Policy

An agency-by-agency look at Trump's plan to overhaul government

The president-elect's vision will lead to sweeping changes at federal agencies and the employees who work in them.

Agencies have completed their pre-election transition briefings. Trump may still not get them on time.

The former president is still sidestepping the government's transition process, and if he wins that could cause roadblocks as he seeks to take control of agencies.

Trump and Musk want to create a government efficiency commission. It’s not a new idea

Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both spearheaded initiatives to reduce government waste and inefficiency, although they went about it in vastly different ways.

Officials across the country say they are confident in the integrity of the pending election

Those administering the election process are highly aware of a multitude of potential threats targeting the pending election but are also confident in their planning, sometimes years in the making.

Trump’s refusal, so far, to accept transition assistance creates ‘real risk,’ observers say

The Harris campaign has reached agreements with GSA and the White House on presidential transition preparations.

USDA wraps equity commission, vows to continue work 

The department will likely have to contend with anti-DEI efforts as it pursues this goal.

Congress averts a shutdown, setting up a lame duck fight in December

A stopgap funding bill is heading to Biden's desk as Congress staves off a pre-election shutdown.

Trump vows to establish an 'efficiency commission' with Elon Musk at the helm

The former president said the Tesla CEO has “agreed” to head up a task force aimed at cutting federal programs.

Both Harris and Trump are historically behind on presidential transition planning

GSA is beginning to provide office space and information technology support to the candidates, who have both just recently named the heads of their transition teams.

Watchdog urges OMB to prioritize implementation of anti-fraud recommendations

GAO updated the budget agency on the 172 recommendations that it has not completed.

House lawmakers press Meta over illicit drug ads

In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, lawmakers said they were “continuously concerned that Meta is not up to the task” of keeping ads for illegal drugs off of its sites.

A pair of new bills aim to reshape the Secret Service 

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., penned new legislation to shift the agency’s jurisdiction for investigating financial crimes and alter how it designates its protective perimeter in the wake of the Trump assassination attempt. 

Bipartisan bill pushes DHS to review terrorist risks from foreign-based mobile apps

The legislative proposal calls out several China- and Russia-tied apps for particular attention.

HHS reorg seeks to streamline tech, cyber policy

A new assistant secretary post will consolidate management of technology, data, AI and health IT.

Biden looks to preserve tech, cyber legacy with veto threat

Experts see continuity in tech policy from the Biden administration to a possible Kamala Harris presidency, with possible divergence on some national security and antitrust issues.

Senate DOOBIE Act would overlook past marijuana use in feds’ hiring, security clearances

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., argued “it's crucial that the federal government modernizes its hiring practices to reflect evolving laws and societal norms.”

White House announces almost $100M in commitments to expand pool of tech talent

Arati Prabhakar, the director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the government’s adoption of emerging capabilities “hinges on getting terrific people to come do this work.”