Digital Government
Biden Expected to Unveil Full Budget Proposal Next Week, Without a Permanent OMB Director
A veteran Capitol Hill staffer has been serving as the acting head of the Office of Management and Budget.
Modernization
Senate Democrats Introduce Bill to Help State and Cities Modernize IT Systems
The bill would provide $120 million annually for seven years to fund tech teams and tech planning grants.
Digital Government
House Republicans Want China-Focused Bills Moved Through Regular Order
Committee ranking members signed a letter to Democratic leadership urging them to take advantage of the bipartisan support for passing legislation to boost U.S. innovation
Digital Government
Committee Moves Cabinet-level OSTP Director Nominee to Full Senate
The Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee voted to report Eric Lander’s nomination favorably, though Republican members were split.
Modernization
Libraries Eligible for Billions in Federal Funding to Improve Connectivity for Residents
The Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, announced by the Federal Communications Commission, will help libraries purchase laptops, Wi-Fi hot spots and more for patrons.
Cybersecurity
House Panel Passes Bill to Explore Bringing State and Local Cybersecurity Workers into CISA
The Homeland Security Committee cleared several bills to address cybersecurity following the attack on Colonial Pipeline.
Modernization
Federal CIO Says New IT Modernization Plan In the Works
The Biden administration will outline exactly what it “stands for” when it comes to IT delivery in government, Federal CIO Clare Martorana said.
Modernization
Senate Bill Would Improve Rural Broadband Investment
The bipartisan legislation would give local and state governments new financing options for broadband projects.
Artificial Intelligence
Bill to Address Chip Shortage Is Only the Beginning, Senator Says
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said more legislation is necessary to keep pace with adversaries.
Digital Government
Federal Agency Customer Experience Act Reintroduced in Senate
This is the third time a variation of the bill has been introduced.
Digital Government
Democratic Lawmakers Urge Biden to Act on Gender-Neutral Federal IDs
The administration promised to allow nonbinary and intersex people to get passports that reflect their gender identities. Rep. Ro Khanna told The 19th an executive order is a “good first step.”
Digital Government
FCC Creates Public Database to Track Compliance with New Robocall-Killing Program
Telephone service providers must implement the new STIR/SHAKEN framework by the end of June and certify compliance in a new publicly available database.
Ideas
The Cybersecurity Executive Order Is a Missed Opportunity
This executive order is designed to strengthen federal cybersecurity, not that of the private sector, including critical infrastructure providers.
Podcasts
Critical Update: Do You Know What’s In Your Software?
In the wake of several major cybersecurity incidents, the government wants to shore up its software supply chain. Two experts explain the merits of some approaches and why there’s no silver bullet.
Digital Government
3 Cabinet Secretaries on How Their Experiences Inform Their Leadership and Pandemic Response
Marcia Fudge, Jennifer Granholm and Gina Raimondo said they all had to staff up when they started running their agencies — but that it gave them a chance to diversify.
Artificial Intelligence
Senate Bills Aim to Grow Federal Tech-Ready Workforce—and the Government’s Transparency About its AI Use
Lawmakers moved to operationalize suggestions made by a Congressionally-mandated AI commission.
Cybersecurity
Pipeline Security Act Reintroduced in House
More than a dozen lawmakers have cosponsored the legislation following the Colonial Pipeline attack.
Ideas
Zero Trust or Bust
One primary consideration should drive implementation: who gets to see what content?
Digital Government
Will COVID Vaccines Be Required for Federal Contractors, and How Would a Mandate Be Enforced?
Increased vaccination rates and more people returning to the workplace raise these questions.
Cybersecurity