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People
The U.S. DOGE Service is still hiring
The hires are intended to fill what used to be the U.S. Digital Service after many employees there left or were laid off.
Digital Government
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.
People
Maryland already seeing ‘big impact’ from federal DOGE cuts
Cuts thus far in 2025 are hitting as hard as two years of federal sequestration cuts a decade ago, state Comptroller Brookie Lierman said. Maryland is now looking to further diversify its economy.
Digital Government
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.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers demand review of VA’s AI-driven contract cuts
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Angus King, I-Maine, said the use of AI to identify agency contracts for termination “adds an entire new level of unease connected to the decision-making, security, governance, and quality control of the entire process.”
Modernization
Democrats press Palantir about reported creation of IRS ‘mega-database’
The possible creation of a shareable, governmentwide database of Americans’ personal information would be a “surveillance nightmare,” 10 House and Senate Democrats wrote in a letter to the tech company.
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.
Artificial Intelligence
Democrats raise alarm over AI-driven contract cuts at VA
Connecticut Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said DOGE’s use of an AI tool resulted in the “wholesale slashing” of VA contracts.
Ideas
SecDef’s recipe for procurement: A dash of DOGE with a pinch of Obama
COMMENTARY | The Defense Department’s recent contracting directives are sweeping, but will they be successful?
Acquisition
GSA expands contract reviews to resellers
The General Services Administration is seeking price breakdowns and other information from 10 technology product suppliers as part of GSA's OneGov push to streamline procurement.
Modernization
Trump budget wants agencies to contribute unobligated funds to TMF
Here is what the budget request includes for the Technology Modernization Fund, Federal Citizen Services Fund and more.
People
Trump is planning to slash 107,000 federal jobs next year. See where
New details in the president's budget detail some of the proposed workforce reductions, though the final cuts will likely be steeper.
Policy
White House budget request includes $45 million in additional DOGE funding
The request would support an estimated 150 full time employees, 80% of whom would be paid out of agency reimbursements, rather than DOGE-specific funds.
Acquisition
Pentagon heightens scrutiny on IT, management consulting contracts
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's newest directive for the department zeroes in on providers of “system IT integration, implementation, or advisory services."
People
VA-based DOGE associate gets ‘the boot’ after publicly discussing his work
Sahil Lavingia detailed in a personal blog how the reality of hunting inefficiencies at the Department of Veterans Affairs was not what he had expected.
Defense
Pentagon orders civilian employees to submit money-saving ideas
It’s the last step in the "5 bullet points" weekly email exercise.
Updated
People
Booz Allen plans 7% workforce cut
The civil business is where Booz Allen will focus most of these layoffs as part of broader “resetting and restructuring” of that business, the company's CEO and finance chief told investors.
Acquisition
Industry awaits significant disruption as GSA works on contract takeovers
Contractors are watching for impacts to competition, market access and innovation.
People
New SSA chief praises DOGE for ‘making things better’
Frank Bisignano said he has no current plans to institute further reductions in force and hopes to use AI to make the historically sluggish Social Security disability determination processes move faster.
People