FCW Insider: June 17, 2021

Army modernization under scrutiny amid planned budget cuts

Lawmakers worry the Army's modernization efforts could be undermined by a flat budget proposal for fiscal 2022.

Interior plans year-round federal firefighter workforce

The permanent federal firefighting force should help combat a longer fire season, the department says.

ICYMI: DHS poised to remake federal hiring in September to confront cybersecurity gap

The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity Talent Management System has been years in the making, but officials say it will finally come online this fall.

Quick Hits

*** The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday unanimously reported President Joe Biden's nominees to be the national cyber director, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the head of the General Services Administration favorably to the full Senate. However, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he would place holds on all three nominations until Biden travels to the southern border. Scott has previously said he would also hold up the nominations for three senior roles at the Department of Homeland Security.

*** One of the strategies the new National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force is considering to spur innovation is to give AI researchers secure access to anonymous data the government collects – from vehicle sensors to health information -- and provide the computing power to analyze that data. GCN has more on this story.

*** General Dynamics IT has withdrawn its protest of a $2 billion U.S. Patent and Trademark Office contract, but the other protesters continue to object to the so-called BOSS vehicle. Read more in Washington Technology.