FCW Insider: Nov. 4

Government rarely gets credit for the tremendous range of innovation it drives, but as the winners of GCN's 2019 Government Innovation Awards make clear, amazing things are happening at all levels of the public sector. Check out the winning projects in FCW's sibling publication GCN.

The federal government is pushing U.S. telecoms to take out gear from Huawei and other Chinese companies that may threaten their networks, but Congress is wondering who is going to pay for the work? Derek B. Johnson takes a look.

In the Government Accountability Office's new Innovation Lab, a vision of audit tech with big data and expanded reach begins to take shape. Adam Mazmanian explores the future of oversight.

The Defense Department named five bases around the country to test emerging high speed 5G network applications. Mark Rockwell has more.

Quick Hits

*** President Donald Trump said he wouldn't rule out a shutdown when the current continuing resolution funding the government expires on Nov. 21. "It depends on what the negotiations are. I wouldn't commit to anything. It depends on what the negotiations are," Trump told reporters while exiting Marine One on the White House South Lawn.

*** Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on Oct. 31 that the USDA had permanently leased office space in downtown Kansas City, Mo. to serve as the new headquarters for the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Federal employee unions and Democrats in Congress are opposed to the move. Recently, a group of 30 lawmakers urged appropriators in the House and Senate to deny funding to support the move. USDA is allowing its employees to telework on a case-by-case basis until the end of the year.

***The Office of Personnel Management announced Nov. 1 that Douglas Fehrer was named Chairman of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee. He replaced retiring Chairwoman Jill Nelson. According to a statement given to reporters, this marked Fehrer's fourth stint at OPM, having served in the office from 1989-1992, and in 2001.