Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• Big plans for workforce expansion at Customs and Border Protection
• Why we should be thinking about drone attacks in the US
• Why resolving the debt limit while also passing the reconciliation bill might be the next installment of Mission Impossible

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Small business advocates are sounding alarm bells over the Small Business Administration's fiscal 2026 budget request, the White House is proposing to eliminate several long standing programs that support the development of small businesses, including the Women's Business Centers, and score for more on the potential impact on small businesses if the Trump administration cuts funding for these programs. Federal News Network's Executive Editor Jason Miller talked to Bridget Weston, the CEO of Score.

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President Trump's Big Beautiful reconciliation bill moves to the Senate this week, but some senators are already voicing concerns about the impact of the House version's provisions on the deficit and what that means for raising the national debt limit. Here with insight on the negotiations and the calendar squeeze is Bloomberg Government's Congressional Reporter, Jack Fitzpatrick.

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The reconciliation bill includes $6.2 billion to increase staff at CBP. To make that happen, the agency has to address both retention and hiring challenges. Joining me to discuss CBP's new hiring portal and other HR strategies is CBP's Executive Director for Talent Management, Bob Simpson.

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Earlier this month, the White House announced it would consider drone strikes against Mexican drug cartels. Recent experience indicates those cartels likely have the capacity to respond in kind. Are we ready for such a scenario? Here with his insights on how we should be planning is Virginia National Guard State Judge Advocate, Carter Lee.

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The Trump administration is calling on agencies to hire federal employees more quickly, and soon it will ask candidates applying for federal jobs how they will adhere to its government efficiency agenda. The Office of Personnel Management rolled out a new governmentwide hiring plan last week, and Federal News Network's Jory Heckman is here with the highlights. 

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Commercial firms are already using AI to simplify procurement. While bringing that approach into DoD offers great promise, there are also some significant obstacles. A new paper from the National Defense Industrial Association's Emerging Technologies Institute offers some specific recommendations for balancing risks and benefits. Joining me with more details is ETI Associate Research Fellow, Wilson Miles.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• Using artificial intelligence to reduce DoD's procurement timelines
• New research speeds up quantum computing

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Quantum computers promise to speed calculations dramatically. But they’re so different from today’s computers that scientists need to figure out the best ways to feed them information to take full advantage. Emerging research from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory offers a new approach. Joining me with more details is Dr. Bo Peng.

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The widespread layoffs unfolding across the federal government present a prime opportunity for foreign spy agencies. The foundation for defense of democracies, recently uncovered a likely Chinese intelligence operation targeting former Feds through fake recruiting websites. For more on this scheme and what to watch out for Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday spoke with FDD, Senior Analyst for emerging threats, Max lesser.

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During the confirmation hearings of the Office of Management and Budget Director and Deputy Director for budget earlier this year, lawmakers pressed Russ Vought and Dan Bishop about whether they would comply with the Impoundment Control Act. The budget rules of the road require congressional approval if OMB decides not to spend money appropriated in law, while both Vought and Bishop promised to comply with the law. A new decision by the Government Accountability Office casts further doubt on whether OMB will follow the 1974 impoundment Control Act. For more on GAO's recent decision, Federal News Networks Executive Editor Jason Miller joins me.

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The Defense Department is wrapping up its what you did last week exercise, but it has one final ask of its civilian workforce, Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis is here with more.

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Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered immediate changes to the DoD household goods moving program, mainly to deal with the department's current struggles in implementing the new global household goods contract. But there's a new effort in the works that could make some significant changes to how often service members have to move in the first place. Hegseth is framing the latest initiative as a cost cutting move, but it could also offer members of the military more geographic stability in the coming years. Federal News Network's Jared Serbu joins me now with details 

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The Trump Administration has rescinded a rule related to the Hatch Act that now allows federal employees to wear campaign paraphernalia. That is only if the items are not in support of a person who is actively running for office. That may be confusing as potential candidates don't seem to ever stop campaigning in this era of influencer and branding. For some explanation of this move and what it could potentially mean for the Hatch Act overall, Federal News Network's Eric White spoke with Michael Fallings, Managing Partner at the law firm Tully Rinckey.

