People
Plankey withdraws nomination to lead CISA
It’s not clear who Trump will tap to lead the cyberdefense agency following Plankey's withdrawal.
Emerging Tech
US needs to flesh out strategy to counter China’s robotics advances, lawmakers say
“We can and still must lead in the field of robotics, but to achieve that goal, we need a concerted national effort to support innovation across the full robotics system,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said.
Modernization
House FY27 VA funding bill allocates $3.4B for EHR rollout
The measure, which was voted out of the House Appropriations Committee, withholds 25% of the funds for the EHR modernization project until July 1, 2027, contingent upon VA providing lawmakers with additional information and meeting performance requirements.
Emerging Tech
AI capabilities are needed to counter drone threats, senator says
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said the use of drones has changed modern conflicts and the U.S. needs to respond to this shifting environment by better leveraging artificial intelligence.
Digital Government
Sessions introduces bill to set up a new Treasury fraud watchdog
The proposal from the co-chair of the House DOGE Caucus comes after President Donald Trump fired nearly 20 agency inspectors general last year.
Policy
Senate passes 10-day FISA extension after House revolt sinks long-term deal
The short-term patch was cleared by unanimous consent hours after the House sank a five-year proposal and had to pivot to the 10-day stopgap. It now goes to President Donald Trump’s desk.
Policy
House passes 10-day FISA extension after prospects of long-term deal collapse
The short-term patch was cleared via unanimous consent after opposition from many Democrats and GOP hardliners sank a 5-year proposal with reforms not satisfactory to privacy advocates.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is helping VA speed up claims processing, but Dems worry about errors
“Speed does not equal success,” Rep. Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y., said about VA’s use of automation and AI to process veterans’ benefits claims.
Policy
House readies vote to renew FISA 702 without a warrant amendment
GOP leadership is confronting a possible shortfall in support.
Emerging Tech
Senate committee approves quantum reauthorization bill with 7 amendments
A markup in the Senate Commerce Committee outfitted the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act to support near-term quantum application development, cybersecurity migration timelines and scaling testbeds for quantum sciences and technologies.
Policy
Judge renews procedures for 702 surveillance program that could soon lapse
The program still requires reauthorization from Congress, and the judge notably took issue with how spy agencies use filtering tools to sift through raw data collected by the program.
Policy
Former national security officials urge Congress to renew Section 702 before expiration
The surveillance program lapses April 19 unless renewed by Congress. The Trump administration is asking for a clean, 18-month extension.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmaker looks to award grants for veteran suicide prevention AI models
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., told Nextgov/FCW that he wants to provide grant funding to figure out which risks “are the ones that we should be paying attention to most closely that contribute to incidents of suicide.”
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers question VPN impact on Americans' FISA surveillance protections
Democrats from both chambers sent a letter questioning the impacts to the Director of National Intelligence as Congress faces a deadline to renew FISA Section 702, which allows warrantless collection of foreigners’ communications overseas.
Artificial Intelligence
White House official advocates for a ‘give and take’ on state AI preemption
Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios argued the administration’s AI policy framework allows states to regulate some things about the technology — like child safety and state government procurement — while ensuring a national standard.
Artificial Intelligence
GOP policy leads highlight child safety as key step in national AI legislation
Legislators are still working through options for what that legislation will look like, including the possibility of reviving the proposed moratorium on state AI regulations.
People
Mullin confirmed to lead DHS as shutdown drags on and 100,000 employees remain unpaid
Trump's new DHS chief promises some reforms and renewed staffing efforts.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmaker calls for GAO review of threat actors weaponizing AI
In a letter to the federal watchdog, Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, warned that “the nature and scope of the challenges associated with countering these AI-enabled threats are not well understood.”
Artificial Intelligence
White House releases regulatory vision for AI
The framework includes seven AI policy recommendations for Congress that attempt to balance consumer protections with advancing AI development.
Digital Government