Congress

Senators Urge Tech and Social Media Companies to Block 3D Printed Gun Files

Cody Wilson, with Defense Distributed, holds a 3D-printed gun called the Liberator at his shop, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, in Austin, Texas.

Will the tech giants step in?

  • By Caitlin Fairchild
Ajit Pai, chairman Federal Communications Commission, prepares to testify on Capitol Hill. Ajit Pai, chairman Federal Communications Commission, prepares to testify on Capitol Hill.

FCC Chief: I Was Between a Rock and a Hard Place on Debunked DDoS Claim

An inspector general determined last week the commission misattributed a commenting system outage during the net neutrality debate to a deliberate digital attack.

  • By Joseph Marks
Eugene Kaspersky, Russian antivirus programs developer and chief executive of Russia's Kaspersky Lab. Eugene Kaspersky, Russian antivirus programs developer and chief executive of Russia's Kaspersky Lab.

Kaspersky Appeal Hurtles Toward Courtroom Arguments

Lawyers for the government and the Russian anti-virus company have filed their last briefs before arguing before a judicial panel in September.

  • By Joseph Marks
Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., questions witnesses at a House Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing in 2014.  Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., questions witnesses at a House Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing in 2014. 

Lawmakers Call for Broad Changes at VA After Report of Mar-a-Lago Members’ Influence

One top committee member launches investigation into alleged undue policy-making involvement.

  • By Erich Wagner
ODNI Dan Coats speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House Aug. 2, as FBI Director Christopher Wray, NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen listen.  ODNI Dan Coats speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House Aug. 2, as FBI Director Christopher Wray, NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen listen. 

Cyberattacks Haven’t Stopped but Neither Have Bills to Fight Them

Top national security and intelligence leaders pledged to defend the country from foreign influence campaigns.

  • By Joseph Marks and Jack Corrigan

Senate Approves Spending Package with Pay Raise, Setting Up Fight With House

Trump told Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday a government shutdown would be "a great campaign issue," further complicating the prospects for a spending bill.

  • By Erich Wagner

The Government Needs Better Data to Stop Election Meddling

Tech companies must be more forthcoming as misinformation campaigns ramp up before the midterm elections, internet researchers said.

  • By Jack Corrigan
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.

Senators Say Modernization Fund Will Get Money When Congress Sees Data, Results

Conference negotiations between the House and Senate will be the last chance to add money to the Technology Modernization Fund without additional legislation.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Senators Want to Double Funding for Putting Commercial Drones in the Air

A bipartisan amendment would double 2019 funding for FAA’s efforts to integrate drones into national airspace.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Supply Chain Cybersecurity a Major Legislative Priority for House Homeland

The committee wants to broaden DHS’ authority to kick questionable contractors off government networks.

  • By Joseph Marks

The ACLU Used Amazon’s Facial Recognition And It Labelled Congress Members As Criminals

The ACLU is using this demonstration to call for a moratorium on police use of facial-recognition technology.

  • By Dave Gershgorn, Quartz
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

House Democrats Introduce Legislation to Protect Telework at Agencies

Bill would prohibit policies to reduce telework like those announced for Education and Agriculture departments.

  • By Erich Wagner

NDAA Conference: Congress Spares DISA, Bans Chinese Firms and Orders JEDI Review

Congress packed a lot of tech and cyber changes in the NDAA.

  • By Joseph Marks
People gather at the ZTE booth at the Mobile World Congress. People gather at the ZTE booth at the Mobile World Congress.

China Won and America Lost on ZTE, but Our Offensive Cyber is Super Awesome

Lawmakers also introduced bills to protect against drones and make sure you get texts about incoming missiles in this week’s bill watch.

  • By Joseph Marks and Jack Corrigan

Software Companies Push Senate to Weaken Lowest Price Contracting Rule

Making agencies prioritize the lowest price is leading to poor contracting choices, a software trade group says.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Government’s Cyber Monitoring Program Would Become Law Under House Bill

The bill also aims to prevent agencies from getting stuck with outdated technology.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Transferring Background Checks, Boosting Cyber Workforce Are Top Goals of Trump Government Reorg

A White House official was short on answers during a Senate hearing but said background checks and cyber workforce are a good place to start.

  • By Joseph Marks and Aaron Boyd

Bill to Block Feds' Personal Email, Social Media Access Advances

The bill would authorize agency leaders to block any website for cybersecurity reasons without negotiating with unions.

  • By Joseph Marks
Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas

Critical Update: Rep. Will Hurd Explains Why Everyone Should Care About Government Tech

For episode 5, Nextgov goes to Capitol Hill to talk with one of the most persistent voices on federal IT management and reform.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Smart TVs Are Tracking Viewers And These Lawmakers Are Concerned

Your TV knows just how many cooking shows you watch.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild