The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton The Impact Project expands its reach with a new Security Map that exposes threats facing public servants How lean can government get before essential services start to fail? GAO says the Coast Guard’s biggest shipbuilding program faces major design and cost risksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Coast Guard urgently needs 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters to replace aging ships, but GAO found serious challenges, from unstable designs to unclear cost baselines that put the $17 billion program at risk. Shelby Oakley, Director of Contracting and National Security Acquisitions at GAO, is here to break down the risks and what needs to change before Stage 3 ship construction begins.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal retirement processing has slowed substantially this year due to the Deferred Resignation program. As the Office of Personnel Management continues modernizing retirement systems, another application surge looms.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 moving to strip away the union rights of Transportation Security Administration employees for the second time this year. As part of its latest move, DHS would dissolve TSA’s collective bargaining agreement early next year. The union that represents TSA employees has vowed to fight this latest action in court. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me with the latest.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’s deferred resignation program helped lead to a massive and unexpected surge in retirement applications, now flooding the government’s retirement systems. But amid that application influx, the Office of Personnel Management has also rolled out a major effort to modernize the legacy federal retirement system. Many experts see the launch of OPM’s “online retirement application” as a long-awaited improvement. But with high retirement volumes, some remain wary of the timing. As part of her special report this week, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman gives us the details.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 Emily Murphy is here with her insights on how federal acquisition changed in 2025 and what’s likely to be coming in 2026 There are some hopeful signs of stability for the federal work force as retirement backlogs are easing, RIF protections are holding, and a modest 2026 payraise looks likely From NASA to CISA, she’s shaped the federal workforce for three decades, and now Elizabeth Kolmstetter is joining the ranks of NAPA FellowsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2025 brought major shifts in how the government buys, from centralization to the FAR rewrite. Emily Murphy, senior fellow at the George Mason University Baroni Center for Government Contracting, is here to look back at the lessons learned and ahead to the trends shaping acquisition in 2026.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees are seeing signs of stability. Retirement processing is improving, workforce protections are holding, and pay raise prospects are clearer. But with continuing resolutions and hiring freezes still in the mix, the path forward requires careful planning. Here with a look ahead is National Association of Retired Federal Employees Association, Vice President for Policy and Programs, John Hatton.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elizabeth Kolmstetter has led talent strategy across nine agencies, launched programs in engagement and analytics, and earned some of government’s highest honors. Now she's joining the ranks of Fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration. She joins me today to reflect on her career and the future of public administration.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drew Friedman, an investigative reporter for Federal News Network, dives into the Deferred Resignation Program that led to a staggering 150,000 federal employees leaving for paid leave. The surge in retirement applications overwhelmed government processing systems, revealing effects of HR understaffing and backlogs. Friedman also discusses challenges retirees faced, like application errors and delays causing financial hardship. Experts provide insights on how retirees can prepare for extended processing times amidst this unprecedented wave of retirements.