Security and Defense Industry Group, where he is also a partner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has phased out alcohol and tobacco from its care model. Now, former VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin is calling for the agency to become the first opioid-free health system in the country. He joins us to explain why the time is right and how this shift could save lives and reshape veteran care.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 former VA Secretary says it's time for the VA to lead a new era in pain management Certain world events have defense contractors looking for new business outside the U.S. Her work brings clean water and new opportunities to tribal communities across the countrySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Enrollees in the government's health insurance programs are bracing for big premium hikes in 2026 it'll be the second year in a row of percentage increases that reach double digits. But not every plan option is going up in cost, and there are some other important factors to consider for the upcoming Open Season for more Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with director of marketing and fundraising at consumers checkbook, Kevin Moss,See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The IRS is one of the Trump administration's biggest targets for layoffs. That's after the agency has already lost about a quarter of its workforce so far this year. These new layoffs impact mostly human resources and IT personnel now our Department of Government Efficiency Representative says those cuts are necessary to get stalled. It modernization efforts back on track for what all this means. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman joins us 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 University of South Florida is turning Tampa Bay into a national security talent hub. Through its Security Training Collaborative, students are gaining real-world experience with agencies like the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service—preparing for high-stakes roles in intelligence and defense. Here to explain how the program works and how it's reshaping the pipeline to Washington is Managing Director of Security Management International, Luke Bencie.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

California's push to regulate artificial intelligence could reshape national markets and sideline smaller developers. But critics say no single state should dictate the future of AI policy—and that Congress must act now to establish clear standards that protect innovation and prevent a patchwork of conflicting mandates. Here to explain why that matters is Professor Kevin Frazier, AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the University of Texas School of Law.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When considering new ideas for modernizing the federal civil service, look no further than, Nashville. Yes Tennessee's 2012 civil service reform, while not a perfect match for the federal system, does provide a compelling demonstration that thoughtful reform is possible. The Volunteer State modernized its system with a mix of performance-based policies, updated appeals processes, and a shift in employment presumptions, which created some positive results. Jeff Neal, who is senior vice president of ICF International as well as former chief human capitol officer for the Homeland Security Department, recently analyzed Tennessee's initiative and found some lessons the federal government could learn from it.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 Could Nashville hold the key to modernizing the civil service Who sets the rules for AI? It matters more than most people realize A Florida university is building the next generation of intelligence professionals, one hands-on mission at a timeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.