FCW Insider: April 12, 2021

The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.

Biden's $1.5 trillion 2022 budget plan tilts spending toward civilian agencies

The administration is adding money to multiple tech modernization programs and removing the Overseas Contingency Account from the Defense Department request and folding in warfighting funds into the base budget.

SecDef plans new screening, training to weed out extremism

The Defense Department has ordered several personnel policy changes to address extremism in the military, ranging from updating intake questionnaires for recruits to training to prepare service members for potential targeting by extremist groups.

New OPM survey heralds rethink of federal job design

The new Federal Workforce Competency Initiative looks to update definitions of skills and abilities needed to are core competencies for different jobs.

Quick Hits

*** The White House is hosting corporate leaders on Monday for a "CEO Summit on Semiconductor and Supply Chain Resilience" to discuss the computer chip shortage that is disrupting auto production and other manufacturing in the United States. On the government side, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese will participate.

*** The Office of Naval Research has developed augmented and virtual reality tools to make it easier to train the Marines who help protect infantry by keeping an eye on the ground situation and calling in necessary air artillery, mortar and naval gunfire. GCN has more on this story.

*** Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) will chair a hearing of the Government Operations Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee on April 16 to talk about agency compliance with the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act.