Policy
Section 702 renewal has support in Congress, but intelligence officials are leery of warrant measure
The disputed surveillance authority expires April 19, and the intelligence community is sending a full-court press to keep it from garnering significant privacy reforms.
OPM issues its final rule for Schedule F protections
The federal HR agency finalized its rule offering protections for career civil servants meant to safeguard against the potential reemergence of the Trump-era Schedule F policy.
US targets 6 to 8 month timeframe for new nations to join spyware pact
Six new countries joined the agreement last week, and the State Department was working behind the scenes to initially get more signed on.
US sanctions Kremlin-backed firms for operating network of fake news sites
The disinformation campaign was deployed in Fall 2022, and shows how Russia’s private sector easily works with the government on disinformation operations.
Lawmakers propose a new federal office to regulate workplace surveillance tech
The new bill from Reps. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., would also establish new employee rights and employer transparency rules around surveillance.
These agencies would make the biggest workforce gains in Biden's scaled back 2025 budget
Several agencies have particularly ambitious growth plans, while some are seeking cuts.
Biden's $1.67 trillion budget boosts tech, AI
The Biden administration’s FY2025 budget request provides agencies with $3 billion “to responsibly develop, test, procure and integrate transformative AI applications across the federal government.”
VA budget bill maintains EHR funding but imposes additional ‘reset’ oversight
The bipartisan FY24 budget package allocates over $1.3 billion for the agency’s new electronic health record system but makes 25% of that funding contingent on enhanced transparency around VA’s ongoing EHR “program reset.”
Biden admin to seek surveillance court blessing to renew Section 702 program through next year
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court will receive the White House filing next month.
Congress reaches fiscal 2024 funding deal, new stopgaps in hopes of averting shutdown
Lawmakers must act in a hastened and united fashion to pass the new CR before funding expires this week.
Civil liberties groups urge Congress to keep 702 measures out of upcoming funding votes
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire on April 19 unless reauthorized by Congress.
Chip manufacturers operational by 2030 will get priority in Commerce funding, secretary says
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that the agency intends to “maximize our impact in this decade.”
Section 702 renewal could pass in funding bill, sources say
Backers of 702 reauthorization in the House Intelligence committee will likely use recent news of classified intelligence gathered using the surveillance power as a way to convince colleagues to support its renewal.
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Proposal to broaden CBO’s access to government data gets legs in the House
The bill introduced in the House this week would exempt the Congressional Budget Office from data sharing restrictions in the Privacy Act.
OPM: Federal salaries won't be tied to private sector pay histories
Agencies can’t use non-federal salaries to help set pay for new or returning federal employees, under a new rule from the Office of Personnel Management.
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Congress averts shutdown, punts funding debate into March
Both the Senate and House approved a six-week stopgap on Thursday, just one day before a shutdown deadline.
Senate starts process to pass more stopgap funding measures to avoid a government shutdown
Facing a potential shutdown at the end of the week, Congress aims to push the deadlines into early March.
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