The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
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A short-term partial government shutdown is over after House lawmakers have reached a deal to fund much of the federal government. A majority of agencies now have funding through the end of the fiscal year. That’s except for the Department of Homeland Security. It’s under a two-week stopgap spending bill, buying lawmakers more time to negotiate additional guardrails on federal immigration operations. 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The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the Open Government Partnership, an international initiative the U.S. helped create nearly 15 years ago. Administration officials say the OGP was ineffective and waste of money. But critics of the move say it’s another example of the Trump administration backsliding on transparency and accountability. 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 Krach Institute is throwing open the doors to its Tech Diplomacy Academy, aiming to train leaders worldwide on the technologies reshaping security and freedom. We'll dig into why tech diplomacy has become essential, and how free societies can stay ahead as the stakes rise with the CEO of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, Michelle Giuda. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
After early cuts at HHS and USAID translated into thousands of lost jobs and hundreds of millions in foregone wages, Maryland officials wanted a sharper view of what was happening. The result is a new modeling tool that lets policymakers see the impact of federal spending shifts at the county and agency level. Joining us to explain how it works is Ben Siegel, Deputy Comptroller of Maryland for Policy. See the dashboard here: https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/news/maryland-comptroller-and-smith-school-release-federal-spending-scenarios-and-dashboard 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.
GAO found major gaps in anti-fraud practices across grants, contracts, and loans. Only one program of five examined met all nine leading safeguards. Hannah Padilla, Director, Financial Management and Assurance at GAO, explains where agencies must act first to strengthen oversight. 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 is looking to shift more of its health care workforce to facilities facing a growing veteran population. That’s the latest from the VA’s long-awaited agency reorganization. That also means drawing down staffing levels in places where the veteran population is shrinking. 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 Air Force has quietly eliminated all in-person and virtual hearings for Special Access Program (SAP) appeals, replacing them with a paper-only process. It's still unclear whether the Air Force will allow individuals to submit written responses instead of a personal appearance. It is also possible that decisions will rely entirely on existing security files, with no opportunity for individuals to respond, which would be a loss of due process. For more. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Dan Meyer, partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC.. 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.
Research shows Bayh‑Dole has fueled thousands of inventions, patents and startups, but disruptions like SBIR’s expiration and 8(a)’s turmoil are testing the system. Jere Glover and Joe Allen are here to explain how those shocks ripple into federal R&D, commercialization and long‑term competitiveness. Jere Glover serves as the Executive Director of the Small Business Technology Council. Joe Allen is Executive Director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
GSA is moving quickly on multiple fronts from refreshing its major GWACs to gathering fresh data from VARs—signaling a continued shift toward tighter oversight of how agencies buy services and technology. At the same time, Treasury’s cancellation of its Booz Allen Hamilton contracts has raised new questions about how far that scrutiny will go across the government. We’ll sort out the implications for agencies and contractors with 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 2026 NDAA marks one of the most significant shifts in defense acquisition in more than a decade, from reshaping how the Pentagon buys to opening new paths for commercial innovation. It also sets the stage for DoD’s next round of ecosystem reforms, with lawmakers already at work on the 2027 bill. We’ll break down what’s really changing and what it means for industry with former Pentagon official Stephanie Barna. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A coalition of unions and nonprofits is challenging cuts to staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In a new lawsuit, they allege the workforce reductions violate laws that restrict the Department of Homeland Security from making sweeping changes at FEMA. 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.
For more than 30 years, Washington has churned out idea after idea to boost federal agency performance. We’ve seen everything from the Clinton administration’s Reinventing Government push, to the Bush administration’s PART reviews, to the Government Performance and Results Act. Now, a group of former senior federal executives, calling themselves We the Doers, say there’s a better way, drawing on more than 88 years of combined service. For a look at what they’re proposing, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller spoke with Maureen Klovers and April Harding, the group’s co-founders. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A new executive order is putting fresh pressure on defense companies to show they’re investing and performing the way the government expects. The broad language means boards may have to rethink how they manage delivery, oversight, and capital decisions across the whole enterprise. We get into what leaders should be doing now with Chris Griesedieck, partner at Venable. 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.
After a chaotic stretch on Capitol Hill, Congress seems to have settled most of the remaining 2026 funding fights. But even with the dust clearing, the path forward on the final bills still isn’t entirely locked in. Here to break down what the House will tackle this week and what the split over DHS funding could mean for the agencies caught in the middle is deputy news director for bloomberg government, Loren Duggan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The TSP’s performance in 2025 ended on a much stronger note than anyone expected after a rough start to the year. International stocks pulled ahead, bonds finally delivered meaningful gains, and U.S. markets stayed lofty despite all the noise. We’ll look at what mattered, what didn’t, and what comes next with financial planner Art Stein. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
After a year of talks with industry on how to improve the program, FedRAMP is turning inward. Leaders of the government’s cloud security assessment program say they’re increasing their engagements with federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget as they continue to work toward a faster, less costly version of the program, called “FedRAMP 20 X.” But they say they’ve already made significant improvements, and with a smaller budget. Here's Federal News Network's Jared Serbu with the details. 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 effort to cap the fees charged by value‑added resellers appears to be slowing down. The General Services Administration has put out a new request for information, and that pause is giving some vendors relief that the agency is taking more time to understand the market. For more on what the RFI signals and how industry is reacting, 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.
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.
AI promises speed, but efficiency isn’t democracy’s goal. Michael Livermore, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the LawTech Center at the University of Virginia, explains why ignoring that tension could reshape governance in troubling ways. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A new limited‑edition bobblehead set is celebrating America’s 250th in a fun, historic way. It turns the Declaration of Independence into a collectible featuring key Founding Fathers. We’re talking about the idea behind it with Phil Sklar, co‑founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
After spending five years and tens of millions of dollars developing a new travel management system, the Defense Department abruptly scrapped the effort in 2023 and reverted to the legacy Defense Travel System it was meant to replace. A government watchdog looked into why the program failed and how the Pentagon can avoid repeating the same mistakes. For more, Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis spoke with Vijay D'Souza, Director of GAO’s Information Technology and Cybersecurity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The IRS says it’s ready for this year’s filing season which began on Monday. But the agency faces a slew of challenges. A looming government shutdown would limit its ability to serve taxpayers. The agency also missed several key hiring goal for the filing season and is scaling back expectations for how many calls from taxpayers it will answer. 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.
Executive orders on energy dominance are reshaping defense priorities. We’ll explore how public-private partnerships, federal land leasing and emerging tech like microgrids can strengthen military energy resilience, with Tom Holm, Executive Director of the Energy Defense Council. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Beyond funding debates, federal workers are facing big shifts in how performance is measured and retirement claims are processed. From Schedule Policy/Career implementation to tackling a growing retirement backlog at OPM, we’ll explore what’s changing and what it means with John Hatton of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). 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.
From pandemics to AI disruption, foresight helps agencies anticipate what’s next. But a new report finds that capability is shrinking fast across the federal government. Here to share what’s behind the trend and what’s at stake are Kara Cunzeman and Robin Champ. They are co-founders, along with Suzette Brooks-Masters, of the Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance (FFAA) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The hits keep coming for federal consulting contractors. First, the Trump administration questioned the value of these types of contracts, leading to a significant reduction in existing deals and the slow down of awards of new solicitations. Now the Treasury Department is taking aim specifically at one of the biggest vendors. Treasury cancelled all 31 of its contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton. For more on why Treasury is taking these actions and what it means for the consulting market more broadly, 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.
