The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
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The Pentagon’s ambitious “Golden Dome” missile defense system is getting more expensive. New estimates from the Defense Department put the price tag at $185 billion; that's $10 billion more than the president originally said it would cost. But some analysts say the new estimate is no more believable than the president’s initial price tag. 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 Postal Service says it’s close to running out of cash and may need to cut delivery days. USPS is asking lawmakers to step in and offer some assistance. Congress passed major postal reform legislation in four years ago, but the mail agency is still seeing multi-billion dollar annual net losses. 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 University of Texas at El Paso is strengthening its ability to test next‑generation drone and counter‑drone systems and to apply them to challenges like border security, disaster response, and infrastructure monitoring. It’s part of a growing shift where unmanned systems are becoming essential tools for agencies and communities, not just experimental platforms. We’ll explore what that means for UTEP’s future with Aerospace Center Executive Director Dr. Shery Welsh. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
As adversaries lean heavily on small drones for surveillance and strikes, U.S. forces need a response that doesn’t slow them down. Engineers focused on low cost and plug‑and‑play integration and early testing suggests they may have found it. We talk through the capability with Brian Hoffman, Man-Portable Weapons Chief Engineer at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane. 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 __ __ 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 called “Disasterville” brings National Guard missions into schools through a mix of physical props and virtual reality, letting students step into the middle of a flood, wildfire, or earthquake response. It’s part of a broader effort to build awareness of the Guard’s role in disaster relief. Here to explain the effort is Staff Sergeant Adam Szabo from the National Guard Bureau. 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 new national cyber strategy is starting to translate into agency actions. But there are still a lot of questions about what comes next with the implementation of the strategy. 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.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a “ruthless” review of how the military’s legal offices are organized. Experts say while there is room to streamline these offices’ operations, the review will likely be used to thin out the ranks of military lawyers. 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.
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.
As federal workers and contractors navigate sudden disruption, Maryland leaders are focused on keeping families housed, connected, and economically mobile. Housing tied to transit and new pathways into emerging industries are central to that strategy. We'll learn more from Congressman Glenn Ivey of Maryland and Bryan Franklin, Deputy Director of LISC-DC. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Several weeks into the DHS shutdown, front‑line employees from TSA to the Coast Guard are working without pay as airport delays mount and families feel the strain. At the same time, the administration is accelerating major personnel changes, from Schedule Policy/Career conversions to new RIF rules that could redefine job security for tens of thousands of federal workers. We’ll connect all of those threads now with John Hatton, Staff Vice President for Policy and Programs at NARFE. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Traditional guardrails eroded quickly during the Trump administration’s first year, with ethics bodies sidelined and inspectors general forced out while DOGE tested the limits of its authority. The result was a federal landscape with fewer protections and less capacity just as major decisions were being made. To dig into what that means for rebuilding, I’m joined by Faith Williams of the Project on Government Oversight. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
President Donald Trump promised he would wage a “war on fraud” at his State of the Union address. Now those plans are coming into focus. A new executive order calls on nearly a dozen benefits-paying agencies to come up with ways to reduce fraudulent payments. Vice President JD Vance will lead the task force. 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.
Agencies have a new opportunity to get help with modernizing their HR functions. A new “HR shared service center” from the Office of Personnel Management launched this week. If agencies opt into OPM’s offer, for a fee, they’ll get access to a suite of IT tools to streamline their human capital management capabilities. 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 administration’s new rules on executive pay, dividends and other financial tools haven’t moved defense earnings, but they’re already reshaping how companies think about future contracts. Those limits could eventually influence everything from talent pipelines to supply‑chain stability as they get written into deals over the coming year. We get the latest market signals and industry reactions from Paul Murphy of Bloomberg Government. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Senate has advanced a bill that would reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs through 2031 after a long lapse, and it comes with some notable changes for small R&D firms. The package adds tougher foreign‑risk screening and introduces new “Strategic Breakthrough” Phase II awards that can reach up to $30 million. We’ll look at what those shifts mean for innovators and contracting officers with Emily Murphy, former GSA Administrator. 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 __ __ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The federal program inventory was meant to give policymakers a clear picture of what the government does and how much it spends. GAO says that picture remains incomplete, with missing programs, outdated listings, and inconsistent data undermining confidence in the site. Here to walk through GAO’s findings and what OMB needs to fix is Dawn Locke, Director in GAO’s Strategic Issues team. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Navy is in the middle of a year-long push to embed fifth-generation wireless technologies across its systems and installations. And the service’s 5G Integrated Product Team says it’s “making progress” on expanding network coverage. Jason Fox is the director of the 5G IPT in the Department of the Navy Office of the Chief Information Officer. He talked with Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday about that progress. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
As soon as President Donald Trump signs the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program reauthorization act into law, the Department of Navy will be ready. While the House still needs to do its job and pass the SBIR bill, the Navy has been using the last six months to update its program. With a sneak peak into the Navy’s plans for the future of its SBIR 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.
For more than a decade, Sara Wilson has been a steady presence for families navigating military grief, from Good Grief Camps to crisis support in some of the hardest moments. Her peer‑to‑peer networks, advocacy work, and calm guidance have strengthened the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, community at home and abroad. She joins me ahead of receiving the Senator Ted Stevens Leadership Award at this year’s TAPS Honor Guard Gala. 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 __ __ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
According to the Peterson Foundation, this year’s CBO outlook lays out a budget weighed down by structural forces; from health‑care costs to an aging population that outpace the revenue coming in. It’s a forecast shaped by competing political pressures and economic realities that don’t move in the same direction. We’ll explore whether there’s any realistic path to addressing those imbalances with Brett Loper, Executive Vice President of Policy at the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ongoing U.S. military operations in the Middle East are stretching supply chains, increasing demand for munitions and intelligence, and raising new questions about how long industry can sustain the pace without supplemental funding. Behind every deployment, contractors are providing the logistics, technology, and support that make operations possible. Joining me to break down what this moment means for industry is 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 General Services Administration is set to lead an acquisition system consolidation across government. That’s because GSA will be designated a “quality service management office” for acquisition. For more on what that means and what comes next, 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 Defense Department has begun taking a series of equity stakes in companies deemed critical to national security. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have questions about the new strategy. 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.
AI is reshaping the skills contractors need to compete. Small businesses in particular need to adjust how they use these tools inside their proposals. An intentional approach can help a proposal stand out in a crowd. We get practical guidance from Desmond Brown, former Executive Director, Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of Veterans Affairs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Democrats are signaling they may force votes tied to the Iran conflict while leadership scrambles to keep DHS funding and other priorities on track. Energy interventions meant to blunt price spikes are adding new economic pressure that could reshape the legislative lineup. We’ll look at how these forces converge on Capitol Hill with Loren Duggan, Deputy News Director at Bloomberg Government. 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 __ __ 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 Health and Human Services asked clinicians, patients, developers and health systems how the agency should guide the use of AI in health care delivery. That feedback will shape the Department’s approach to trust, interoperability and responsible adoption. We talk through what happens next with Deputy National Coordinator for Policy at HHS, Mark Atalla. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
