Tom Temin

  • In today's Federal Newscast: The undersecretary of the Air Force said the failure to pass all 12 regular appropriations will have catastrophic effects on the DoD. Feds, who relocate for work, may soon have better coverage of their moving expenses. And National Institutes of Health's governmentwide acquisition contract, adds to its record-breaking number of bid protests.

    January 25, 2024
  • A contractor got into a pricing squeeze when the customer, in this case the Marine Corps, way underestimated the quantities for the services under the fixed-price contract. It learned what can happen when the legal proceedings get complicated.

    January 24, 2024
  • A new initiative from Health and Human Services seeks to improve preventative care in under-served communities. The HEROES Program will run through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). HEROES stands for Health Care Rewards to Achieve Improved Outcomes.

    January 24, 2024
  • Federal improper payments roll on and on, year after year. Among the most frustrating are fraudulent unemployment benefits, federal dollars that get spent by the states. Last fall, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that as much as 15% of pandemic-era unemployment spending went to fraudsters, or as much as $135 billion.

    January 24, 2024
  • In today's Federal Newscast: The Government Accountability Office is not impressed with the data used in some important security clearance decisions. The State Department is trying to get more mid-career professionals to join the Foreign Service. And the possibility of repealing Social Security's so-called 'evil twins" is closer than ever to the finish line.

    January 24, 2024
  • The U.S. Geological Survey has turned to quantum technology to help it with the next generation of challenges in geological science. It established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with a quantum company called Q-CTRL.

    January 23, 2024
  • Sort of lost in all the other activity in the last few months, is a Biden administration proposal to create a new Office of Management and Budget circular. The circular describes a centralized data management strategy to help agencies with acquisition decision-making.

    January 23, 2024
  • In today's Federal Newscast: The SEC has figured out how its official X account was hacked. The Technology Modernization Fund program management office has new temporary leadership. And the U.S. Navy gives birth to a new pregnancy policy.

    January 23, 2024
  • An organization that supports active duty service members has launched an initiative to make it easier when changing duty stations. The Military Family Advisory Network has partnered with some large retailers to give families a little something when they arrive at the new location.

    January 22, 2024
  • For better or worse, the Postal Service will replace its old local delivery trucks with a combination of gasoline and electric ones. It's a huge acquisition at nearly $10 billion. The program includes the acquisition of electric chargers, which require testing and evaluation. The USPS Office of Inspector General took a look and the Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked about it with Deputy Assistant IG Amanda Stafford. 

    January 22, 2024
  • That proverbial battered can. Well Congress has once again kicked it down Constitution Avenue. The latest continuing resolution keeps the government going until March 1 for some agencies and March 8 for others. For what has to happen next, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government's deputy news director. 

    January 22, 2024
  • In today's Federal Newscast: A District of Columbia federal judge has raised the False Claims Act fine against Gen Digital by $50 million. The Labor Department is trying to help agencies gain access to more disabled job candidates. And DoD has taken another step to make it easier for military retirees and dependents to renew their DoD-issued ID cards online.

    January 22, 2024
  • If the government needs something made, it is supposed to look for a small business to make it. If no small business exists, an agency can get a waiver from the Small Business Administration to have it made by any domestic company. But there is a problem with waivers.

    January 19, 2024
  • Armies in other parts of the world have called on the U.S. Army, and other armed forces, for platforms and ordnance. This as the U.S. military ponders its own supplies, readiness, and the overriding question of the capacity and resilience of the defense industrial supply base.

    January 19, 2024