Federal Drive with Tom Temin

From the DATA Act to the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, Congress finds itself involved in details of technology policy. Yet few professional staff members on Capitol Hill have formal technology backgrounds to help draft that legislation. A group called TechCongress is trying to address that problem by recruiting technology experts as Congressional Innovation Fellows. The program, now in its third year, is actively looking for candidates for the 2018 fellowship program. Travis Moore is the founder and director of TechCongress. He talked with Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu about the fellowship, and how it got started.

Congress lost at least a day because storms have given so many House members trouble returning to Washington. In the Senate, there is a new argument over State Department funding. For the latest on what you need to know what's happening on capitol hill, Roll Call Senior Editor David Hawkings.

A thaw in government-industry collaboration for acquisitions has never quite materialized. More than six years since the first so-called mythbusters memo from the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, the freeze at many agencies remains as deep as permafrost. But there are signs that the sheet of ice is starting to crack. In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, Executive Editor Jason Miller writes about reasons for hope that vendors and federal acquisition people can work together a little more effectively.

The National Background Investigations Bureau is coming up on its one-year anniversary, and with it a replacement for the beleaguered e-QIP system. Federal News Radio's Meredith Somers tells us more about clearance management and that stubborn applications backlog.

Using evidence to improve policy seems like a great idea. So how come it happens so rarely in government? Now a group called the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking aims to move data-based public policy from a random occurrence to a routine practice. Here with more on the group's 22 recommendations, Federal News Radio's Meredith Somers.

Last week was filled with developments affecting federal contractors, including progress, if you can call it that, on the budget front, people moving closer to key administration positions and fresh problems for background investigations. Alan Chvotkin, senior vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council, offers his take on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Employees at Housing and Urban Development will get their first close-up look at their agency's reform and restructuring plan tomorrow, when HUD holds an agencywide town hall meeting. While HUD leaders say the process in developing the draft plan has been inclusive, officials from the unions representing 8,000 employees say otherwise. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller explores the communication breakdown that is frustrating employees and leadership alike.

If federal cybersecurity has a bible, it's Special Publication 800-53, published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It contains hundreds of security controls organizations can adopt to keep their computers and data safer. Ron Ross, computer scientist and NIST fellow, discusses the fifth revision of 800-53 on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Defense Department won't quite get its 2018 funding on time. No real surprise. But top members of Congress are worried the delay this year has bigger implications considering recent developments in North Korea and the escalation in Afghanistan. Federal News Radio's Scott Maucione joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more.

Few have seen cybersecurity efforts from as many angles as one retired Brigadier General. After a long career in the Air Force leading cybersecurity operations and training programs, he was the first federal chief of information security officer. Gen. Greg Touhill joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss his long career in cybersecurity.

The Government Accountability Office said current vehicle data collection is happening, but the results are caught up in a regulatory no-mans-land. The Federal Trade Commission is in charge of consumer protection. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can regulate data from connected cars, but so far, its only decided to do so only for safety concerns. David Wise, director of physical infrastructure issues at GAO, joined Jared Serbu on Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss potential regulatory gaps.

The Senior Executive Service (SES) was designed to provide steady leadership during times of change and transition. But they need to be involved and active and engaged. Steve Shih, Deputy Associate Director for SES and Performance Management at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He told Federal News Radios Nicole Ogrysko most SESers know what theyre getting into during major agency transition - if top management lets them play a leading role.

Federal contractors may envision doom and gloom in the near future, but there is actually a lot for them to look forward to. Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners, told Federal News Radio's Eric White, not only is a shutdown unlikely, but it's about to become easier to work with the Federal Acquisition Service.

The economy is growing more mobile and more digital. But it brings the potential for more loss of personal information. Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate has awarded a grant to Northeastern University in Boston to develop a system for auditing and controlling P-I-I on connected devices. David Choffnes, assistant professor of computer and information science at Northeastern told Federal Drive with Tom Temin about the challenges involved.

BRAC is back. But this time, the Defense Department is trying to reframe its need for closing down and realigning bases. DoD is moving away from calling it a means of saving money. Now they're calling it a requirement for military readiness. Federal News Radios Scott Maucione reports.