By some estimates, fraudsters trick the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services out of $50 billion to $60 billion a year. A bipartisan group of senators says Congress needs to give the agency new tools to go after fraudsters. The bill is championed by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.). He chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Carper says the measure would let CMS get tougher on crime.

A provision tucked into the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the Defense Authorization bill would reshape how the Defense Department oversees technology. The committee wants to merge the DoD’s CIO with its deputy chief management officer. In his latest edition of Inside the Reporter’s Notebook, Federal News Radio’s Executive Editor Jason Miller tells us what’s behind the possible merger and other juicy tidbits he’s picked up over the last two weeks.

The Senate has confirmed Michael Froman to be the new head of the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He’ll replace Ron Kirk, who left the administration in February. Froman is facing a daunting load. There’s the Trans-Pacific Partnership to be negotiated and also the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership involving the European Union.

When it comes to selling technology to the military during tight budget times, officials say the industry needs to keep at least a couple things in mind. The new stuff needs to replace the old stuff, and if the product comes with a pitch for cost savings, it needs to save the government money “now.”

The cybersecurity profession needs manpower. According to a recent survey of software security professionals worldwide, cyber analysts, engineers, auditors and architects are most in demand. In response to this need, the (ISC)2 Foundation and Booz Allen Hamilton are launching a new program designed to train veterans in these roles. It’s called the USA Cyber Warrior Scholarship program.