Defense
Dems push ‘right to repair’ mandate after proposal was stripped from NDAA
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., want servicemembers to be able to repair hardware without needing to depend on contractors to make fixes.
Cybersecurity
Salt Typhoon attacks prompt talk of hacking back against China
In classified settings, lawmakers have often asked national security officials why American cyber forces don’t go on the attack more often, one senator said.
Digital Government
Republican lawmakers ask Trump to kill IRS Direct File
The new program intended to enable free, online tax filing directly with the government has garnered controversy and praise since its inception.
Cybersecurity
Senate bill would require FCC to issue binding cyber rules for telecom firms
The measure from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. comes in the wake of Chinese-backed hackers breaching a swath of major telecommunications providers.
Digital Government
House passes SHARE IT Act aimed at custom code in government
Agencies could save money if they shared such code, lawmakers say.
People
Tech modernization, civil service protection big priorities for Virginia's new House Democrat
Virginia’s first Indian-American congressman-elect will bring some tech policy chops to Capitol Hill.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers targeted in encrypted messaging phishing scam
Officials have been urging Americans and federal staff to pivot to encrypted messaging services amid a recent Chinese breach into telecommunications networks.
Artificial Intelligence
Forthcoming House AI report will call for incremental regulation
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said he hopes the House AI Task Force’s report will debut sometime in the coming week.
Acquisition
House passes agency software licensing bill
Saving on software licensing appears to also be on the radar of the new DOGE caucus.
Cybersecurity
Senators call for investigation of DOD’s comms following Chinese telecom breach
“DOD’s failure to secure its unclassified voice, video and text communications with end-to-end encryption technology has left it needlessly vulnerable to foreign espionage,” Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote to the Pentagon’s inspector general.
Emerging Tech
Senators introduce quantum reauthorization bill with little time left in this Congress
The bill would provide resources across multiple federal agencies to continue advancing quantum information sciences research following the original 2018 program launch.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers want to enhance HHS cyber engagement with health care orgs
The bipartisan proposal, introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., came out of the efforts of a working group focused on protecting medical institutions from digital attacks.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmaker wants FCC to create AI tool for identifying scams
The measure from Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah., would direct the FCC to develop an online platform that can assess submitted communications and then rate the likelihood that they are scam attempts.
Digital Government
Lawmakers propose electronic tracking system for federal grant applications
The legislation from Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., would also explore the use of artificial intelligence “to rapidly identify” duplicative or fraudulent grant applications.
Digital Government
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
Modernization
House passes veterans’ package without EHR accountability measures
A spokesperson for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said measures related to the electronic health record system were removed from the legislation “due to a lack of political viability in both the House and Senate.”
Emerging Tech
Bipartisan quantum funding bill advances from committee
The Department of Energy Quantum Leadership Act of 2024 will head to the Senate floor as part of a push to continue federal investment into quantum computing research and development.
Cybersecurity
New TSA cyber rules leave lawmakers, industry hopeful for happy medium regulations
The agency argues its Nov. 8 proposed rulemaking will dually address the transportation industry’s regulation concerns while ensuring they’re suitably protected from hackers. Others want to wait and see.
Cybersecurity
Hackers nabbed emails between congressional staff and Library of Congress
Affected staff were notified Friday afternoon, according to an internal email. Capitol Hill communications with the Congressional Research Service frequently involve confidential legislative drafts or policies still in the brainstorming stage.
Modernization