Acquisition

VA delays rollout of new electronic health record

The scheduled March 28 launch of the agency's $16 billion health record system is being pushed back at least until the end of April.

Digital Government

Trump budget seeks $150M boost for TMF

Despite two consecutive years of congressional lowballing, the administration is looking to boost the Technology Modernization Fund with a $150 million addition in fiscal year 2021.

Modernization

Deputy secretary Jim Byrne out at VA

The number two official at the Department of Veterans Affairs was fired Feb. 3 by Secretary Robert Wilkie as the agency faces down a key milestone in a $16 billion tech project.

Modernization

High-tech communications aircraft crashes in Afghanistan

The U.S. military is investigating the cause of the crash of a highly specialized communications aircraft in Afghanistan's Ghazni Province.

People

Union presses to suspend ruling on workplace impeachment talk

An emergency motion would pause an Office of Special Counsel policy designed to tamp down federal workplace advocacy of impeachment.

Cybersecurity

Security clearance backlog continues to drop

Senate Intel leaders praised efforts by government to get its backlog of active security clearance adjudications under control, but want to see the system support more diversity.

Modernization

TSA's vision for self-screening comes into focus

The Transportation Security Administration is asking vendors to imagine technology and processes to allow air travel passengers to screen themselves.

Cybersecurity

CISA cautions on Iran threats

U.S. officials and cybersecurity experts are concerned that Iranian reprisals for the killing of Soleimani could take the form of attacks on U.S. networks or critical infrastructure.

Modernization

DOD seeks a quick end to Oracle's JEDI appeal

Microsoft won the Pentagon's $10 billion cloud deal, but Oracle is pushing ahead with claims that the requirements favored Amazon Web Services.

Cybersecurity

DHS maps out data sharing with Census Bureau

Data on travel, immigration and enforcement from the Department of Homeland Security will be used by the Census Bureau as part of a plan to determine the number of immigrants and non-citizens residing in the U.S. in the 2020 population count.

People

Pay raise, family leave become law

President Trump signed a defense policy bill and two funding bills that include some welcome news for federal employees.

People

Senate passes 2020 funding bills

With a day left before the current stopgap measure funding the federal government expires, the Senate advanced two bills to avert a shutdown and keep government open through the end of fiscal year 2020.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers seek answers on HUD's use of facial recognition

Responding to press accounts, a group of lawmakers want to know if the Department of Housing and Urban Development is supporting the use of biometric surveillance in public housing properties.

People

Pay raise, paid leave inch closer to reality

House and Senate votes push sought-after benefits one step closer to becoming law.

Digital Government

TMF gets $25 million boost in funding bill

The move increases the total capitalization of the IT modernization fund to $150 million.

People

Spending bill includes 3.1% pay raise for feds

A measure backed in a House-passed funding bill made its way into the final spending package.

Modernization

GAO frets about TMF payback, fees

The Technology Modernization Fund – the $125 million pool of no-year money appropriated to fast-track technology upgrades – has some potential operational problems, according to an oversight report.

Digital Government

Appropriators agree 'in principle' on 2020 funding

Details of a plan to avoid a shutdown will be hashed out over the weekend with bills coming for a vote next week, according to top lawmakers.

Acquisition

NDAA redesigns oversight of $20B in health record modernization

A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act reconfigures the existing DOD-VA Interagency Program Office to serve as a hub for interoperability and management issues as the two agencies progress in separate but linked implementations of commercial health records systems.

Digital Government

18F gets into defense and intel

The innovation squad turns its talents to technology and acquisition challenges facing defense and intelligence agencies.