Policy

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. 

People

'Fire every single mid-level bureaucrat': Vance on federal employees

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, has been at the center of GOP efforts in Congress to “dismantle” diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federal agencies, and has suggested that if Trump wins re-election, he should fire “every mid-level bureaucrat” in government.

Updated Policy

How federal agencies are responding to the Trump assassination attempt

FBI, Secret Service and others are taking a lead role and deploying personnel in response to Saturday's shooting.

Artificial Intelligence

House lawmakers push measure to limit impact of deceptive AI on elections

The legislation would apply to AI-generated election content that is designed to interfere with voting in federal, state or local contests.

People

The major takeaways for federal employees from the first presidential debate

President Biden and former President Trump clashed over the role of government and their vision for how to manage agencies.

Digital Government

Senate Dems call for an update on vote.gov improvements

More than a dozen Democratic senators signed a letter to the General Services Administration asking for an update on the agency’s work to modernize the government’s voting information platform.

Cybersecurity

Former CISA chief warns of ‘very chaotic environment’ ahead of midterms

Chris Krebs said those hoping to undermine confidence in U.S. elections may have their best shot yet during this week’s midterm vote.

Policy

What would a GOP takeover of the House mean for the Oversight Committee? 

The chair-in-waiting for the once “sleepy” committee would like to investigate COVID-19’s origins, the Biden administration’s border policies and the president’s family members. 

Acquisition

IRS tech, CISA funding in Build Back Better

An effort to put $3.5 billion into key governmentwide tech modernization accounts appears to have come up short in the Build Back Better bill, but there's still a lot of technology spending on the table.

Acquisition

Christopher Krebs: Truth and consequences

Krebs spent 2020 working furiously to ensure the integrity of our elections, while also ensuring that ransomware, software supply-chain vulnerabilities and a range of other rapidly escalating risks didn't cripple government operations or the nation's critical infrastructure.

People

Few agencies sought Schedule F conversions

In the waning days of the Trump administration, only a relative handful out of hundreds of eligible agencies and department responded to an executive order that looked to reclassify vast swathes of the federal civil service as at-will employees.

Acquisition

Lawmakers reach bipartisan deal to probe Jan. 6 attack

The proposed commission would have investigative and subpoena powers and would hold hearings to produce a report by the end of 2021.

People

OPM details pandemic emergency paid leave program

This special leave will be available through the end of the fiscal year or until the $570 million fund is exhausted, OPM documents say.

Digital Government

NIST framework focuses on election cybersecurity

The new draft framework combining election security and cybersecurity is the first of its kind for NIST.

Digital Government

IC: Foreign actors tried to affect U.S. election via influence campaigns, but not by hacking

The intelligence community's newly declassified report largely concludes Russia attempted to meddle in the U.S. election through influence operations but did not attempt the kinds of cyberattacks observed in 2016.

Digital Government

Biden looks to expand time off for feds to vote

An executive order issued Sunday on voting access includes a directive to the Office of Personnel Management to support federal employees looking to vote or serve as poll workers or observers during elections.

People

With Tanden out, top House Dems push Young for budget director

The House Speaker her and top lieutenants are pressing for the nomination of Shalanda Young to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

People

Manchin's opposition could sink OMB nominee

President Biden's pick of Neera Tanden's to head the Office of Management and Budget is in peril after a powerful centrist Democrat has announced his plan to vote no on the nomination.