Federal Drive with Tom Temin
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Federal contractors never expected Congress to get a full year appropriation done last week. So they're generally pleased about avoidance of a government shutdown. That gives the government 11 weeks or to deal with other lingering procurement issues. We check in with the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After years of falling short of recruitment goals, the armed services did manage to eke out a win in 2024 and meet them. The story of how the services turned things around largely boils down to having a path for previously disqualified recruits to join the military. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis joins me for the year in review here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Placing federal employees on paid indefinite administrative leave, that practice is about to end. The Office of Personnel Management published a final rule to cap federal employees to 10 days of administrative leave during personnel investigations. The final rule comes eight years after the Administrative Leave Act was passed. That was 2016 and just this year, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility or PEER filed a lawsuit to prod OPM to cough up that rule. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman got more from PEER Senior Counsel Peter Jenkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hospitals treat the sick and injured. But they can be dangerous places. A unit of the Health and Human Services Department aims to reduce patient and healthcare workforce harm by 50%. So it's set up a dashboard that aggregates safety information. Joining me with the details, the director of the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Craig Unsheid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin This agency hopes to achieve the miraculous enabling the blind to see HHS wants to reduce medical accidents. There's a dashboard for that Contractors breathe a sigh of relief at budget deal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A unit of Health and Human Services recently made grants to four academic and industry teams to do miracles. Enabling the blind to see. The awardees will work on technologies to enable transplantation of the human eye. For details, from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, program manager Calvin Roberts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The carrier USS Abraham Lincoln returned to its home port in San Diego on Friday after a multi month tour at sea, including an unusually long stint of 107 days without a port call. But the Nimitz class aircraft carrier had something that's been unheard of until now, ubiquitous, high speed internet connectivity, even when it was 1000s of miles from shore. The connectivity experiment is part of a navy project called Sailor Edge Afloat and Ashore for how they tested it and the difference it made. Federal News Network's Jared Serbu spoke with the Lincoln's Combat Systems officer, Captain Kevin White. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Department of Veterans Affairs has a plan to get its stalled electronic health record back on track. The VA will start laying the groundwork for more go live sites in the coming weeks, and expects the new EHR to be in more VA facilities by mid 2026 that is. The project has been on a year and a half pause. The VA and its contractors have spent that time fixing problems at sites already using the new EHR. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The government won't shut down. But it doesn't get 2025 appropriations either. That will have to wait until March under the continuing resolution hammered out at the 11 hour Friday night. An update now from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A long-time federal career procurement executive has a new job. She's the CEO of a contractor. But not just any contractor but a non-profit with a purpose. Soraya Correa was chief procurement officer at the Homeland Security Department, among other things, and retired as a member of the Senior Executive Service. This year she became president and CEO of the National Industries for the Blind. Ms. Correa joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
At 50 years in business, SourceAmerica looks a lot different than when it was founded. It's one of the largest contractors under the AbilityOne program, and it offers a lot more than its very first product a creeper to let mechanics slide under cars. As part of a series on the AbilityOne program, we welcome the president and CEO of SourceAmerica, Richard Belden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin Things are changing at AbilityOne contractors After a career in procurement, she's selling to the government No shutdown, but no 2025 appropriations either Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Over the last four years, the Office of Management and Budget issued 20 memos focused on federal technology. The goal, of course, is not to just issue memos and claim victory. OMB memos usually are the first step of a long process to change the way agencies deliver services, protect data and train the workforce. Clare Montana sat down with Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller in her office at OMB to reflect on her tenure as the Federal Chief Information Officer and the impact of her office's efforts over the last four years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Defense Counter Intelligence and Security Agency has a plan to get the next generation background investigations IT system back on track. The National Background Investigation services is years behind schedule and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget, but DCSA top official says a new program plan and new program leadership will deliver on end this in the coming years, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday has all the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Any parent of at-home children worries about cybercrime and the potential for exploitation. My next guest says the threats are worse for children of military families. He should know as a parent of two and as a former deputy commander of the U.S. Cyber Command. Retired Lieutenant General Charlie Moore joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Whether it's that sharp new BMW 3-series or a basket of cheap hardware from Amazon. It got to you through a port. Operators of U.S. ports have their eye on federal infrastructure spending $19 billion of it. For what they're hoping for, the president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities, Cary Davis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After years of working to reform Congress, my next guest can look back at some real accomplishments. And work still to be done. Representative Derek Kilmer of Washington, spearheaded the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress which became the House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization. Now he's retiring from Congress. Derek Kilmer joins me now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin Some final thoughts from one of the leading reformers of Congress Operators of these parts of critical infrastructure want their share of federal spending How children of military service members are at war Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On today's episode of The Federal Drive with Tom Temin: Losing the acting on a high ranking title at NASA In the two weeks or so left of 2024, get the most out of your money A leading government research administrator steps onto a new stage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The government might be operating on a continuing resolution. Individuals should take better charge of their own financial lives before the end of the year. Including optimizing your Thrift Savings Plan. Some tips now from RMG Advisors financial planner Thiago Glieger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
One of the government's leading researchers and research administrators has been recognized with a new outside post. Simon Liu, the administrator of the Agricultural Research Service at the Agriculture Department … is now a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He joined the Federal Drive earlier to discus his work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A satisfying thing it is when that *acting* moniker is removed from your title. My next guest has become simply the associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA. For what it all means, Clayton Turner joined the Federal Drive earlier with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A bill to reform the way agencies recruit employees is heading to President Biden’s desk. Congress passed the bipartisan Chance to Compete Act earlier this week, to codify skills-based hiring practices for the federal workforce. The push for agencies to focus on applicants' skills, rather than degrees, has been years in the making. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman got more from the Partnership for Public Service’s vice president of government affairs, Jenny Mattingley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
To save some short term money, Army officials are scaling back a popular education benefit. The decision to scale back the Credentialing Assistance program could rank as on one of the most significant changes to soldiers' benefits in recent years. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis joined the Federal Drive with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Biden administration will have left office after establishing extensive policies for acquisition and use of artificial intelligence. The National Defense Authorization Act for 2025 also has extensive language on ensuring competition in AI. What can we expect from the Trump administration? One view comes from the chair of the government contracts practice group at Blank Rome, Justin Chiarodo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Navy transports Marines aboard amphibious warfare ships. The Navy also has big problems keeping its fleet of amphibious ships available for both training and operations. Some of the vessels have been out of service for years. For more of what auditors found, the director of defense capabilities and management issues at the Government Accountability Office, Diana Maurer joined the Federal Drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Veterans who wish to be buried with the least environmental impact now have a new option. Three of Veterans Affairs national cemeteries opened what they call green burial sections last month. Green burials are possible for both cremated and intact remains. The Federal Drive got details now from VA's executive director of cemetery operations, Lisa Pozzebon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
President-elect Donald Trump vows to revisiting plans to privatize the Postal Service. It’s a first term-goal that didn’t go far, with pushback from unions and Congress. But House Republicans, especially that Department of Government Efficiency caucus, are on board with these plans. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cyber policy gurus are urging the incoming Trump administration to elevate the role of the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. The three-year-old office has led some real cybersecurity strategy initiatives. But outside observers say it could be more involved in responding to major cyber incidents. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday has the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On today's episode of the Federal Drive with Tom Temin: The Navy has trouble keeping its amphibious ships in working order VA responds to veterans' demands for green internment How the Trump administration is likely to deal with artificial intelligence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
