The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

A short-term partial government shutdown is over after House lawmakers have reached a deal to fund much of the federal government. A majority of agencies now have funding through the end of the fiscal year. That’s except for the Department of Homeland Security. It’s under a two-week stopgap spending bill, buying lawmakers more time to negotiate additional guardrails on federal immigration operations. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the Open Government Partnership, an international initiative the U.S. helped create nearly 15 years ago. Administration officials say the OGP was ineffective and waste of money. But critics of the move say it’s another example of the Trump administration backsliding on transparency and accountability. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Thousands of Maryland jobs and millions in wages are tied to federal decisions. A new tool makes those consequences visible Emerging technologies are quickly becoming the backbone of national power ... but most leaders still aren’t trained to understand them Are federal programs doing enough to stop fraud before it happens?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Krach Institute is throwing open the doors to its Tech Diplomacy Academy, aiming to train leaders worldwide on the technologies reshaping security and freedom. We'll dig into why tech diplomacy has become essential, and how free societies can stay ahead as the stakes rise with the CEO of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, Michelle Giuda.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GAO found major gaps in anti-fraud practices across grants, contracts, and loans. Only one program of five examined met all nine leading safeguards. Hannah Padilla, Director, Financial Management and Assurance at GAO, explains where agencies must act first to strengthen oversight.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After early cuts at HHS and USAID translated into thousands of lost jobs and hundreds of millions in foregone wages, Maryland officials wanted a sharper view of what was happening. The result is a new modeling tool that lets policymakers see the impact of federal spending shifts at the county and agency level. Joining us to explain how it works is Ben Siegel, Deputy Comptroller of Maryland for Policy.See the dashboard here: https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/news/maryland-comptroller-and-smith-school-release-federal-spending-scenarios-and-dashboardSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Air Force has quietly eliminated all in-person and virtual hearings for Special Access Program (SAP) appeals, replacing them with a paper-only process. It's still unclear whether the Air Force will allow individuals to submit written responses instead of a personal appearance. It is also possible that decisions will rely entirely on existing security files, with no opportunity for individuals to respond, which would be a loss of due process. For more. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis spoke with Dan Meyer, partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC..See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to shift more of its health care workforce to facilities facing a growing veteran population. That’s the latest from the VA’s long-awaited agency reorganization. That also means drawing down staffing levels in places where the veteran population is shrinking. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman has more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Research shows Bayh‑Dole has fueled thousands of inventions, patents and startups, but disruptions like SBIR’s expiration and 8(a)’s turmoil are testing the system. Jere Glover and Joe Allen are here to explain how those shocks ripple into federal R&D, commercialization and long‑term competitiveness. Jere Glover serves as the Executive Director of the Small Business Technology Council. Joe Allen is Executive Director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GSA is moving quickly on multiple fronts from refreshing its major GWACs to gathering fresh data from VARs—signaling a continued shift toward tighter oversight of how agencies buy services and technology. At the same time, Treasury’s cancellation of its Booz Allen Hamilton contracts has raised new questions about how far that scrutiny will go across the government. We’ll sort out the implications for agencies and contractors with the president of the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.