The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Agencies officially have more leeway to fire federal employees who recently started a new job. That's after the Office of Personnel Management finalized changes to the federal probationary period. OPM says its final rule sets expectations for a high performing Federal workforce, but some say the OPM rule focuses on the wrong reforms for probationary employees. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman, got more from the Partnership for Public Services, Vice President of Government Affairs, Jenny Mattingly.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Department's fiscal 2026 budget request is down slightly from last year, but that's only part of the story. Pentagon officials decided to take a highly unusual approach this time and shift a portion of defense funding to the reconciliation bill that is still moving through Congress. Federal News Network's Anastasia Obis is reporting on this story.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 Over 300 NIH employees go public with their concerns about what's happening to that organization There are more new updates to the FAR--how do they all fit together? The person with the toughest job in Washington is the Senate ParliamentarianSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Watching leaders lose their jobs for opposing DOGE's efforts to terminate research programs at the National Institutes of Health could have demoralized the remaining staff. Instead, they mobilized. Over 300 of them signed their names publicly to an open letter to the NIH Director about their concerns. They're hoping to shine a light on the real impacts to patients and science. One of the people who signed that letter is Dr. Jenna Norton. She's here in her personal capacity to share more about the Bethesda Declaration and what she and her colleagues hope it accomplishes.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 is tackling the FAR update in small bites, and released another set up updates that include Parts 11 and 39. Here with insight into the new sections, how they fit with previous updates, and what is still to come... Senior Fellow at the George Mason University Baroni Center for Government Contracting, Emily Murphy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Senate works through the reconciliation megabill, what's in and out matters a lot to federal workers. Here with an update on those negotiations and other congressional happenings is WTOP's capitol hill correspondent Mitchell Miller.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The National Counterintelligence and Security Center is a relatively new organization within government, but the nominee to lead the center wants to make the NCSC the nerve center for us counterintelligence activities. Here with more details on the organization and the nominee is Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An IRS watchdog finds this year's tax filing season went smoothly despite recent staffing cuts, but it warns taxpayers may face challenges during next year's filing season. The IRS has lost more than a quarter of its employees under the Trump administration, and the agency also faces a lot more work if Congress passes the budget reconciliation bill. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman joins me with more. 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 Housing and Urban Development will soon transfer employees from its downtown DC office into the National Science Foundation's headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. HUD's move is expected to entirely displace close to 2000 NSF employees already working there. But so far, there's no plan on when the move will happen or where NSF will go next Here with more on this developing story is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman, 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 It's national insurance awareness day--time to do your summer insurance review There's new legal discussion about who might have standing as an "interested party" in bid protestsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.