FCW Insider: June 24

Biden HR strategy features new agency 'talent teams'

New talent teams aimed at bettering hiring strategies are part of the Biden administration's multi-year strategy for the federal workforce, said OMB official on Tuesday.

Biden nominates MSPB vice chair

The agency has lacked a quorum since 2017 and currently faces a backlog of over 3,000 appeals

FBI director wants more cooperation from ransomware victims

The bureau is seeking new funding to support cyber investigations and its own internal cybersecurity, but it also wants help from industry.

Quick Hits

*** Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough told a Senate committee on Wednesday that a decision on when to continue deployments of the agency's new, commercial electronic health records system is expected by June 30, but shared some takeaways from an ongoing 12-week strategic review of the $16 billion, 10-year Electronic Health Record Modernization program.

"We think that we probably undervalued and underinvested in training and support to our team in the field and as they are going through the change of this process," McDonough said. "We also I think have identified some structural inefficiencies in headquarters and how we govern the projects so we will be changing that too."

McDonough also urged lawmakers to push for the confirmation of Donald Remy to serve as VA's deputy secretary. The EHRM project by statute is led by the deputy secretary, who directly supervises the program's executive director.

*** Robin Carnahan was confirmed by the Senate to serve as administrator of the General Services Administration on a voice vote on Wednesday.

*** Sen. Rick Scott blocked a Senate vote on the nomination of Jen Easterly to serve as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency at the Department of Homeland Security. Scott has indicated he'll lift the hold on the nomination once Vice President Kamala Harris makes her scheduled trip to the U.S.-Mexico border