Policy

Congress averts shutdown with a 45-day stopgap funding bill

Lawmakers passed a bipartisan measure just hours before a funding lapse was set to furlough hundreds of thousands of federal employees.

Policy

House passes last-minute CR, potentially averting a government shutdown

After days of brinkmanship, House Republicans passed a 45-day continuing resolution to keep the government open past Monday.

Digital Government

Technology Modernization Fund announces $9M in new investments

Despite continued awards, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., says the fund's supporters have “work to do” to garner support on Capitol Hill.

Policy

Ahead of shutdown, House and Senate Dems propose back pay for furloughed contractors

A similar effort to legislate back pay for contractors failed during the 2018-2019 shutdown.

Cybersecurity

Democrats fear cyberattacks as government shutdown looms

Lawmakers are expressing concerns that the shutdown could radically hinder the work of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in responding to major ransomware incidents and other digital intrusions. 

Modernization

Connolly releases new FITARA scores without usual committee hearing

“We could not allow a lapse in the scorecard,” Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said of the Tuesday roundtable discussion held without Republicans.

Digital Government

New bill would beef up accessibility reporting requirements for agencies

Agency and department heads would be required to appoint “Section 508 compliance officers” to ensure they meet accessibility mandates.

Artificial Intelligence

Can AI boost health care delivery?

Rep. Ted Lieu thinks so, with the right oversight by humans — and government.

Modernization

Federal CIO touts '10-year-plan' to build a truly digital federal government

The long-awaited guidance to support the implementation of the IDEA Act tasks agencies with ramping up their digital offerings while mandating consistent brand and design standards across the federal government.

Artificial Intelligence

New bill would give the government oversight of critical AI use cases

The Democratic-backed AI Accountability Act of 2023 gives the Federal Trade Commission new authority and a new office to regulate how AI algorithms make critical decisions on housing, healthcare.

Modernization

House cloud bill gets Senate counterpart

The Multi-Cloud Innovation and Advancement Act was introduced in the House of Representatives in August.

People

Former officials sound off on the challenges of managing through a shutdown

“The big thing that happens..is lots of lawyers weighing in on what activities are actually exempt," one former official said.

Modernization

House panel advances MGT update

A bipartisan bill to reauthorize and update the legislation that established the Technology Modernization Fund sailed through committee on Wednesday.

Cybersecurity

Federal cyber operations face challenges as government shutdown looms

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will retain about one-sixth of its workforce in the event of a partial government shutdown, according to its current plan.

Artificial Intelligence

Companies turn to risk mitigation tools to monitor AI absent federal law, study finds

While Congress debates AI regulations, Gartner has found a majority of businesses are looking at using new IT tools to self-regulate the risks of AI usage.

Acquisition

Brace for potential government shutdown, federal contractor group warns

A leading industry group is warning federal contractors to prepare for uncertain times while noting that the latest guidance for some agency contingency plans leaves “a lot to be desired.”

Modernization

TMF reboot looks to stabilize funding, increase transparency

The reauthorization of the Modernizing Government Technology Act is due for a committee markup on Wednesday.

Digital Government

Shutdowns and the ‘avalanche of work’ for government tech shops

Even if a shutdown doesn’t happen, planning for one has a real cost, former government CIOs say.

Artificial Intelligence

Congress’s week of AI

Tech titans, developers and executives descended on Capitol Hill this week for a series of meetings exploring crucial safeguards for AI research and development.

Artificial Intelligence

Agency leaders see data analytics and customer service uses for AI

Tech officials told lawmakers they are focused on a socio-technical approach to AI use cases in the government, saying it is not “one size fits all.”