Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
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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Digital Government
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.”
Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
GSA, Salesforce agree to major Slack discounts for government
The General Service Administration announced another cost-savings offering through its OneGov effort.
Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
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.
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Digital Government
DOGE went looking for phone fraud at SSA — and found almost none
Since SSA installed new anti-fraud checks on claims made over the phone, only two claims out of over 110,000 were found to likely be fraudulent, according to internal documents obtained by Nextgov/FCW.
Digital Government
Republicans want Treasury to study free tax filing options — again
The reconciliation text being considered by the House Ways and Means Committee includes $15 million for the IRS to study how to give Americans free ways to file their taxes that would replace both the Free File and Direct File programs.
Digital Government
Federal retirement applications to go fully electronic next month
DOGE has touted the announcement as a win, but development and testing for the new Online Retirement Application began under the previous administration, per past budget requests.
Digital Government
Senate Dems press HHS over cuts to suicide lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth program
A leaked HHS FY26 budget proposal includes a measure to defund the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services pilot program.
Digital Government
Here are the tech takeaways from Trump’s budget proposal
The White House has suggested sweeping reductions to many civilian agencies, though it promises to maintain investments in emerging technologies.
Digital Government
Transportation consolidates IT personnel and decision-making
Two memos document a new organizational structure that establishes the CIO as the point person for all IT activity across the agency’s various subcomponents.
Digital Government
DOGE is building a ‘master database’ of sensitive information, top Oversight Democrat says
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is calling on the Social Security Administration’s watchdog to investigate whistleblower claims that the efficiency team is compiling potentially sensitive data across several government agencies.
Digital Government
Trump ‘anti-fraud’ memo could allow SSA to stop paying some Americans’ earned benefits
The document’s publication comes just days after reports that DOGE operatives overruled career workers to falsely label thousands of immigrants as dead.
Digital Government
State-level DOGE work gathers speed
Oklahoma’s new government efficiency unit issued a report on what it has found to cut, while Iowa’s first-in-the-nation effort held its inaugural meeting. But experts say efficiency isn’t just about cutting spending.
Digital Government