Federal Newscast

House Republicans demand fair compensation for more federal law enforcement

A letter addressed to the Office of Personnel Management points out discrepancies in how some law enforcement officers are classified for retirement purposes.

Michele Sandiford

September 14, 2026 11:17 am

< a min read

House Republicans are calling for fair compensation and benefits for more federal law enforcement personnel. A letter addressed to the Office of Personnel Management points out discrepancies in how some law enforcement officers are classified for retirement purposes. The GOP lawmakers are calling on OPM to review the benefits specifically for police officers at the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, as well as DoD's Force Protection Agency and personnel at the Federal Protective Service.
(House Republicans letter on fair compensation for federal law enforcement officers - Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas))

The Small Business Administration is promoting specific types of companies for entry into the 8(a) program. Prospective participants from defense-critical industries will receive a boost if they want to join the SBA's 8(a) program. SBA is promising to fast-track applications for companies providing products and services across 10 NAICS codes for capabilities like small arms ammunition and shipbuilding and repair. This focus is a part of the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains, expand production capacity and ensure that the military has a resilient industrial base. SBA recently enacted reforms to the business development and government contracting program, emphasizing merit-based considerations and eliminating "race-based admissions framework."
(SBA to prioritize defense-critical small firms in 8(a) program - Small Business Administration)

NASA took the first step to create the new Space Academy called for in President Donald Trump's August executive order. In a new request for information, the space agency is asking governors to submit ideas that describe how their state could support the new academy, including proposed locations, site readiness, estimated costs and partnership approaches. States have until Oct. 26 to respond to the RFI. The Trump administration set an aggressive deadline to break ground on the new location by 2027, educate the first 300 students in a temporary location by 2028 and fully open the academy by 2031.
(NASA opens process to choose space academy location - NASA)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is looking for a new chief information officer. CISA posted the CIO opening to USAJobs last week. The agency is taking applications through Sept. 23. CISA’s last permanent CIO, Bob Costello, stepped down to join the private sector earlier this year. The cyber agency has gone on a hiring spree this past summer, with roughly 250 prospective hires waiting in the wings as of this month.
(CISA accepting CIO job applications - USAJobs)

Federal job applicants should no longer have to answer a question about which executive orders are most meaningful to them. The Trump administration has been given seven days to comply with a federal judge's orders to stop using a so-called “loyalty question” on government job applications. The motion comes nearly a year after federal unions sued the administration over the added essay question. The lawsuit contends that the question aims to assess applicants’ “loyalty” to the Trump administration, violating the First Amendment.
(Stay motion in “loyalty question lawsuit” - AFGE et al v. Kupor)

House Intelligence Committee leaders want to strengthen the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. A bipartisan intelligence committee report recommends giving the director of national intelligence full budget authority over the intelligence community. The goal would be to strengthen the DNI role in line with the original vision of the 9/11 Commission. The DNI was created to serve as the president’s principal intelligence advisor and oversee other intelligence agencies. However, the ODNI’s effectiveness has been under scrutiny and the Trump administration has targeted the office for controversial workforce cuts.
(ODNI’s role, future still up for debate 25 years after 9/11 - Federal News Network)

The Air Force’s training command has rolled out a new strategy aimed at transforming its infrastructure into a “cohesive, AI-driven learning ecosystem.” The command plans to shut down outdated IT systems and move airmen to cloud-based learning platforms. It also seeks to use AI-enabled, personalized learning to reduce the time by 20% to train airmen in technical specialties. The strategy also calls for implementing intelligent scheduling tools to improve flight training. Teams across the command are now developing 90-day implementation plans.
(Air Force Training Command rolls out IT, data and AI guidance - Air Education and Training Command )

The Defense Department is expanding its program providing no-fee patent licenses to accelerate the delivery of innovative technologies from government laboratories. Launched in January, the so-called Defense Patent Holiday initially focused on advanced materials, batteries and unmanned systems. The Pentagon has since selected about 460 patents using an AI-enabled process, targeting technologies that could have both commercial and military applications. The department added another tranche of patents focused on microelectronics in July. It is now preparing to release its next batch of patents focused on biotechnology and biomanufacturing in January.
(DoD expands its Patent Holiday initiative - National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies for Defense conference )