Biden Infrastructure/Jobs Bill Slides to June With Wide Differences May 28, 2021 | 10:01 am Action on the Biden administration’s $1.7 trillion infrastructure spending proposal that debuted in late March as the $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan is sliding well into June as the White House and Republican senators have traded offers and counteroffers on the legislation, but still remain deeply divided on the scope of the bill and its price tag. […]
White House Cyber Advisor Cites ‘Disappointment’ With Fed Network Hygiene May 27, 2021 | 4:20 pm Anne Neuberger, the White House deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies who is a driving force behind the Biden administration’s cybersecurity executive order issued earlier this month, today noted an initial “disappointment” with Federal network hygiene in a follow-up discussion about the broader aims of the order. […]
Matt Olsen Tapped for Key DoJ National Security Division Post May 26, 2021 | 2:12 pm President Biden announced today he plans to nominate Matt Olsen for Assistant Attorney General (AG) for the National Security Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ). […]
If You’re Not Vaccinated, Swipe Left May 24, 2021 | 11:48 am According to the White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials, dating sites like Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, and Badoo are adding features that are meant to encourage vaccinations. […]
Senate Commerce Advances Lander Nomination to Head OSTP May 20, 2021 | 4:04 pm In a short executive session today, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee advanced the nomination of Eric Lander to be the next director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). His nomination will now go to the full Senate for consideration. […]
Feds OK to Start Taking the Masks Off… Following Full Vaccinations May 18, 2021 | 1:46 pm Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated mask guidance released last week, the White House said fully vaccinated Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors to Federal buildings no longer have to wear masks. […]
Tech Sector Likes Cyber Order’s Enterprise-Wide View, Cloud Push May 13, 2021 | 3:42 pm Tech-sector reaction to the White House’s sweeping cybersecurity executive order issued May 12 came in largely positive today, with security technology makers particularly applauding the urgency of the administration’s plans, the enterprise-wide view that the order takes for improving security, and its actions to hasten the movement of Federal agencies to cloud services. […]
OMB Seeking Methods for Agencies to Deliver Services More Equitably May 7, 2021 | 3:44 pm The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking out methods to assess if Federal agency policies and actions equitably serve all eligible individuals – and specifically groups based on race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities, persons living in rural areas, and persons adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. […]
President Biden Calls Public Servants “Lifeblood” of Democracy May 5, 2021 | 11:16 am In recognition of Public Service Recognition Week – running from May 2-8 – President Biden issued a proclamation praising public servants at all levels of government and outlining his administration’s work to improve the Federal workforce. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden said public servants have “risen to the moment” and described them […]
Lawmakers Applaud TMF Payback Change; Tech Groups Crave Closer Role May 4, 2021 | 3:55 pm Technology leaders in Congress and industry groups with a stake in Federal IT both applauded the Biden administration’s move today to relax Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) payback requirements in order to quickly put $1 billion of new funding to work to shore up agency cyber defenses and upgrade critical systems. The change in traditional TMF […]
Congressional Witness Says Plum Book in Need of Modernization May 4, 2021 | 11:39 am The Plum Book, which lists all the positions appointed by the president, is currently released once every four years, but witnesses at a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing May 3 said that the publishing schedule hinders its effectiveness and needs to be modernized. […]
OMB Loosens TMF Repayment Terms, Asks for Projects by June 2 May 4, 2021 | 9:46 am The Biden administration has loosened repayment terms for at least a portion of the $1 billion of Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) money approved by Congress in March and is asking Federal agencies to submit proposals by June 2 as it looks to quickly parcel the funding out to projects that will improve cybersecurity and modernize high-priority systems, among other aims. […]
Biden Names Celeste Drake as First Made in America Director Apr 29, 2021 | 3:45 pm President Biden announced this week that Celeste Drake will serve as the first-ever director of the newly created Made in America Office at the White House. […]
Biden to Nominate Richmond for DOE Science Post, Harris for MSPB Chair Apr 29, 2021 | 1:37 pm President Biden plans to nominate Geraldine Richmond as Under Secretary for Science at the Department of Energy (DOE), and Cathy Harris as the nominee for Chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the White House announced April 28. […]
