Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Taxpayers with Internal Revenue Service issues have a variety of options for dealing with the agency. Sometimes a face-to-face meeting is the best option. But that might not be possible or convenient for people far from an IRS office or who may have mobility challenges. Now the IRS is about to deploy a new option. Rob Northcutt, special adviser to the appeals operations office at the IRS, gives Federal Drive with Tom Temin the details.

The Defense Department has released some long-awaited rules to implement a new pay and personnel system for members of its cyber workforce. The regulations are still subject to some additional tailoring by the DoD organizations that actually do the hiring and firing, but they do offer a basic framework for what the department says will be a more flexible system for recruiting and retaining top talent. DoD Reporter Jared Serbu wrote about those rules in this weeks edition of the DoD Reporter's notebook. He shared the details with Federal News Radio's Jason Miller on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Homeland Security Department is trying to alleviate some of the growing concerns about where in the world commercial cybersecurity products are developed. DHS is adding more rigor to a governmentwide cybersecurity initiative around vendor supply chains. Kevin Cox, program manager of the continuous diagnostic and mitigation (CDM) program at DHS, tells Executive Editor Jason Miller about the new CDM supply chain risk management plan on Federal Drive with Tom Temin and what agencies should keep in mind as they are buying cybersecurity products and services.

The Congressional Budget Office found itself in an unwanted spotlight during the most recent debates over health care insurance legislation. Some Republican members of Congress criticized its findings. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said it might be time to do away with the CBO. Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin that getting rid of CBO would be unwise.

The Congressional Budget Office found itself in an unwanted spotlight during the most recent debates over health care insurance legislation. Some Republican members of Congress criticized its findings. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said it might be time to do away with the CBO. Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin that getting rid of CBO would be unwise.

There's clearly a long way to go before the devastation being wrought by Hurricane Harvey is finished. But when all is said and done, the recovery costs are guaranteed to be massive, and if history is any guide, a large share of those costs will be borne by the federal government. David Hawkings, senior editor at Roll Call, offers his take on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

When the flood waters clear down in Texas, the cleanup and repairs will begin. But sorting out storm damage from what may have already been there isn't always cut-and-dry. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is still paying for repairs related to two not-so-recent storms. John Roth, inspector general for the Homeland Security Department tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin what they're paying for.

In what one can only call a Friday news dump last week, the White House issued its formal direction to the Pentagon on how the military is supposed to implement the president's prior tweets, announcing a ban on transgender service. Some of the final details, most especially, what's going to to happen to transgender Americans who are already serving, are still up to the Pentagon. But President Donald Trump's transgender ban may have cost and readiness impacts. Federal News Radio's Scott Maucione has been looking into the costs associated with kicking out service members the military has already trained. He shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

In his weekly feature, the Reporters Notebook, Executive Editor Jason Miller writes about the steps the Army is taking to have the right people to protect its networks and data. He shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Support for nuclear powered electricity has waxed and waned in the U.S. ever since the first reactor came online in 1957. Today about 20 percent of the nation's power comes from nuclear generation. Under the Trump administration's all-of-the-above approach to energy, nuclear is getting a fresh look. Ed McGinnis, principal deputy assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the Energy Department, shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Veterans Affairs Department is facing a lawsuit over a multibillion dollar contract and the president threatening to shut the government down if there's no funding for the border wall. No wonder contractors are more nervous than ever. David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, offers his take on the latest in federal contracting on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

It might be 2 1/2 years away, but for the Census Bureau the 2020 decennial count is practically tomorrow. In fact, this month it's conducting the first segment of what it calls the End-to-End Census Test. Burton Reist, chief of decennial communications and stakeholder relations at the Census Bureau, shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Improving the customer experience has been a top priority for the Veterans Affairs Department. It's mapping out touch points where veterans might interact with the department and collecting feedback from them about those interactions. Brian Michael, general manager of Medallia's public sector practice, tells Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko on Federal Drive with Tom Temin how VA has been using surveys and feedback loops to learn more about the veteran population.

The 2020 Census faces jeopardy and with it decisions over more than a half-trillion-dollars in federal funding to states to say nothing about congressional apportionment. With less than three years until the start of the count and even less time until the run, the Census Project hopes to convince Congress to fully fund the Census Bureau and avoid a costly and inaccurate count. Federal News Radios Meredith Somers shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Monitoring the nation's vast infrastructure of utilities, electrical wires, pipelines and drilling operations requires sensors that can stand up to weather, extreme temperatures and pressures, and corrosive elements. The work of Paul Ohodnicke Jr., a materials scientist at the Energy Department's National Energy Technology Lab, has led to the development of sensors made of stuff that can withstand these harsh conditions. That work has earned him a finalist slot in this year's Service to America Medals program. He joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin.