FCW Insider: September 30, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
CDC, NASA consider apps to monitor employee vaccinations
CDC is considering a vaccine passport-type service to authenticate COVID-19 vaccine data on its employees and to supply proof of recent tests for traveling agency employees, while NASA is looking for a smartphone app that would allow its 18,000 employees to display their vaccination status when entering a NASA facility.
TSA head says more union rights coming to airport screeners
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want the agency to resolve longstanding compensation issues for the frontline Transportation Security Administration workforce.
CISA chief: Cyber incident reporting can't become a burden
Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, stressed the importance of cyber incident reporting, but said mandates should be careful of potentially overburdening companies -- and CISA -- with "reporting noise
A government IT 'public benefit corporation' works to benefit the public
Steve Kelman checks in with Nava on the efforts to balance profitable business and civic-minded federal contracting.
Quick Hits
*** House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Wednesday that she doesn't think the federal government will shut down Oct. 1 because of a lapse in appropriations. "I think we'll have a big vote tomorrow," Pelosi said. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday night that a continuing resolution through Dec. 3 would be voted on in the Senate on Thursday. A partial government shutdown is looming after Senate Republicans blocked a measure on Monday that aimed to address government funding and federal debt ceiling deadlines.
*** A bill introduced Wednesday by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) would keep agencies running during future shutdowns by automatically instituting a continuing resolution in the event of a lapse in appropriations.
*** The Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act, a bill backing inter-agency cybersecurity detail opportunities, passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a vote of 410-15. The House also passed the DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021 on a voice vote under suspension of the rules. That bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to maintain a daily, public-facing log of contract awards at or above $4 million, including those made with other than full competition.