Biden Selects Heidi Shyu for DoD Research & Engineering Post Apr 28, 2021 | 12:15 pm President Biden intends to nominate Heidi Shyu, a former assistant secretary of the Army, to serve as the under secretary for research and engineering at the Department of Defense (DoD), the White House announced Wednesday. […]
Biden Signs EO to Boost Worker Organizing and Empowerment Apr 26, 2021 | 4:17 pm President Biden is signing an executive order (EO) today that will establish a task force for worker organizing and facilitate organizing across the country through an all-of-government approach to mobilizing Federal policies, programs, and practices. […]
Biden to Nominate Berhe, Hampshire for DoE, DoT Tech Posts Apr 23, 2021 | 1:34 pm President Biden announced plans for two key technology nominations on April 22, tapping Asmeret Berhe as nominee for director of the Office of Science at the Department of Energy (DoE), and Robert Hampshire as nominee for assistant secretary for research and technology at the Department of Transportation (DoT). […]
Senate Democrats Press OMB for ‘Flexible’ Use of TMF Funding Apr 22, 2021 | 4:16 pm Three Democratic senators today asked the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to take a “flexible” approach in deploying $1 billion of new Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) money for Federal agencies to use to improve their IT systems, including adjusting or removing requirements for agencies to reimburse the TMF with savings generated from projects that get money from the fund. […]
CDC Provides Federal Workforce COVID-19 Testing Guidance Apr 22, 2021 | 2:00 pm The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released COVID-19 testing guidance for Federal workplaces, including multiple testing strategies and information about different forms of testing, a CDC memo says. […]
White House, Bipartisan Senators Finding Common Ground in NSF R&D Bill Apr 21, 2021 | 4:23 pm The White House and a bipartisan group of senators are finding common ground in the Endless Frontier Act legislation introduced in the Senate today. […]
White House Nominates Stacey Dixon for Principal Deputy Director in ODNI Apr 21, 2021 | 4:06 pm President Biden intends to nominate Stacey Dixon, an intelligence community veteran and current deputy director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), to serve as the principal deputy director in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the White House announced today. […]
USDS Administrator Matt Cutts Stepping Down Apr 16, 2021 | 2:15 pm The U.S. Digital Service’s (USDS) Matt Cutts announced he is stepping down as the agency’s administrator in a self-authored Medium post this week. […]
Senate Panel Advances Nomination of Jason Miller for OMB Deputy Director Apr 14, 2021 | 10:33 am The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted today to approve the nomination of Jason Miller for deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), sending the nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote. […]
Reps. Connolly, Maloney Press OMB, GSA for TMF Project Plan Apr 13, 2021 | 4:43 pm Five members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee are pressing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop a plan for prioritizing tech projects that are ripe for tackling with the $1 billion provided to the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) under the American Rescue Plan Act. […]
Biden to Nominate Christy Abizaid as NCTC Director Apr 13, 2021 | 10:39 am The White House said President Biden plans to nominate Christy Abizaid to become director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) housed within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). […]
VA, NSF in Line for Big Increases Under Biden’s FY2022 Request Apr 9, 2021 | 3:14 pm President Biden’s fiscal year 2022 request for discretionary funding sent to Congress on April 9 would line up the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for substantial budget increases that include significant amounts for tech-related spending. […]
Biden FY22 Budget Request Seeks $500M for TMF, $750M ‘Reserve’ for IT Fixes Apr 9, 2021 | 2:42 pm The Biden administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 discretionary funding request submitted to Congress on April 9 features $1.25 billion of new requests that would be aimed at undertaking further Federal IT modernization efforts. […]
Reps. Connelly, Hice Urge Biden to Appoint MSPB Members Apr 8, 2021 | 1:40 pm With the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB) now having gone over four years without a quorum, Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Jody Hice, R-Ga., are urging President Biden to appoint new members or risk the board having to cease operations. […]
Biden to Nominate 18F Veteran Carnahan to Head GSA Apr 6, 2021 | 4:33 pm The White House said today that President Biden intends to nominate Robin Carnahan to become administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA). […]
Biden ‘Jobs’ Plan Targets Upgrades in Education Tech, VA, Fed Facilities Mar 31, 2021 | 4:28 pm President Biden’s $2 trillion American Jobs Plan released by the White House today takes aim at upgrading technology facilities at public K-12 schools and community colleges as part of a broad education investment plan worth more than $100 billion. […]