FCW Insider: May 14, 2021

CISA chief says cyber order is doable but will 'stretch the system'

The executive order, which was published Wednesday night, contains deadlines for CISA, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Management and Budget and other agencies to begin reworking the government's cybersecurity with some timelines as short as 30 days from its signing.

GSA plans new cloud buying vehicle to support modernization at all levels of government

The General Services Administration is soliciting feedback from industry on a planned new blanket purchase agreement to provide cloud infrastructure, storage, software and services to federal agencies and state and local governments.

VA expecting claims backlog to peak this summer

Recent additions to the backlog of veterans affected by Agent Orange are going to add to an expected spike in the backlog of pending benefits claims at the Veterans Benefits Administration, but agency officials are still aiming to get the levels closer to pre-pandemic numbers by the end of fiscal year 2022.

With Biden's equity agenda in play, experts talk about making procurement more inclusive

Government procurement practitioners discussed equity and procurement at the Code for America summit, as leaders across the federal enterprise look to measure and expand inclusiveness in public spending.

Quick Hits

*** The White House will release its full fiscal year 2022 budget request on May 27, an official confirmed to reporters on Thursday. In April the administration released its skinny budget for $1.5 trillion, with $769 billion in civilian agency spending and $753 billion in defense programs.

*** The Federal Aviation Administration needs to do more to identify critical skills gaps needed as the agency modernizes and faces changes in technology, according to a Government Accountability Office report.