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Federal civilians already have a lot on their minds these days, including thinking about whether or not to take one of the retirement options on the table. The reconciliation bill in Congress could change your math and make you recalculate your estimated benefits. Joining us to lay out the factors is Thiago Glieger, a wealth adviser with RMG Advisers of Rockville, Maryland, a firm that specializes in federal employees.

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The protection of whistleblowers is a key tenet in our concept of government transparency and accountability, but that bargain seems pretty tenuous today. For more on the current environment and what might happen with a whistleblower complaint, Stephen Kohn joins me now.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• What whistleblowers should consider before filing a report
• How the reconciliation bill may impact federal employee retirement planning
• The Trump administration may be taking a hatchet to the Hatch Act

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President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Social Security Administration, says that he doesn’t anticipate widespread layoffs for the agencies workforce but he does expect employees to become more productive as SSA pursues artificial intelligence tools to streamline the work. The new SSA commissioner says AI tools will help the agency answer more phone calls, and that officials from the Department of Government Efficiency will lead these upgrades. Here with more, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman.

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The proposed cuts to federal benefits that House lawmakers have tee'd up are top of mind for many employees, but that’s not the only legislation on the table that could bring changes for the federal workforce. Democrats and Republicans have introduced legislation some of which would actually increase benefits for federal workers. Here with more details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.

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Finding safe, nurturing, affordable child care can be like searching for a unicorn, especially for people who work odd hours or live in child care deserts. An old program to solve this problem is making a comeback. Joining me with more details is the senior vice president at Cultural Care Au Pair, Natalie Jordan.

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More and more, veterans who seek behavioral health care have been referred by the Department of Veterans Affairs to community providers outside the VA. A new GAO report finds that many of these providers are not meeting basic process and training requirements. Here with more on these new findings is Director for health care issues at GAO, Sharon Silas.

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Government is the application of rules to organize a community. The rules help make processes predictable and consistent, but they can get in the way of innovation. A new book suggests that getting "UNruly" may be the key to success. Here to tell us what that means and how to do it is the author,

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• What to do when following the rules isn't enough
• GAO raises concerns about behavioral health services for veterans from community providers
• A different approach to child care

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There are lots of details to sort through in the thousand page reconciliation bill passed by the House after several late night sessions. This recess week will give agencies and analysts a chance to study the specifics before the Senate takes up the bill next week. Here with initial insights is the deputy news director for Bloomberg Government, Loren Duggan.

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Communities across the country are short firefighters, but people who want to become firefighters don't have a clear path to join up. A new national apprenticeship program aims to match supply with demand, and standardize the training and career path in the process. Joining me with more in the Director of Collective Bargaining for the International Association of Fire Fighters, Chris Lake.

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The Pentagon is shifting money away from permanent change of station costs, service member pay and benefits and infrastructure repairs to fund the southern border mission. With more on what that means for Pentagon missions and operations Federal News Network's Anastasia, Obis joins me now. 

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• A new program to standardize firefighter training
• The House finished the reconciliation bill before leaving town. What's next for the Big Beautiful Bill
• Rain, snow and gloom of night won't do it, but what might be keeping your letter carrier from their appointed rounds

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Being a junior letter carrier for the US Postal Service is a tough job--being supported by your supervisor helps make it better. The Postal Service has a plan to improve retention among pre-career employees. For an update on how that plan is working, the Deputy Assistant Inspector General of Finance, Pricing, and Human Capital at USPS, Rick Poland, shares his insights.

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The Energy Department headquarters is one of 11 federal properties the Trump administration is being urged to sell by the Public Buildings Reform Board, a small independent agency Congress created in 2016. The board and the Biden administration didn't always agree on how to downsize federal real estate, but its members say they're getting full support from the Trump administration. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has more. 

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The Defense Information Systems Agency is losing nearly 10% of its civilian workers as part of the Pentagon's broader effort to downsize its workforce. But DISA leaders say the downsizing is actually a chance to take a look at their priorities. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis has the details.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• A surprising haven for investment in the Department of Energy
• What the federal permit whisperers want you to know

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Getting environmental permits for major infrastructure projects can be its own heavy lift. As the Trump administration looks to increase projects that produce domestic mineral production, there's an organization that can make that easier and faster. Joining me with more on the work of the Permitting Council is Acting Executive Director, Manisha Patel.

