The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The Senate voted to confirm several Trump administration nominees before leaving town over the weekend, including new national cyber director Sean Cairncross as the President's Principal Advisor on all things cybersecurity. Karen cross faces a raft of challenges as he enters the White House for more Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me now.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 Is the Air Force Budget Putting U.S. Airpower at Risk? The urgent challenges facing America’s defense manufacturing base and why the next crisis could find us dangerously unpreparedThe Pentagon’s supply chain has a blind spot and it could be a national security riskSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As global threats rise, the U.S. Air Force is facing a controversial crossroads. The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 budget proposes deep cuts to the F-35 fighter program and the cancellation of the E-7 Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, moves that a group of former Air Force chiefs of staff calls a “strategic blunder.” In a letter to Congress, the group warns that these reductions would shrink an already overstretched force and erode America’s ability to deter or win future conflicts. Here with more on their logic is one of the signers of that letter, Retired Air force lieutenant general Dave Deptula.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the U.S. races to resupply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition, cracks in the defense industrial base are becoming impossible to ignore. The new national security scorecard from Govini warns that decades of underinvestment and offshoring have left America vulnerable not just in Europe, but in any future conflict with China. Joining me to unpack the findings is Government Affairs Senior Vice President at Govini, Jeb Nedaner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Pentagon may not know who’s making the parts that make the parts. A new GAO report warns that foreign suppliers—often buried deep in the defense supply chain—pose serious risks to national security, especially when their presence goes undetected. Here to break down how these blind spots could leave the U.S. exposed and what the Department of Defense needs to do to fix it is Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, at GAO, Bill Russell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For months, the public has remained somewhat in the dark on how and where federal workforce reductions have taken place, and it will probably still take a while before there's a complete understanding of the Trump administration's workforce overhauls, but new numbers are beginning to paint a picture of how those changes have played out so far. Here with more 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.

As billions in new funding head toward the Federal Aviation Administration, industry experts are questioning whether the agency has the staffing and infrastructure to manage the procurement surge. Meanwhile, the president’s newly unveiled AI strategy is sending ripples through the contractor community, with PSC weighing its implications for innovation, compliance, and competitiveness. Here to unpack the details is 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.

The initial results are in for the pilot effort to improve the cloud security program known as FedRAMP, four vendors have crossed the finish line to receive low authorizations under FedRAMP, proving the faster process is working for more on how the General Services Administration plans to continue to improve FedRAMP, federal news networks executive editor Jason Miller joins me nowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal contracting is shifting fast—and small businesses are getting caught in the middle. Set-aside programs are stalling. Agencies are backing off. And contractors are left wondering: what happened? Billions of dollars in opportunities are on the line. Audrey Roofeh, CEO of Mariana Strategies, joins us to break down what’s changing, why it matters, and what small businesses need to watch for right now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For small businesses chasing federal contracts, the stakes are high—and the playing field isn’t always level. Bid protests have become a vital check on the system, offering smaller firms a way to challenge unfair awards and hold agencies accountable. But critics warn the process can be costly, slow, and ripe for abuse. As the federal government pushes for more equitable contracting, the question looms: is the protest system helping or hurting small business? Here with his insights is Partner at Haynes Boone, Zach Prince.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.