Digital Government
Export control agency lacks funding and tech to manage its workload, official says
The head of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security gave lawmakers “an emphatic no” when asked if his office has the IT resources it needs to carry out its mission.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmakers eye 2025 defense bill for AI proposals
A leader of the Senate’s bipartisan AI working group said that next year's must-pass defense policy bill could include some substantive AI proposals, but the Senate is “not ready” for a comprehensive AI bill at this time.
Policy
Lawmakers propose a new federal office to regulate workplace surveillance tech
The new bill from Reps. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., would also establish new employee rights and employer transparency rules around surveillance.
Emerging Tech
Lawmaker seeks to give NASA funding flexibility on interagency research efforts
Legislation from Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., would allow agencies to transfer funding to NASA to jointly partner on scientific or engineering projects.
Modernization
NASA needs to refocus on supercomputing to keep pace in space, watchdog says
The space agency “needs a renewed commitment and sustained leadership attention” to enhance its overburdened and vulnerable high-end computing assets.
Defense
Pentagon names new top official for digital and AI
Radha Plumb, currently deputy undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment, will replace Craig Martell as Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer on April 8.
Defense
Legacy ATO process is slowing software upgrades at DOD, experts say
The Pentagon’s current approach to managing and minimizing risk when acquiring commercial software products presents a barrier to the speedy adoption of new capabilities, experts warned during a congressional hearing.
Acquisition
Biden budget cuts funding for health record refresh amid ongoing program 'reset'
VA’s proposed FY25 budget includes zero funding for future deployments of its new electronic health record system and allocates no additional funds for assessing rollouts at other sites.
Policy
Biden's $1.67 trillion budget boosts tech, AI
The Biden administration’s FY2025 budget request provides agencies with $3 billion “to responsibly develop, test, procure and integrate transformative AI applications across the federal government.”
Modernization
Chicago phase of VA's health record software deployment is live amid larger program 'reset'
The rollout of Oracle Cerner EHR software at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center is DOD’s final deployment of the new system and a critical test for the future of VA’s modernization efforts.
People
Bill enhancing contractor whistleblower protections advances to full Senate
The bipartisan proposal would close loopholes that have left federal contractors vulnerable to retaliation.
Artificial Intelligence
Pentagon official says US values will outcompete Beijing in AI
The U.S. continues to lead the global AI arms race with China “because it's powered by a free and open society, committed to responsible-use values and ideals,” according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
Policy
VA budget bill maintains EHR funding but imposes additional ‘reset’ oversight
The bipartisan FY24 budget package allocates over $1.3 billion for the agency’s new electronic health record system but makes 25% of that funding contingent on enhanced transparency around VA’s ongoing EHR “program reset.”
Acquisition
State is taking an ‘important step’ for planned EHR, as key lawmaker moves to speed it up
State’s Bureau of Medical Services has been working for more than a decade to replace its current paper-based medical record system with an electronic solution to better meet the healthcare needs of its diplomatic corps.
Artificial Intelligence
Senate committees to start marking up AI bills soon, senator says
One of the Republican members of the bipartisan AI working group estimated that major Senate committees will begin marking up AI-related legislation “in March or April.”
Digital Government
HealthCare-dot-gov enrollees will also receive voter registration emails, vice president says
The communications are part of a Biden administration effort to improve voting rights and access.
Defense
US tech is still powering Russian weapons, experts warn
American components that have been found in the sanctioned country’s weaponry are “fueling and supporting the growing and gargantuan Russian war machine,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
Artificial Intelligence
DOD’s generative AI task force looks for ‘blind spots’
The head of the Pentagon’s Task Force Lima initiative estimated that 60% of its use cases are for a chatbot.
Defense
A minimum viable CJADC2 is ‘real and ready,’ DOD official says
The initial version of the Pentagon’s effort to create an interoperable information-sharing network across all of its military domains is “low latency and extremely reliable,” according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
Digital Government
Senate Dems call for an update on vote.gov improvements
More than a dozen Democratic senators signed a letter to the General Services Administration asking for an update on the agency’s work to modernize the government’s voting information platform.
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