Congress

DHS ‘Doubling Down’ on Election Security Heading Into 2020

Under Congress’ budget deal, the Homeland Security Department will receive $33 million to combat foreign influence campaigns and defend election security in fiscal 2019.

  • By Frank Konkel

Latest Spending Deal Includes Almost $20 Billion for IT Programs

The spending bills include multimillion-dollar agency projects and governmentwide funding sources for IT modernization and cybersecurity.

  • By Aaron Boyd

The Problem With a ‘Smart’ Border Wall

To resolve Trump’s impasse, many lawmakers have proposed boosting surveillance technology to create a virtual border wall. Is that more humane and effective?

  • By Tanvi Misra, CityLab

GAO Urges Congress to Start Moving on a Privacy Law

Researchers recommended lawmakers give regulators more power to write rules and punish the companies that break them.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Why Our Government Leaders Must Take the Wheel on Self-Driving Vehicles in 2019—and How They Can Do it

Such vehicles will enable older adults, people with disabilities and people who are housebound to get around with greater ease.

  • By Gary Shapiro

Trump Says He’s ‘Extremely Unhappy’ With Spending Agreement, Still Predicts No Shutdown

Congressional leadership appears on board with the deal, though Trump would not commit to signing it.

  • By Eric Katz

Lawmakers Say They Have an Agreement to Avoid Another Shutdown

Negotiators say they have worked out disagreements on border spending, but they still have to win over Trump.

  • By Eric Katz

Lawmakers Propose a Rotational Program for Federal Cyber Workers

They also introduced bills to bolster counterterrorism efforts, stop robocallers and keep ZTE in check.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Lawmakers Push for the State Department to Help Secure Foreign Elections

Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Dan Sullivan resurrected a bill that would allow the agency to share information on election threat with foreign countries.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Trump Calls for Unity but Highlights Divisions That Sparked Shutdown

In his state of the union address, the president praised the work of some federal employees, criticized others for misbehavior.

  • By Eric Katz

27 Groups Call on Congress to Deny ‘Smart Wall’ Funding

Groups are speaking out against a congressional proposal to up spending on surveillance tech on the border.

  • By Frank Konkel

VA’s Health Record Overhaul Could Get Even More Expensive, Officials Say

The agency’s acting deputy secretary called the project’s $16 billion price-tag “an educated guess.”

  • By Jack Corrigan

Technology Legislation Slowly Crawling Forward

These bills could benefit the federal government's operations.

  • By John Breeden II

Senators Seek Pentagon Reassurance on Department’s Financial Audit

The bipartisan group is worried that the expanded duties of Defense CFO David Norquist could delay reports to Congress.

  • By Charles S. Clark

GPO Has No Disaster Recovery Plan for Its Tech, Watchdog Says

If its IT infrastructure is taken offline, the agency could lose access to critical data.

  • By Jack Corrigan

The Various Plans to Avert Future Government Shutdowns

Lawmakers have a lot of ideas to keep the government running, aside from passing spending bills on time.

  • By Erich Wagner

Freshman Lawmaker Will Oversee VA’s Multibillion-dollar EHR Overhaul

Rep. Susie Lee will lead the House Veterans Affairs Technology Modernization subcommittee.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Wall Funding Remains In Limbo But Both Sides Argue For Border Security Tech

Democrats and Republicans from both chambers of Congress said they want cutting-edge tech patrolling the border but GOP members of the conference committee say they want physical barrier funding, too.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Lawmaker: Congress Needs Fewer Committees with Cyber Oversight

Cybersecurity legislation won’t get anywhere if too many groups are weighing in, said Rep. Jim Langevin.

  • By Jack Corrigan

The Shutdown is Over

And one lawmaker wants to make sure it never happens again.

  • By Jack Corrigan