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As the Trump administration cuts budgets and programs across the government, it has passed over a little known but highly effective program in the Department of Energy that catalyzes private investment in critical energy infrastructure. Here to tell us more about what's happening in the Loan Programs Office, Holland and Knight's Taite McDonald.

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The House narrowly passed its budget reconciliation bill early Thursday morning. In the process, lawmakers removed one of several provisions impacting federal retirement benefits, still several other proposals to cut benefits for feds remain in the bill as it now heads to the Senate. Here with more details is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.

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We begin this morning remembering the life of Congressman Gerry Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee who died yesterday morning. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last fall and said he would not seek re election next year. His colleagues are remembering him as a longtime advocate for the federal workforce and for modernizing government. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman is here with me now to speak more about Congressman Connolly's impact.

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The Transportation Security Administration has largely been spared from the deep workforce cuts happening in other parts of the government. But TSA's, new leader says the Trump administration is open to big reforms, including potential privatization. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me now.

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The most successful federal shared services initiative came more than 20 years ago. The Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management led the effort to consolidate the number of government wide payroll providers from 22 to four. As part of Federal News Networks's 25th anniversary celebration, the E-payroll consolidation initiative has been named a top moment in the last 25 years, and executive editor Jason Miller joins me to tell us why. 

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Americans want to know who makes the decisions about how much money the federal government spends and what it spends that money on, and right now it doesn't seem like they trust whoever that is with the checkbook. To answer these questions, Brookings' vice president and director of economic studies, Ben Harris, joins me now.

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Congressman Gerry Connolly made a big impact for his constituents in Congress, but he also made a big impact on the people who got to work with him every day. Here to share a glimpse into that daily environment is one of his former staffers, Wendy Ginsberg.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• The oversight system that is supposed to watch over federal spending
• An inside look at Congressman Gerry Connolly's career
• The perfect storm drove payroll consolidation to success

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In early executive orders centered on procurement, the Trump administration set due dates for agency and industry responses. Those assignments are due this week. Here with insights on what we might see in those papers is the Acting president of the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro

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The Department of Veterans Affairs is bringing back mandatory overtime for employees who process disability and Pension Claims. The VA is reducing a backlog of unprocessed claims, but Department officials say the extra hours are needed to complete this work more quickly. Some impacted VA employees say the mandatory overtime could lead to burnout federal news networks. Jory Heckman joins me with more. 

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The Office of Special Counsel says it thinks agencies should be able to fire their probationary employees for pretty much any reason and at any time. OSC s new opinion is a total reversal of its stance on this issue from just a few months ago, but attorneys representing fired probationary employees say that the OSC even issuing an opinion oversteps its authority, joining me with more Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. 

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The long-awaited Intellectual Property Guidebook was finally released last month. Although this project was started under the previous administration, It's especially timely as the Pentagon rethinks acquisition strategies that better support sustainment. Here to help us make sense of the 80-plus pages, Haynes Boone procurement attorney Dan Ramish.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• A new survey gives DoD some food for thought on acquisition reform
• Some big procurement homework assignments are due this week
• Tax and inflation rates may be more important that market volatility in your TSP

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A new survey from MITRE says that a majority of non-traditional defense contractors face barriers of inflexibility and complexity in the acquisition process. As DoD tries to bring more innovation and flexibility into its stable of contractors, what really needs to change to make this possible? The senior vice president and general manager for MITRE National Security Sector, Keoki Jackson joins me to answer that question.

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Today on The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• Resources to help make your career pivot in Virginia
• Staying on the right side of records retention laws
• Tax and inflation rates may be more important that market volatility in your TSP

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The stock market's current volatility might be spooking some TSP investors, but there are some other big issues that they should be considering as they consider how to allocate their funds. Certified financial planner Art Stein of Arthur Stein Financial joins me with how he thinks tax rates and inflation will affect the Thrift Savings Plan's various funds.

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Much of Virginia's economy relies on federal spending, whether through civilian agencies or military installations and operations. As that spending is reduced and federal workers and contractors in Virginia lose their jobs, the Commissioner of Virginia Works, want you to know about state resources that can help you pivot to new opportunities. Nicole Overly joins me now.

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The use of the signal app by senior leaders in the Trump administration has garnered plenty of attention...but was it illegal? One group suing the government says yes. Here to explain why is the interim director of American Oversight, Chioma Chukwu.

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