FCW Insider: Feb. 25

CIA nominee: Cyber threats are 'ever greater risk' for U.S. society

William Burns, the president's nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, said the SolarWinds attack was a "harsh wake-up call" about the country’s vulnerabilities in both critical infrastructure and supply chains.

Billions went to fraudulent unemployment claims in 2020, IG memo reports

Fraudulent unemployment benefit claims since March could end up costing tens of billions of dollars, the memo says.

Tanden's bid to lead OMB in doubt as Senate committees postpone votes

Democratic defections could hand President Biden his first rejection of a cabinet pick.

Shaping post-Trump workforce policy

Democrats in Congress are considering legislation on multiple workforce fronts, including the issue of limiting the president's authority to remake the civil service via executive order.

Quick Hits

*** President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday designed to shore up the security and resiliency of U.S. supply chains. The order looks to augment U.S. manufacturing capacity across a range of sectors, from silicon chips to medical supplies like the personal protective equipment (masks, gowns) that have been in short supply were in short supply at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The order includes mandatory multi-agency reports on supply chains including the development of software and associated technological services.

*** Another executive order from Biden revoked a Jan. 29, 2020 memo from former President Donald Trump that authorized the defense secretary curtail collective bargaining among civilian Defense Department workers. The policy was never put in place by DOD. The order revoked a number of other Trump executive actions.