Retired Air Force Gen. Janet Wolfengarger joined Federal Drive to provide more details on the fourteen recommendations for DoD from the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services
About 100 House Democrats wrote to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), voicing their opposition over the president's four major proposed changes to federal retirement. The administration included the proposals in the fiscal 2018 budget proposal and would have a significant impact on both current and future federal employees and retirees.
Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney issued a memo detailing 59 data reporting and other requirements that either are no longer necessary, modified or paused as the first step to making the government more efficient.
Democrats and Republicans voiced their concern that EPA's 31 percent cut in funding for fiscal 2018 could do more harm than good, and leave states "holding the bag" for the federal agency.
Agency leaders are reviewing tens of thousands of comments from their employees and the public on ways to make government more effective and efficient. In speaking with their workforces about their ideas, most leaders say the focus has generally been on how the agency can better deliver the mission and services to the public, not on forthcoming personnel cuts.
Mallory Barg Bulman and Ron Sanders joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss the results of a joint study between the Partnership of Public Service and Booz Allen looking at what should happen when deputies are appointed to federal agencies.
Satellites have come a long way, but still have the potential to fail after reaching orbit. The Government Accountability Office decided to take a look at who or what is responsible for the mishaps. Christina Chaplain, director of acquisition and sourcing management issues at GAO, joined Federal Drive to discuss the results.
Industry and government both agree, without qualified people, America remains at risk in the cybersecurity wars. Rodney Peterson, director of the National Initiative on Cyber Security Education, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss his team's efforts
Zero tracking, limited oversight, and a loss of institutional knowledge all contributed to the Small Business Administration's failed VERA/VSIP program three years ago.
The Veterans Affairs Department once again needs congressional authority to transfer funds from one account to another to keep the Veterans Choice Program running for the rest of fiscal 2017. VA Secretary David Shulkin says the issue emphasizes the need to redesign the program, yet Congress has its concerns about the viability of Choice in the near and long term future.
Experts within the Defense Department are urging their fellow feds to follow the example of the entire government and understand that it's ok to fail.
Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee say the Pentagon pulled $15 billion worth of spending on technology projects under the national security system umbrella leading to less transparency and a poor FITARA grade.
The Office of Management and Budget is expected to release a new memo later this week, which will describe an initial review of existing requirements and reporting burdens that the administration believes agencies can scale back.
The House will pass the VA Accountability First and Whistleblower Protection Act, clearing the way for the President to sign the bill later this week. Some lawmakers and veterans service organizations see the bill's passage as a major win after years of debate over new accountability legislation. But federal employee groups say the bill would do more harm than good.
Change is no fun, especially for people in an organization like the Technology Transformation Service.