Coast Guard may soon have the first woman in uniform to lead a military branch

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• House lawmakers will take the first major step to change how the government processes applications for federal jobs. Oversight and Reform Committee members will mark up the Chance to Compete Act of 2022. The bill aims to reform federal recruitment by increasing the efficiency of the hiring process. For example, the bipartisan bill expands talent pools that agencies look at when hiring for government positions. Federal organizations, like the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, support the legislation, saying it will help the government improve transparency in hiring.

• House Democrats tell the Postal Service to go back to the drawing board on its cost analysis for electric vehicles. USPS agreed to share the analysis it’s been using to determine how many electric vehicles it will purchase. But House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said it’s time for the agency to start over. “It’s clear that the Post Office needs to go back to the drawing board.” Maloney specifically directed USPS to draft a new environmental impact study and a new cost estimate for electric vehicles. She also told USPS to “immediately renegotiate” a better price for electric vehicles with its vendor Oshkosh Defense, if the agency finds it’s being charged too much for them. (Federal News Network)

• Senate Republicans introduce a bill to bring back the Trump administration’s rule to repeal two old regulations for every new one added. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) introduced the bill. He said the bill will incentivize agencies to eliminate outdated and burdensome regulations as part of the rulemaking process. President Joe Biden repealed the Trump administration’s two-for-one executive order on his first day in office.

• Lawmakers are looking to bolster their own cyber defenses. New legislation would ensure the Department of Homeland Security shares timely cybersecurity information with cyber defenders in the House and Senate. The bill was introduced this week by members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. It would require DHS to set up an information sharing agreement with the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the House’s Chief Administrative Officer. Lawmakers said those offices currently face lengthy delays in getting info about cyber threats from the executive branch.

• Calling all cybersecurity leaders and experts: The National Institute of Standards and Technology is taking nominations for appointments to its federal advisory committees. That includes the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board. The committee recently released a report recommending the White House double down on its commitment to adopt zero trust security across the federal government. Other NIST boards include the Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, and the National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee.

• The former leader of DoD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program has lodged another lawsuit against the Defense Department. Katie Arrington previously sued the government for suspending her security clearance without giving her the information she’d need to appeal the decision. That case was settled out of court in January. The new suit alleges DoD hasn’t responded to requests for records about her suspension under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.

• The Coast Guard may soon have the first woman in uniform to lead a military branch. President Joe Biden tapped Admiral Linda Fagan as the next commandant of the Coast Guard. Fagan currently serves as the vice commandant. She spent the 36 last years in the Coast Guard, serving on all seven continents and on the service’s icebreaker, the Polar Star. If confirmed, Fagan will take over the leadership position in late May. She will succeed Adm. Karl Schultz who has been the top Coast Guard officer since 2018.

• The Navy said it’s investigating another fuel leak at Red Hill storage facility in Hawaii. The inquiry comes after a large spill last year contaminated drinking water in the surrounding areas. The latest leak is relatively small and response teams have completed recovery efforts. The Defense Department said it plans on closing Red Hill due to the health and environmental impacts.

• Price will remain a key factor under GSA’s schedule program. The General Services Administration plans to continue to review contractors’ prices as part of establishing or renewing schedule contracts. GSA made the decision not to apply Section 876 authorities to the schedule program, which would push price as an evaluation factor to only the task or delivery order level. Congress gave GSA this authority in the 2017 Defense Authorization bill. GSA first used Section 876 authorities for the ASTRO multiple-award contract and is planning on using it for the follow-on to the OASIS professional services contract.

• Upgrading IT security and improving government infrastructure are among top priorities in fiscal 2023 for the Government Accountability Office. At a House hearing on GAO’s budget request, Comptroller General Gene Dodaro outlined goals for the agency. GAO’s request comes out to just over $810 million. That’s an increase of $91 million over the agency’s actual budget for 2022. In addition to technology modernization, the budget request includes funding to examine science and technology developments, and assess federal efforts to establish a national cybersecurity strategy.

• The Veterans Affairs Department is expanding the number of websites using single sign-on for veterans accessing services. My HealtheVet is joining VA.gov and My VA Health in offering a consistent sign-in experience and an extra layer of security. VA said once you have an online account through VA.gov, users will be able to move seamlessly among the different sites without having to remember multiple usernames and passwords. For now, VA is not requiring the additional step of multi-factor authentication, but does recommend applying it for extra security.

• Federal employees and their kids can get a fresh download on sustainability during Earth Month. For the second in its series of speakers, the White House Council on Environmental Quality will host climate entertainer Bill Nye on Thursday April 28. That’s take-your-kids-to-work day and just before the end of Earth Month. The online event requires advanced registration, but will be recorded for viewing afterwards. Nye will be interviewed by Federal Chief Sustainability Officer Andrew Maycock.

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