Congress
Rudd defends qualifications to lead NSA, Cyber Command at confirmation hearing
“For decades I have had the opportunity to be a leader, consumer, enabler, generator and integrator of the intelligence and operational capabilities of the NSA and Cyber Command,” INDOPACOM Deputy Commander Josh Rudd said.
House science committee to host hearing on National Quantum Initiative Act
The hearing will feature staff from several scientific agencies to evaluate the law’s progress and future.
Lawmakers worry over new rule that will allow sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China
A revised licensing review policy will allow Chinese firms to purchase Nvidia’s H200 chips, although some members of Congress say the move will embolden Beijing’s own AI ambitions.
Democrats question White House tech lead on how workforce churn will impact AI Action Plan
Several House lawmakers also worried over whether the Trump administration’s budget request for 2026 would fall short of the funding agencies need to successfully carry out the White House’s AI action plan.
Bill to improve government’s anti-fraud checks heads to Trump’s desk
House lawmakers passed a bipartisan proposal on Monday to give the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system permanent access to death records at the Social Security Administration.
Experts press for large‑scale US offensive cyber operations at House hearing
The U.S. will be “hamstrung” until it fully integrates cyber and computer network matters into its military doctrine, the head of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure said.
Trump administration gets less tech funding than requested in new bicameral bills
The fund that supports the U.S. DOGE Service would receive less than half of what was requested, and the bills do not include explicit reauthorization for the Technology Modernization Fund.
Sens. Young, Cantwell introduce National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization
The updated bill text adds multiple federal hubs to fund workforce growth and quantum technology research and development, as industry leaders hope for swift passage.
Chinese hackers targeted email systems of US congressional staff, people familiar say
The incident adds another chapter in a storied history of China’s cyber attempts to nab sensitive data from U.S. government systems.
Lawmakers expected to reintroduce quantum initiative authorization
Reauthorizing the National Quantum Initiative Act would support advanced quantum information sciences research across the federal government.
VA readies to restart EHR deployments in 2026, despite lingering lawmaker unease
VA and Oracle Health say the modernization project’s operational pause has allowed them to enhance the new software’s usability and effectiveness.
Senate confirms Ethan Klein to be fifth US CTO
In a sweeping nominee package, Klein was confirmed alongside Kirsten Davies to be DOD CIO and Pedro Allende to be DHS Undersecretary for Science and Technology.
Trump formally taps Joshua Rudd to lead NSA, Cyber Command
The nomination marks a turning point for the electronic surveillance and hacking teams that have been without a permanent leader for eight months.
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Sen. Cotton urges top White House cyber official to protect open-source software
A letter from the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee cites previous Nextgov/FCW reporting about a potential Russian backdoor into a Defense Department software suite.
House passes measure to help reduce federal software spending
For the second straight Congress, lawmakers in the lower chamber have advanced legislation to impose heightened transparency requirements on government software spending.
Rep. Garbarino ‘disappointed’ Senate hasn’t approved Trump’s CISA nominee
The House Homeland Security Committee chairman also questioned a recent FCC vote to reverse telecom security rules put in place after a major Chinese cyber intrusion.
Quantum cryptography implementation timelines must be shortened, industry CEO to tell Congress
A joint House hearing on Wednesday will examine how AI and quantum computing will impact current cybersecurity.
Lawmakers question VA health record’s costs and batched deployments
The agency is looking to deploy its new Oracle Health EHR near simultaneously at four Michigan medical facilities in April 2026.
Lawmaker looks to shake up VA’s software management
Legislation from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., prioritizes waste reduction when it comes to the roughly $1 billion that VA spends annually on software assets.
New bill seeks ‘phase-out’ of LiDAR tech tied to foreign adversaries
The ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said his new bill “takes a proactive, commonsense step to secure our supply chains, protect advanced technologies from compromise, enhance Americans’ security, and ensure these systems are built by trusted partners.”
Cyber takes back seat to immigration in global threats hearing
Witnesses briefly touched on concerns about encrypted messaging and the threat China poses in cyberspace, as well as efforts to protect infrastructure that supports the worldwide internet.
