FCW Insider: Dec. 20
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The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
With a day left before the current stopgap measure funding the federal government expires, the U.S. Senate advanced two bills to avert a shutdown and keep government open through the end of fiscal year 2020. Adam Mazmanian has more.
The Defense Department is combining electromagnetic spectrum and electronic warfare into a single strategy for 2020. Lauren C. Williams reports on what's next.
The Department of Transportation is leveraging a machine learning-based dashboard to help agency employees navigate its ocean of rules and regulations. Mark Rockwell takes a look.
The Postal Service still needs to improve ability to share international shipment data with Customs and Border Protection, according to an oversight report. Mark explains.
Quick Hits
*** The National Defense Authorization Act includes an addition to the Cyber Posture Review that requires the Pentagon to supply Congress with an assessment of the costs and benefits of setting up a cyber force as a uniformed service.
*** Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) announced he won't run for reelection. Meadows is ranking member of the Government Operations subcommittee of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. An influential conservative on Capitol Hill, Meadows co-founded and chaired the Freedom Caucus. He was also active in committee conducting oversight of IT and acquisition reform efforts.
*** Deputy Federal CIO Margie Graves is resigning, FCW has confirmed. She'll be leaving at the end of the year. Graves, a longtime career offiical, was the number two in the Office of the Chief information Office in the Office of Management and Budget in the Obama and Trump administrations. She previously served as deputy CIO in the Department of Homeland Security. The news was first reported by Federal News Network.
*** President Donald Trump announced plans to nominate Sethuraman Panchanathan to the post of director of the National Science Foundation. Panchanathan is executive vice president and the chief research and innovation officer at Arizona State University.
*** The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress unanimously passed a set of 16 recommendations designed to improve communications and collaboration. On the tech side, the recommendations include updating House procedures to let members add or remove their name to a bill as cosponsor electronically and to permit better social media communications between lawmakers and followers.