A majority of the largest Federal agencies will have their inspector general (IG) offices involved in monitoring how agencies plan for and proceed with office reopening plans amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said today. […]
With no U.S.-based companies dominating the worldwide market for network equipment that underlies 5G wireless services, and with the U.S. in the midst of a years-long campaign to ban Chinese network equipment makers from U.S. and allies’ markets, perhaps the most important battle for the longer-term future of 5G network infrastructure is gearing up now in and near the halls of power in Washington, D.C. […]
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., released a statement today on the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) report that found the Public Buildings Service (PBS) did not always receive timely notice of positive COVID-19 test results from building occupants or provide timely notification of positive COVID-19 cases. […]
Following Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe’s decision to cancel scheduled election security briefings, Democratic House leaders wrote to his office asking to reschedule the regular, in-depth briefings instead of substituting them with written reports. […]
Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Bobby Rush, D-Ill., introduced a bill to mandate studies by the Department of Commerce and Federal Trade Commission on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and quantum computing. […]
With the billion-dollar Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investment in the HEROES Act stalled in Congress, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is saying “so far Congress, frankly, has failed” to provide agencies with the capital needed to overhaul legacy IT systems. […]
The Cyber Navigators Act, H.R. 8011, would provide additional election-specific IT support to provide help monitoring systems and digesting data from cybersecurity information sharing and analysis centers, said Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., one of the bills cosponsors. […]
New legislation introduced in the House by Reps. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., expands on Senate legislation passed earlier this year to plan for, develop, and grow Internet of Things (IoT) investments. […]
Reps. Scott Peters, D-Calif., Lucy McBath, D-Ga., Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Brian Fitzpatrick, D-Pa., introduced legislation August 21 to streamline COVID-19 data collection and management through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). […]
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has sent letters to the CEOs of four major technology companies asking that the firms take a variety of actions to put digital devices into the hands of students who lack the proper equipment to engage in online learning. […]
A new survey found that Federal chief data officers are showing signs of progress in implementing their new responsibilities, while challenges to the full scope of their missions remain. […]
In recent months, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has shifted its IT modernization priorities dramatically to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said. […]
In a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Democrat House Representatives are asking for a review of the Trump administration’s recent order to have hospital data on coronavirus be reported to a private contractor through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rather than through the CDC. […]
Education Department CIO Jason Gray told Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., that the agency does not have the necessary authorities from Congress to set up a working capital fund under the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act, but said if it received that authority the department would use the money exclusively to finance IT modernization projects. […]
Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced a bill to increase Federal investment in research and development (R&D) by $80 billion over nine years, and make “American Innovation Centers” in metropolitan areas the recipients of the funding. […]
A half-dozen technology-savvy individuals have been placed with members of Congress through TechCongress, a non-profit founded by a former Hill staffer in order to boost the legislative knowledge of the body on technology issues. […]
An April decision by the Federal Communications Commission to grant wireless service provider Ligado permission to operate in a spectrum band adjacent to spectrum that the Defense Department says is critical for GPS services is not reviewable under the Congressional Review Act, said the Government Accountability Office in an August 13 finding. […]
Leaders on spectrum issues both on and off the Hill praised the Department of Defense’s announcement to make additional mid-band spectrum available for commercial use, lauding the decision’s potential effects for industry and government. […]
To help universities protect COVID-19 research, Reps. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Frank Lucas, R-Okla., introduced legislation to give those universities and research institutions tools to protect from cyberattacks from foreign cyber actors. […]
House Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly, D-Va., asked Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Michael Rigas in an August 12 letter to explain the continuing postponement of the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). […]
Tasked by Congress with devising an approach to defend the nation in cyberspace, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission submitted its report in March, but Solarium staff said today that the plan for a crucial component of defending the nation in cyberspace is not yet complete. […]
Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced bipartisan legislation to streamline patient electronic health record (EHR) matching among healthcare providers using the United States Postal Service (USPS) address-formatting tool. […]
Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., have introduced legislation to expand the pool of communications service providers who could apply for Federal government funding to remove and replace network equipment made by firms the government judges to be “untrusted,” such as China-based Huawei and ZTE. […]
Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., James Lankford, R-Okla., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have introduced legislation that would require Federal agencies to maximize telework for Federal employees for the length of the COVID-19 public health emergency. […]
The Government Accountability Office has submitted a new report to Congress regarding facial recognition technology, but its primary recommendation from a 2013 report remains – update the consumer privacy framework. […]
Reps. Will Hurd, R-Texas, and Robin Kelly, D-Ill., have partnered with the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) to release a new report that calls for Federal investments into AI R&D. […]
Sen. Angus King Jr., I-Maine, defended the Cyberspace Solarium Commission’s key recommendation to create a Senate-confirmed National Cyber Director before his Senate colleagues on Tuesday, finding commonality with the subcommittee chair on the position. […]
When it comes to the security of sensitive information in the energy sector, collaboration between the Department of Energy, intelligence community, and private sector are foundational to these efforts, Senior Advisor at the Office of Policy for Cybersecurity, Energy Security, & Emergency Response Alexander Gates said. […]
The national security community of the United States has found itself in a conundrum in the last few years, warning other countries about the risks of the China-based company Huawei, but unable to provide an American alternative for 5G networks. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released its Mail-in Voting in 2020 Infrastructure Risk Assessment to help with risk management of critical election systems. […]