The Department of Defense (DoD) is grappling with escalating challenges that require innovative solutions, yet ongoing reliance on continuing resolutions (CR) for short-term funding and Congress’ failure to deliver timely budgets are hindering progress, according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. […]
The Peace Corps – an independent Federal agency that dispatches volunteers around the world – has made “significant progress” in enhancing its information security posture over the past year, but it is “falling short” of meeting what the White House defines as an “effective level of security.” […]
Members of Congress are looking for answers from both Federal agencies and U.S. telecommunications service providers following a report from the Wall Street Journal last week that says Chinese government hackers may have breached major U.S. phone and broadband companies’ wiretapping systems. […]
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., joined the Atlantic Council today for a discussion on the global risks facing the next president, but when it comes to ensuring that adequate AI regulation passes Congress, the senator said that no matter who wins, “don’t hold your breath.” […]
A new Senate bill is aiming to make taxpayers’ lives easier by requiring the Internal Revenue Service to create a dashboard that increases accessibility of online tax refund information by showing tax return backlogs and wait times. […]
A bipartisan pair of senators is pushing the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide more information on its efforts to advance quantum sensing technology – something the senators note is necessary to protect U.S. national security and outpace potential threats from China. […]
While it’s better to have short-term Federal government funding than to have none at all, a broad swath of Federal IT experts told MeriTalk this week that shorter-term congressional funding crimps agencies’ efforts to modernize their IT infrastructure and applications. […]
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., is calling on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to do more to combat the spread of election misinformation and disinformation, especially in the age of artificial intelligence. […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be required to develop and implement “tough” minimum cybersecurity standards for the healthcare sector under legislation introduced to the Senate on Thursday. […]
A bipartisan bill that would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to incorporate AI systems into the national vulnerability database won approval from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on Wednesday. […]
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Sept. 25 reintroduced the Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act – a bill designed to protect Federal employees during public health emergencies. […]
The Department of Defense (DoD) is making progress in reducing costs related to improper payments through its Advana centralized data and analytics platform, but the agency continues to struggle with some of its financial IT systems, a Government Accountability Office official said in testimony to House lawmakers this week. […]
While a senior CrowdStrike official issued blanket apologies to House lawmakers at a Sept. 24 subcommittee hearing for the widespread Windows outages sparked on July 19 by a faulty software update from the company, leaders of the House Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee positioned the CrowdStrike outage – and process improvements the company is undertaking to avoid any repeat performance – also as a teachable moment for all concerned. […]
Legislation introduced in the House on Wednesday aims to create a cybersecurity training program that will provide Federal scholarship support in exchange for two years of service with governments at all levels in cybersecurity roles. […]
The increasing prevalence of data localization laws around the world drew several angles of criticism at a Sept. 20 House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing, and a call from some witnesses for the U.S. to press harder for international leadership in technology laws and policy. […]
The House on Sept. 18 approved the Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhanced (FUTURE) Networks Act by a vote of 393-22. […]
With increasing threats to cyberspace in the era of rising authoritarianism and global competition, technology experts told members of Congress on Tuesday that the United States must increase its technology investments to combat digital authoritarianism. […]
Two key Federal workforce bills won approval from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) today. […]
The House of Representatives’ Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to release its report with AI policy recommendations by the end of the year, and Task Force Chair Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., previewed on Tuesday that the report will feature “some of the most comprehensive policy work that’s been done on AI by the legislative branch so far.” […]
Artificial intelligence and other automation technologies are essential for the Department of Defense (DoD) to maintain its technological edge over adversaries like China – but increasing the use of both of those will require more funding and leveraging of industry capabilities, witnesses said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Monday. […]
The House of Representatives returned from August recess on Monday and got to work passing key pieces of bipartisan legislation to bolster communications security and modernize Congress’ work. […]
Members of Congress are not happy with recent budget shortfalls at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as the budgets for its IT modernization projects continue to swell, with one lawmaker calling on the agency to “abandon” its electronic health record (EHR) system immediately. […]
Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., this week introduced the Healthcare Cybersecurity Act to require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on improving cybersecurity activities. […]
A bipartisan pair of representatives introduced the National Science Foundation (NSF) AI Education Act in the House last week, offering a companion to the Senate bill that was introduced earlier this year. […]
Select Federal financial regulatory agencies will be able to experiment with the use of artificial intelligence tools if a newly introduced bipartisan, bicameral bill is passed. […]
New bipartisan legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate how terrorist organizations use foreign mobile apps to recruit members, promote ideologies, and receive funding. […]
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted on Thursday to approve fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending legislation that includes $25 million in funding for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF). […]
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced a new bill on Tuesday that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use blockchain technology to improve how veterans receive their benefits and services. […]
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted today to advance the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Defense Appropriations Bill, paving the way for a full Senate vote on the funding measure designed to enhance national security, devote more funding to several hot-button tech areas, and provide servicemembers with a pay bump. […]
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) passed a House-led bill on Wednesday that would reauthorize the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) through 2030. […]