Digital Government
GSA plans to optimize operations following cost-cutting, agency head says
GSA’s acting head Stephen Ehikian said “phase two” of the agency’s approach will prioritize becoming “much more efficient, much more effective and [with] much more of an eye towards our stakeholders, which is the American taxpayer.”
Justice pushes agencies to use AI-assisted translations, when offering them at all
The July 14 memo encourages agencies to determine which services would be better operated exclusively in English and to make use of AI where translations are needed.
Government is making moves on mobile drivers licenses, GSA administrator says
Login.gov is planning on adding mDLs by March of next year.
Social Security signals potential benefit disruptions this fall for those still getting paper checks
Over half a million people still get their Social Security benefits via paper checks. They’ll need a waiver by the end of September to continue to do so, SSA says.
Inside efforts to capture federal data after ‘the big takedown’
America’s Data Index aims to serve as a “weather forecast” on the state of government data.
Trump’s 'big, beautiful bill' directs Treasury to find a replacement for Direct File
The IRS debuted Direct File — which enabled taxpayers to file online with the agency for free — as a pilot in 2024 and it received largely positive reviews from those that used it.
VA is overlooking accessibility requirements when procuring IT, watchdog says
VA’s Office of Inspector General said the agency “did not establish a control environment that makes accessibility a priority” when it acquires new systems.
Portal of federal employment metrics to get a facelift, OPM announces
The announcement comes months after the removal of race and ethnicity data from the statistics about federal employees.
Mass layoffs likely to remain blocked, for now, thanks to a Supreme Court footnote
The Trump administration is cheering a SCOTUS ruling and its impact on the federal workforce, but attorneys on a key reduction-in-force case say its impact on feds is currently limited.
SSA head wants to beef up agency tech as it sheds thousands of staff
Some experts are skeptical that technology can make up for staffing losses in critical parts of the agency.
Lawmakers spar over DOGE as Republicans look to lock in cuts
Republicans again blocked an attempt to subpoena billionaire and former DOGE leader Elon Musk.
Lawmakers propose digital delivery option for GI Bill documents
Bipartisan legislation seeks to provide veterans and their beneficiaries with the ability to receive electronic correspondence about their GI Bill education benefits.
IRS isn’t sufficiently checking the performance of its identity proofing vendor
The identity validation service, ID.me, is the only option for taxpayers looking to access the more sensitive online services offered by the IRS.
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Civic tech leaders worry DOGE is ‘tarnishing’ its tools to improve government
USDS, the White House team DOGE took over in January, was a flagship civic tech organization. Six months later, civic tech is figuring out what’s next.
Trump guts Biden-era digital identity policies, citing false claims about immigrants
The rollback of policies that were intended to help counter fraud comes even as the Trump administration says that fighting fraud is a top priority.
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Direct File is 'beloved by its users,' internal IRS report says
The IRS is reportedly ending the Direct File, but a report obtained via the Freedom of Information Act says that 94% of users rated their experience as “excellent” or “above average.”
USDA wants to modernize farmer services, even as staffing cuts could hurt the effort
The department plans to digitize farmer-facing applications that are still on paper.
VA now has ‘100% visibility’ into its software license inventory, official says
Jeff VanBemmel, director of end user operations at VA’s Office of Information and Technology, told lawmakers that the department’s total inventory of software licenses includes 4,433 commercial off-the-shelf products and another 224 software-as-a-service offerings.
GSA, Salesforce agree to major Slack discounts for government
The General Service Administration announced another cost-savings offering through its OneGov effort.
Legislative watchdog rebuffs DOGE efforts to install on-site team
“DOGE’s attempted intrusion into an independent, nonpartisan legislative branch agency is a direct assault on our nation’s sacred separation of powers,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee.
SSA changes phone fraud policies after finding very little fraud
The change follows reporting by Nextgov/FCW about the policy and its contributions to a slowdown in retirement claims processing.
