Congress
Lawmakers propose electronic tracking system for federal grant applications
The legislation from Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., would also explore the use of artificial intelligence “to rapidly identify” duplicative or fraudulent grant applications.
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
House passes veterans’ package without EHR accountability measures
A spokesperson for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said measures related to the electronic health record system were removed from the legislation “due to a lack of political viability in both the House and Senate.”
Bipartisan quantum funding bill advances from committee
The Department of Energy Quantum Leadership Act of 2024 will head to the Senate floor as part of a push to continue federal investment into quantum computing research and development.
New TSA cyber rules leave lawmakers, industry hopeful for happy medium regulations
The agency argues its Nov. 8 proposed rulemaking will dually address the transportation industry’s regulation concerns while ensuring they’re suitably protected from hackers. Others want to wait and see.
Hackers nabbed emails between congressional staff and Library of Congress
Affected staff were notified Friday afternoon, according to an internal email. Capitol Hill communications with the Congressional Research Service frequently involve confidential legislative drafts or policies still in the brainstorming stage.
Lawmaker looks to improve SBA’s IT modernization after critical GAO review
A proposal from Rep. Nydia Velázquez would require that the Small Business Administration “establish and implement policies and procedures to govern information technology modernization projects.”
Senate confirms Biden’s ethics czar, who will remain under Trump
Senate Democrats use dwindling floor time to confirm a new head for the government's ethics office, with whom Trump administration often butted heads in his first term.
House AI Task Force wants to marry light touch regulations with sector-specific policy
Members of the bipartisan House AI Task Force discussed their priorities for artificial intelligence-focused legislation and how that might impact regulations.
Intelligence community briefed Congress on Chinese telecom intrusions
It’s believed the hackers, dubbed Salt Typhoon, accessed call records on numerous Americans, including officials and staff affiliated with President-elect Trump.
House Dems join push to create AI-focused civil rights offices across government
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., would require that federal agencies “utilizing, funding or overseeing AI” establish civil rights offices to address algorithmic bias.
UN cybercrime convention will ‘legitimize’ authoritarian nations’ cyber behavior, senators warn
The proposed treaty has ignited debate among officials, as it may offer adversaries a stronger voice in international discussions about cybersecurity and surveillance.
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Lawmakers want DOJ to create national human trafficking database
A new bipartisan House bill would incentivize law enforcement agencies to provide county-specific data on cases of human trafficking.
Bipartisan Senate duo seeks to push IRS customer service forward
The tax agency is already working on some of the items in the bill — like improving online accounts.
Lawmakers want government to promote use of digital IDs
Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., told Nextgov/FCW that he’s hoping to get his Improving Digital Identity Act included in the House AI Task Force’s list of recommended policy proposals.
VA officials say they can finish the digital GI Bill platform without more delays, cost overruns
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said the Department of Veterans Affairs is “batting zero” when it comes to finishing major IT modernization projects on time and within budget.
New bill seeks to mandate healthcare cybersecurity standards
The proposed legislation, which has the backing of the Department of Health and Human Services, would require the health agency to set and enforce cybersecurity standards for healthcare providers, clearinghouses and other industry players.
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.
House lawmakers question CrowdStrike exec over July IT outage
A major area of scrutiny was whether CrowdStrike’s flagship endpoint tool needed computer kernel access.
Exclusive
TMF at the tipping point
The government’s revolving fund to help agencies jumpstart IT modernization and cybersecurity projects is at a “critical juncture,” in terms of funding and congressional support, according to the General Services Administration, which administers the fund.
