Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Having finished the legislative equivalent of a colonoscopy, Congress can get down to more normal legislative business … if anything in this loony era can be considered normal. Who could have imagined a third pandemic relief bill, or what kinds of barricades should be put permanently around the fussy old capitol building. The Federal Drive spoke with WTOP capitol hill correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early presidents didn't produce documents to match the volume of late 20th and early 21st century presidents. But the legacy of those early executives remains crucial to your understanding of U.S. History. The Library of Congress recently completed a project to digitize and make publicly available the papers of the presidents from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge. For how they did the latest batch, Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to the Civil War and Reconstruction specialist in the Library's manuscript division, Michelle Krowl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several Democratic Senators have reintroduced a bill they tried in 2019. It would create a new office within the Small Business Administration called the Office of Emerging Markets. For what the new office would do and why, Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to one of the principal sponsor, Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Defense Department seems to be hitting the ground running in its COVID vaccination efforts, but it still has a long way to go until to inoculate all of its employees and dependents. The Pentagon has challenges with logistics and public relations even as it puts shots in arms. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione joined the Federal Drive with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Postal Service is making infrastructure the focus of its upcoming 10-year strategy. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says the agency will invest in package-sorting equipment and a new fleet of delivery trucks. This comes as USPS struggles with service delays, and a tough long-term financial outlook. For more on where the Postal Service can get the most out of its infrastructure investments, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the author of a recent study on this issue, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation President Robert Atkinson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A series of legislative actions over the last few years have failed to alleviate a ongoing problem for the military. Namely, ensuring that spouses of relocated service members can find good employment in the new duty station. Joining the Federal Drive with a review of the situation and some fresh recommendations, the founder and president of The National Military Spouse Network, Sue Hoppin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to information technology, the spending priorities contractors can expect from the Biden administration will look familiar. It's not as if artificial intelligence or cloud computing are going away. Joining the Federal Drive with highlights of its list of ten markets to watch, Bloomberg Government federal market analyst Laura Criste. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Veterans Health Administration is marking its 75th year. Now that Denis McDonough is confirmed as the new Veterans Affairs secretary, what will his overseers on Capitol Hill be most concerned with? For some answers we turn to the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Montana's Jon Tester (D-MT). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Armed Services Committee is organizing itself differently this year. It’s created a new panel focused on cybersecurity and innovation. Committee leaders say the new designation causes the need for staff and resources in those areas. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talks about these priorities with the chairman of the new Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems Subcommittee, Rhode Island Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal employees have reason to pay attention to budget reconciliation, again. House Democrats are drafting up reconciliation proposals right now that would advance President Biden's COVID-19 relief plan. Budget reconciliation hasn't always been good to federal employees. But one new proposal could help them, in a big way. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko has the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been over a year since the Agriculture Department tried to move some 550 employees at two of its major research bureaus from Washington to Kansas City. Few employees made the move. And two U-S-D-A research bureaus are still struggling to rebuild their workforces. New data from USDA shows the agencies have hired some new people over the last year. But the research bureaus are still missing about one-third of the workforce. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive to explain the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Air Force Association is actually older than the Air Force itself. As it celebrates 75 years in business, the Association deals with an Air Force facing a lot of challenges. Joining the Federal Drive with an update, the chair of the board of the Air Force Association, Gerald Murray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A nonprofit called Code For America seeks to improve government services through improved digital services. It's been at it since 2011. Here with the organization's latest priorities now that the Biden administration has taken over, Code For America's CEO Amanda Renteria. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Veterans Health Administration is marking 75 years as an agency, first withing the Veterans Administration and now in the Veterans Affairs Department. Veterans and health care have changed a lot since 1945, when the vast cohort started returning home from World War II. Joining the Federal Drive for a brief review, the VA's Acting Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Richard Stone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pentagon has been talking for years about integrating artificial intelligence into its systems. Now, the military services are getting new ways to actually buy and test AI technologies. DoD has just reached an agreement to help create a rapid procurement process for AI. It’s called “Tradewind.” Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu has details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices