This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Tony Vegliante — chief human resources officer, USPS

Quick: What federal agency employs the highest percentage of veterans? No, it isn’t the Department of Veterans Affairs or any other DoD component, for that matter. It’s the U.S. Postal Service. Nearly one-quarter of its employees are veterans and nearly one-third of those veterans are disabled.

Joseph Petrillo — procurement attorney, Petrillo and Powell

One thing the government has more than enough of is rules and regulations to guide procurement. Sometimes they conflict. In one recent case, the VA was brought to task for buying at lowest prices from GSA Schedule contract holders. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses sued, saying they should have gotten preference. VA lost when the Government Accountablity Office decided the case, but won when VA appealed in court.

Jerry Brito — senior research fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

Representatives from 193 countries are meeting this month in Dubai to look at international telecom regulations. They’re considering the first major reforms in nearly 25 years. U.S. officials fear Internet freedoms could be at risk. Jerry Brito, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, has launched a site to encourage greater transparency at the World Conference on International Telecommunications.

Bob Litan — director of research, Bloomberg Government

A $4 trillion deficit-reduction package of spending cuts and tax increases isn’t going to cut it, according to a Bloomberg Government study, out today. The study looked at the nation’s debt-to-GDP ratio. It found $9 trillion to be a more realistic figure for restoring and sustaining fiscal stability.

Bloomberg Government is a pay website.

Stephen King — director of disability programs, Office of the Secretary of Defense

When it comes to hiring people with disabilities, the Pentagon wants to be a model for the rest of government. Disabled service members are leaving the military and looking to put their knowledge and expertise to work. What better place than at the Defense Department? Today DoD is honoring standout workers with disabilities.

MORE FROM THE FEDERAL DRIVE

DoD Report

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• Court ousts judge, shaving order in Fort Hood case

Cybersecurity Update

• New DARPA Program Seeks to Reveal Backdoors and Other Hidden Malicious Functionality in Commercial IT Devices
• Navy aims for accredited cybersecurity major

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