Federal Drive with Tom Temin

The Trump administration is widening its lens for recruiting technologists to the federal workforce. The Office of Personnel Management has just expanded the Tech Force hiring program to include opportunities for cybersecurity specialists. 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.

The White House has set a goal to reduce military spouse unemployment by 5%, but there is only so much it can do since it significantly scaled back federal hiring. Now, the Defense Department is stepping in with new efforts to address the issue. 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 promise of ARPA‑H isn't just speed, but intention, building ambitious research programs around patient impact rather than hype. One of its newest efforts aims to make cancer treatment simpler, more accessible, and easier to deploy. Here to explain the vision behind “1 Cure,” is the Program Manager Dr. Wilfred Ngwa.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, the American Battle Monuments Commission has served as guardian of U.S. military cemeteries and memorials around the world. A new online catalog now extends that mission by making records and collections accessible far beyond those physical sites. We'll look at who benefits most and what this access makes possible with Charlotte Meunier, museum curator for the American Battle Monuments Commission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A new digital catalog is changing how the public can engage with America's overseas war memorials and records ARPA‑H's “1 Cure” program is betting that smarter design can expand cancer care to more people, fasterSee 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 will not offer internships to CyberCorps Scholarship for Service students this summer due to the government shutdown. It's the second year in a row CISA has withdrawn the internships. But the Office of Personnel Management is rolling out new cybersecurity job opportunities this week. 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 IRS is touting its performance during this year's filing season as evidence that it can still carry out its tax duties despite losing more than a quarter of its workforce under the Trump administration. The agency's top official says technology improvements at the IRS are making it easier for taxpayers to get help online and that it's seen a year-over-year decrease in phone calls. 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.

Many federal employees treat tax refunds as a bonus, even though they reflect pay that could have arrived earlier with different planning. In a moment when many families are reassessing work, finances, and long‑term decisions like college, timing and strategy matter. Here to help feds think through both 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.

As agencies begin reclassifying parts of the federal workforce to Schedule Policy/career, the Project on Government Oversight warns that shifts in the rules may carry real consequences for whistleblowers. Their analysis argues Congress, not agencies is the key backstop for ensuring protections apply regardless of classification. Here to walk us through the risks is Joe Spielberger, Senior policy counsel at the POGO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many former federal employees are navigating the job market for the first time in years, only to find that the rules around hiring and networking have shifted. Research suggests the process feels more transactional, but that doesn't mean experience and competence no longer matter. Helping us make sense of the new normal is managing director of business intelligence at Express Employment International, Stephanie Miller.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 Many former federal employees are navigating the job market for the first time in years and finding that networking looks and feels different than they remember A proposed federal personnel shift could chill whistleblowers long before anyone gets fired A big refund feels good, but getting more of your money throughout the year may feel betterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

House Democrats are doubling down on their investigation into the Trump administration's management of the government's retirement processing system. That comes as some federal retirees remain without annuities months after submitting their applications. 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.

When the Office of Management and Budget decided to remove the specific section on enterprise risk management from Circular A-123, Eric Ueland, the deputy director for management, received some direct feedback. For more on why Ueland says the ERM community's unhappiness with OMB's decision is overblown, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now with details.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's joint bases were created to improve efficiency and readiness, but sustaining those facilities has proven uneven. A new GAO report finds most joint bases are funded below sustainment goals, with limited visibility into how resources are allocated and lingering disputes over who pays for what. To walk through the findings and what they mean for readiness, we're joined by Alissa Czyz, Director of Defense Capabilities and Management 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.

From unemployment insurance to workforce programs, the stakes for fraud oversight at Labor remain high. The department's inspector general says his law‑enforcement experience influences how he prioritizes cases and assesses risk. Anthony D'Esposito, the DOL IG, joins me now to discuss his approach to this important work.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 As the Department of Labor faces intense scrutiny over fraud and oversight, its new inspector general is bringing a law‑enforcement mindset to the job GAO finds most of the Pentagon's joint bases are falling short of facility sustainment goals, raising new questions about readiness and accountabilitySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For the Navy, consolidating and reducing its sprawling IT networks has been a decades‑long effort. But in recent years, the pace has picked up. Starting from several thousand networks, the service expects to be down to fewer than 100 by next year. Scott St. Pierre, the Navy's director of enterprise networks and cybersecurity, spoke with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu at our recent DoD Modernization Exchange.See 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 giving employees with disabilities more flexibility to telework as a reasonable accommodation. CDC supervisors will once again be able to grant telework as an interim reasonable accommodation, while employees wait for final approval from the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS rolled out a new policy last year that strictly limited medical telework. 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.

While agencies talk about modernizing data practices and accelerating research, the President's budget request reveals where execution pressure is likely to land first. From FY27 funding priorities to what Artemis II showed about how complex missions really get done, we'll break down what matters most for agencies and contractors with 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.

This week, early‑career scientists will step up to a microphone and have three minutes to explain their research to policymakers, without jargon and with only one slide. The National Lab Research SLAM is designed to move ideas out of the lab and into federal decision‑making faster. Here to tell us what to watch as it gets underway is Antonya Sanders from Los Alamos National Laboratory.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From cross‑agency data sharing to AI‑driven analysis, federal programs now rely on personal information in ways the Privacy Act never fully anticipated. As new APDU resources roll out this week, they aim to clarify how data actually moves, where risks emerge, and what reasonable expectations should look like today. Bethanne Barnes from the Association of Public Data Users joins me to walk through those challenges.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 New technology is changing how federal agencies use personal data and this week, new tools aim to show what responsible use should really look like As federal agencies rethink how data moves, they're also rethinking how ideas move, especially from the lab to policymakers Big ideas and big missions still live or die on budgets and contracts, and this year's request raises some important questions about executionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies have long struggled to manage so-called controlled unclassified information, or CUI. Now artificial intelligence is posing new and urgent challenges to how agencies handle, share and protect that sensitive information. But federal executives also see opportunities to use AI to modernize their approach to CUI. 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 government paid an estimated $4.5 billion for federal employees not to work under the deferred resignation offer last year. The calculation comes from a new data report from the Partnership for Public Service. The organization's report calculates other cost expenditures, all tied back to the Trump administration's overhauls to the federal workforce. 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.

