FCW Insider: September 17, 2021

White House nominates John Sherman for DOD CIO

John Sherman was named DOD's principal deputy CIO in 2020 and has been acting in the CIO role since January.

How do Americans feel about federal tech?

A new survey digs into the public’s perceptions about federal IT, government services delivery and data privacy.

AFGE looks to block Cyber Command reserve program in NDAA

A proposed amendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to pilot a cybersecurity reserve force at the Department of Defense would weaken merit systems principles, according to the largest federal employee union.

House reconciliation bill includes nearly $800 million for CISA

The funding supports the implementation of President Joe Biden's May executive order on cybersecurity and workforce development.

Quick Hits

*** On Thursday the Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce released new guidelines for the rollout of the White House's vaccine requirement for feds. In a change from previous policy, agencies now must require documentation from feds on their vaccination status. The guidance also clarifies that the requirement covers feds currently working remotely, and it addresses the accommodations process for anyone exempt and the discipline process for anyone who is noncompliant.

*** President Joe Biden named Krista Boyd, currently chief counsel for oversight and policy on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, to serve as Inspector General at the Office of Personnel Management. In her role on the committee, Boyd helps conduct oversight of IG operations at agencies and helped lead the creation of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, a team of IGs examining federal spending on the COVID-19 pandemic.

*** Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) introduced a bill to eliminate the practice of State Department assignment restrictions, which Lieu and his co-sponsors say are often unfairly based on employees' ethnic backgrounds.

"The State Department's assignment restrictions policy is discriminatory, disproportionately impacts federal employees who can't trace their heritage to the Mayflower and directly undermines the Department's goal of promoting diversity and inclusion," Lieu said in a statement.

*** Cheryl Eliano, national vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees, was tapped by the Biden administration to serve on the Defense Business Board in FY2022. The union has long sought representation on this board, but Eliano's appointment is the first time a union leader has been asked to serve.