Federal Newscast

Golden Dome defense initiative could cost $3.6 trillion over the next 20 years

The group Taxpayers for Common Sense argues the effort faces “insurmountable” technical hurdles that could prevent it from reliably defending the country.

Michele Sandiford

February 5, 2026 4:33 pm

< a min read

Taxpayers for Common Sense, a fiscal watchdog group, said the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative could cost as much as $3.6 trillion over the next 20 years, far exceeding the White House’s projected $175 billion. The group also argues the effort faces “insurmountable” technical hurdles that could prevent it from reliably defending the United States against nuclear threats. “Even under generous technical assumptions, the viability challenges facing Golden Dome are severe,” the report warns. Plus, the initiative could accelerate the nuclear arms race and complicate efforts to secure arms control agreements that reduce the nuclear threat.
(Golden Dome could cost taxpayers trillions and still fail - Taxpayers for Common Sense)

A bipartisan House bill would update a governmentwide supply chain security initiative. The Federal Acquisition Security Council (FASC) Improvement Act would move the FASC into the executive office of the president. The council was set up under a 2018 law to coordinate supply chain security efforts across government. But it has issued just one exclusion and removal order in the last five years. The new bill, which was passed by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday, would also give the council dedicated operational support to identify, investigate and remove high-risk foreign vendors and equipment across agencies.
(Bipartisan legislation to boost federal supply chain security passes committee - China Select Committee )

President Donald Trump and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said some EPA employees aren’t doing their jobs, are holding up administration policies or don’t exist. That’s been the justification for layoffs and cuts to the EPA workforce. But a nonprofit group is now suing the EPA for records that support its claims. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records that support the agency’s statements. Its lawsuit is over the agency’s nonresponse to the records request.
(PEER sues EPA after agency fails to produce evidence to back up Zeldin’s defamatory remarks against EPA staff - Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility)

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members took a big first step to reform the Technology Modernization Fund. The bill that established the TMF turned eight years old in December, and House lawmakers believe it's time for an update. Committee members took the first step to do that yesterday by passing the Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act. The bill requires agencies to pay back in full any loan from the TMF Board. Agencies would also have to develop an IT inventory to prioritize the systems that need to be modernized first, giving the TMF board a better idea of what investments are needed the most. The act now moves to the House for full consideration.
(House committee moves TMF reform bill forward - House Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has unanimously advanced a bill to remove college degree requirements for applicants to federal cybersecurity jobs. The bipartisan Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act aims to reduce barriers and open the doors to candidates from more diverse backgrounds. Lawmakers in support of the bill say it would help agencies recruit much-needed cyber expertise into government. The legislation now heads to the full House for further consideration.
(Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act - House Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

Federal employees may soon start seeing more support from Congress. A group of House and Senate lawmakers on Wednesday launched a new congressional caucus focused on reforms to the federal workforce. Lawmakers are partnering with federal unions and good government organizations, aiming to more cohesively advocate for federal employees. The caucus comes in opposition to a year of the Trump administration’s overhauls to the civil service and just ahead of even further changes for federal employees, like the imminent revival of Schedule F.
(Lawmakers form new caucus to advocate for federal workforce reforms - Federal News Network)

The CIA is shutting down one of its most publicly recognizable products. The spy agency says the World Factbook has been sunset. It started out as a classified, hard-copy publication in 1962. But in 1997, the CIA put the World Factbook online, where it saw millions of views every year. It provided almanac-style data about countries across the world and was often referenced by researchers, students and interested members of the public. The CIA didn’t say why it had decided to shut it down.
(Spotlighting the World Factbook as we bid a fond farewell - CIA)

Marco Rubio has one less job in the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is no longer serving as the acting head of the National Archives and Records Administration, a position he's held for nearly a year. A NARA spokesperson told Federal News Network that Rubio is no longer the acting archivist of the United States in compliance with the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. That law generally restricts acting officials to a 210-day limit carry out the duties of a Senate-confirmed position. Rubio still runs the State Department and is acting national security advisor.
(Marco Rubio has one less job in the Trump administration. - Federal News Network)

The General Services Administration is considering making vendors certify they are meeting the Trump administration's executive order focused on getting rid of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, requirements. GSA proposed an amendment to the System for Award Management Registration Requirements for Financial Assistance Recipients to better align the requirements with the EO and Justice Department guidance. GSA is seeking comments on whether this new collection requirement is necessary and whether it will have practical utility. Comments on the proposed change are due by March 30.
(GSA seeking to change SAM certification requirements - Federal Register)

As Congress tightens oversight of the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control initiative, Army leaders are telling industry not to “bring negativity” about the program to lawmakers. The final version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill caps the Army’s ability to obligate more than 50% of its funding for the NGC2 portfolio until the service submits a comprehensive report about the effort to the congressional defense committees. Meanwhile, acquisition leaders are warning industry not to criticize and complain about the program to lawmakers. ““Focus on yourself in the ecosystem and try to avoid being negative about competitors or current solutions. We have seen vendors bring negativity and interactions on Capitol Hill. I’ll be clear: for the Army, it’s a non-starter,” Michael Obadal, under secretary of the Army, said.
(Lawmakers cap NGC2 funding, Army warns industry not to ‘bring negativity’ to Congress - Federal News Network)