Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, introduced bipartisan legislation on July 27 that aims to cut through clutter in Federal government technology acquisition, and to beef up the government’s ranks of IT-related tech procurement specialists. […]

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The Senate today voted to approve the Chips and Science Act by a margin of 64-33, sending the bill to the House of Representatives for its consideration. If the House approves the legislation, President Biden is eager to sign the measure into law. […]

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The Senate voted today to limit further debate and move towards a final vote on a bill that includes the core technology-related items under USICA/COMPETES Act legislation that has been stalled in Congress for months. […]

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-NV, U.S. Senate

As the Federal government strives to grow the U.S. science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce to improve citizen service and strengthen the economy, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is ensuring Congress is also doing its part by working on legislation to boost America’s IT education and workforce. […]

MerITocracy

Two members of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus warned today against any broad Federal action that would interfere with the workings of volatile cryptocurrency markets, and voiced a go-slow approach about any move by the government to set up dollar-backed digital currency on its own. […]

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The fiscal year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) approved by the House late on July 14 by a vote of 329-101 picked up hundreds of other bills along the way as approved amendments, including numerous government tech-related legislative items ranging from long-sought Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) enhancements to a bill that would wrap Federal agency CIOs more tightly into agency planning processes. […]

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The House on July 12 approved by voice vote a bill that would provide surplus Federal government computer gear to educational institutions, veterans, individuals with disabilities, low-income individuals, students, or seniors in need. […]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo pleaded with congressional leadership today for quick action to approve COMPETES Act legislation – also known as the Bipartisan Innovation Act – that has been hung up for several weeks in a House-Senate conference committee. […]

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Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich. – joined by Reps. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., Mike Waltz, R-Fl., and Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio – introduced legislation on June 29 to address the nation’s semiconductor shortage by attempting to grow the sector’s workforce. […]

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on June 22 unanimously approved the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2023 to authorize funding, provide legal authorities, and enhance congressional oversight for the U.S. intelligence community (IC). […]

The Office of Majority Leader of the House of Representatives Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is pushing for Congress to better prioritize digital technologies and keep pace with the evolving world. […]

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The House Armed Services Committee voted on June 22 to approve the portion of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authored by the committee’s Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems. […]

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The House Appropriations Committee voted on June 22 to approve its fiscal year 2023 defense funding bill which totals $761 billion, up $32 billion – or about four percent – from the FY2022 level.   […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee on June 16 completed its markup of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and voted 23-3 to send the spending bill to the full Senate for consideration. […]

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., along with Christy Goldsmith Romero, a newly appointed commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), today urged Congress to provide regulatory clarity on the growing cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. […]

New bipartisan legislation from Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy., aims to create a complete regulatory framework for digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, but the senators emphasized today how the bill also addresses the cyber aspect of digital assets. […]

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In today’s edition of Countdown to MerITocracy, we’re taking a look at what may change for the better in the near-term U.S. outlook – how about having the government help recreate the U.S. semiconductor sector that mostly drifted overseas a generation ago – plus billions in Federal R&D funding that stands ready to be put to work in pending legislation in Congress. That money would flow through the National Science Foundation – whose director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan is a featured speaker at MerITocracy. […]

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The Senate late last week approved legislation that aims to increase the transparency of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Electronic Health Records Modernization (EHRM) program through regular reporting requirements. The Senate’s vote sends the bill to President Biden’s desk for a final signature. […]

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on May 25 voted to approve and send to the full Senate legislation that would tighten up oversight of Federal agency performance goals and publish more public data on the performance.gov website to help track how agencies are performing against those goals. […]

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