Instead of another systems overhaul, a new IBM Center report zeroes in on how metadata and AI can illuminate relationships across federal financial operations. That added visibility, the research argues, could help agencies spot improper payments and fraud much earlier in the process. Here to walk us through the key insights is executive director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Dan Chenok.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apportionments are a core but often overlooked part of how congressional funding decisions are implemented across the executive branch. A new analysis highlights how deviations from historical or statutory patterns can create downstream risks for agencies, programs, and oversight. Breaking down what to watch for is Cerin Lindgrensavage, counsel at Protect Democracy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week facing pressure to move stalled legislation, navigate internal party tensions and make progress on must‑pass items before the calendar tightens further. We'll walk through what's realistically at the top of Congress's agenda now that members are back in town, with Loren Duggan from Bloomberg Government.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 After a two‑week recess, Congress is back in Washington with a crowded spring agenda and several unfinished fights waiting on the Hill Apportionments rarely make headlines, but they play a decisive role in how Congress's funding decisions are actually carried out. New analysis is drawing attention to patterns that warrant closer oversight Artificial intelligence may offer federal financial managers something they've long lacked: real visibility across programs and paymentsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of Ed Forst's first priorities as GSA administrator has been finishing what's been years in the making. In his first 100 days on the job, Forst moved to implement Transactional Data Reporting across all multiple award schedule contracts. To explain what that expansion means for agencies and vendors, 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.

The Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense system could receive $17.5 billion in fiscal 2027 after it received a $23 billion down payment last summer. But almost the entire sum hinges on another reconciliation bill. 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.

Once federal employees leave service, decisions about FEHB and Medicare quickly intersect with how they draw income from the TSP. Those choices are easier to manage when they're coordinated rather than made in isolation. Joining us to connect the dots is federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan, principal at RetireFederal.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 Brookings shows the Greater Washington region is still losing ground on jobs, raising questions about how economic systems tied to federal work are adapting or failing to over time. The region is responding strategically, but so far, those responses haven't translated into measurable improvement. Here to explain what's happening beneath the surface is Tracy Loh, fellow at the Brookings Institution.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Several Artemis team members bring military and academic backgrounds that reflect a long‑term federal investment in advanced education. Observers say the mission highlights how institutions like the Naval Postgraduate School translate classroom learning into real‑world mission execution. Joining us from mission control in Housing is science writer with the Naval Postgraduate School, Dan Linehan.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Artemis II is showing how federal education and operational experience come together in space The Washington DC metro region continues to stand out for regional job losses and new Brookings data shows the recovery still hasn't materialized Health‑coverage decisions in retirement can shape when and how federal retirees tap their moneySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration wants to start privatizing more airport security screening operations. The White House's 2027 budget request would cut jobs at the Transportation Security Administration and shift much of that funding to private screening contractors . 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 government currently has both the largest political workforce and the lowest levels of senior career leaders in decades. A new report finds that there are now more political appointees in place under the Trump administration, than any other modern U.S. president. At the same time, senior career leadership staffing has gone down 30%. 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 Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy has released its first‑year report examining how small businesses are responding to rapid shifts in federal contracting and regulatory policy. The findings highlight both strain and adaptation as firms adjust to changing rules and agency practices. We'll walk through what stood out and what comes next with Chip Bishop, Deputy Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the Small Business Administration.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

HUD's decision to withdraw long‑standing fair housing guidance is changing how landlords, developers and local governments interpret their federal obligations, even as the underlying law remains the same. The move is raising new questions about compliance, enforcement and how much certainty housing providers can rely on as policy priorities shift. Helping us make sense of that landscape is Gwen Roy Harrison, a principal at Offit Kurman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over a five‑year period, GSA's Public Buildings Service obligated more than $100 million for building studies, but a new inspector general audit finds the agency lacked a consistent way to track those studies or whether their recommendations informed decisions. We'll break down what the audit examined, what it found, and what GSA has been asked to fix with Michelle Westrup and Brian Gibson from the GSA Office of Inspector General.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 GSA spent more than $100 million on building studies, but an inspector general audit found the agency lacked a consistent way to track whether that work informed decisions HUD's first‑year reset on fair‑housing guidance is reshaping how landlords, owners, and local governments navigate federal housing rules Small businesses are navigating one of the most turbulent federal contracting environments in decades and the SBA Office of Advocacy is here to helpSee 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 once again facing scrutiny over how it handles sensitive but unclassified information, after a new watchdog review found that widespread problems identified years ago remain unresolved. 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 General Services Administration, a former hub of activity for the Department of Government Efficiency is looking to hire hundreds of employees after facing deep workforce cuts last year. The agency's top leader is also taking on a second job as the acting head of the National Archives and Records Administration. And for its current workforce, GSA is asking employees to provide a daily check-in on where they're working. For a look at all of this, we're joined by Federal News Network's Jory Heckman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.