People
Judge says she is inclined to further pause layoffs at most major agencies
RIF plans have been frozen for two weeks, but federal court suggests they are unconstitutional and implementation will remain prohibited indefinitely.
People
New SSA chief praises DOGE for ‘making things better’
Frank Bisignano said he has no current plans to institute further reductions in force and hopes to use AI to make the historically sluggish Social Security disability determination processes move faster.
People
More than 2,100 GSA employees have accepted deferred resignations
Combined with those employees that have been impacted by reductions in force, the losses amount to nearly a quarter of what the agency’s workforce totals were last fall.
Digital Government
USDA wants to modernize farmer services, even as staffing cuts could hurt the effort
The department plans to digitize farmer-facing applications that are still on paper.
Modernization
VA tech panel’s top Democrat worries layoffs will harm EHR rollout
Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., is concerned that staffing vacancies, coupled with the department’s reduction in force plans, will put “more pressure onto the VA to execute on an expedited calendar for implementation” of its new EHR system.
People
House Republicans advance plan to cut federal worker benefits and undermine civil service protections
One Republican who voted against the measure said efforts to reduce existing federal workers’ pension benefits will fail if put to a vote before the full House.
Cybersecurity
People should be ‘outraged’ by efforts to shrink federal cyber teams, former CISA head says
As adversaries like China continue targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, Chris Krebs says we should "make CISA great again" amid expected cuts mounting inside the cyber agency.
People
IRS to lay off taxpayer experience, DEI staff
It is not clear what will happen next to projects being done by the Taxpayer Experience Office, like making IRS notices to taxpayers more simple.
People
CISA officials who led Secure by Design initiative resign
Bob Lord and Lauren Zabierek are the latest to depart the cyber agency, as DOGE-fueled cuts and broader Trump reduction plans have placed it in the crosshairs.
Breaking News
People
White House extends federal hiring freeze until July for most
The Trump administration’s halt on federal civilian hiring, which was supposed to be lifted Monday, will be extended through July, per a memo released late Thursday.
Digital Government
How cyber vulnerabilities and workforce cuts threaten the crisis lifeline program
A bipartisan, bicameral measure is hoping to prevent cyber incidents from limiting access to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline after a 2022 attack on a system operator disrupted calls to the hotline.
Cybersecurity
Top homeland security lawmaker calls for cautious cuts to CISA
“We have to be very careful about who and what we cut, because [the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] does have a mission to overwatch our critical infrastructure and make sure the bad guys aren’t getting in,” said Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn.
Cybersecurity
China is trying to recruit current and former feds, intelligence document warns
The notice is one of the first public acknowledgements from the U.S. intelligence community showing how adversaries are leveraging DOGE-led layoffs to target the government.
Digital Government
Democrats confront SSA about disruptions to constituent SSI accounts
This is the first oversight effort of Senate Democrats’ new Social Security War Room.
People
CISA to make comprehensive staff cuts in coming days, people familiar say
The nation’s premier cybersecurity agency, which sits in the Department of Homeland Security, has been in the Trump administration’s crosshairs for some time.
Digital Government
Spending and workforce cuts will harm VA’s modernization work, Democrats say
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said cuts across VA are forcing the department “to decide between keeping staff on the floor, and investing in expensive equipment that may sit idle without enough personnel to operate it.”
People
House Dems ‘extremely concerned’ VA workforce cuts will further hit researchers
Ten members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee are calling for VA Secretary Doug Collins to provide additional information about how term-limited researchers are being affected by workforce reduction efforts.
Artificial Intelligence
What the federal workforce could look like with AI government employees
Planning will determine how effectively AI agents are incorporated to streamline agency processes and systems, government technology experts argued.
Artificial Intelligence
‘We shouldn’t be afraid of artificial intelligence,’ Vance advises US workers
The vice president touted the Trump administration’s efforts to spur innovation through slashing regulations and prioritizing both businesses and workers at a Tuesday event.
Digital Government