The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Fears about the risks of artificial intelligence continue to dominate conversations in Washington. Those concerns include the potential for AI to enable devastating cyber attacks. But government cyber leaders are urging organizations to focus on basic security practices rather than chasing new tools and technologies. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday reports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 For small and non-traditional businesses that want to do national security work, some of the biggest challenges can be getting security clearances — both for physical spaces, and for people. The Defense Innovation Unit may have some answers in the pipeline. Through an initiative called the Bridge Program, DIU is working to get rid of some of the bottlenecks companies face in working with DoD, including by providing classified infrastructure “as a service.” The organization issued its latest award to deliver those services just last week. Sarah Pearson is DIU’s chief of strategic initiatives. She talked about the goals with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Changes to Washington DC's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program sparked a debate about policy. A National Academy of Public Administration working group focused on something different: how the program was actually working for the people living with it. Here to discuss what those conversations revealed is Miles Murphy, senior manager for research and government solutions at the National Academy of Public Administration.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office looked at workers receiving Medicaid and SNAP and found many are employed, often full time, and frequently work for large employers. We'll discuss what the data show, and what conclusions they do and don't support, with Kathy Larin, Director on the Education, Workforce and Income Security team at the Government Accountability Office. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For years, policymakers have searched for ways to make housing more affordable. One think tank argues the problem isn't simply a shortage of homes, but a shortage of affordable starter homes and a housing system that struggles to build them at scale. Here to expand on that proposal is Alex Jacquez, senior vice president of policy, advocacy and research at Groundwork Collaborative.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Building more homes and building more affordable homes are not always the same thingPeople who benefit from a government program often know things the people who designed it don'tMillions of people are doing exactly what policymakers say they should do: working. Many still qualify for public assistance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees’ performance ratings will now be the top consideration during future reductions in force. That’s as a final rule from the Office of Personnel Management takes full force this month. The new regulations mark a significant turning point in the way agencies decide who stays, and who goes, during a RIF.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just as the latest review of CMMC wraps up, the Defense Department appears to be reconsidering parts of how the program will work. We'll get an industry perspective on what contractors should be paying attention to now with Stephanie Kostro, president of the Professional Services Council.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A packed election calendar is limiting what lawmakers can accomplish this fall, even as pressure builds for action on artificial intelligence. We'll get the latest from Capitol Hill and explore how AI is shaping the congressional agenda with Bloomberg Government's Deputy News Director, Loren Duggan.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Congress doesn't seem ready to move quickly on AI. The technology may not wait.The Pentagon may be rethinking CMMC, but cybersecurity isn't taking a pause.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coast Guard missions generate information from ships, aircraft, sensors and operational systems across the globe. Bringing that information together in a form operators can actually use has become a central focus of the service's modernization effort. Joining me now is Commander Jonathan White, chief of the Decision Advantage Office at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Department has narrowed its list of critical technology areas and is rethinking how it identifies, funds and scales emerging capabilities. The goal is to focus resources where technological advantage matters most, while bringing new companies and new sources of capital into the process. My guest is Mike Dodd, assistant secretary for critical technologies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Financial systems may run on technology, but they're built on data and business processes. As the Department of the Navy consolidates systems and modernizes its financial environment, officials are discovering that some of the biggest obstacles are habits and assumptions inherited from earlier generations of technology. Joining me now is Greg Koval, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management Systems.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After visiting 30 defense research sites, one message came through clearly: world-class scientists are often working around very ordinary obstacles. Aging facilities, lengthy security clearances and competition for talent are putting pressure on the Defense Department's research enterprise. Joining me to discuss the findings is Dr. Joseph Jewell, assistant secretary for science and technology.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Some of the Pentagon's toughest technology challenges aren't technical at all. A recent review of the defense research enterprise found recruiting, hiring and aging facilities are slowing progress where innovation matters most Artificial intelligence may help the Navy's financial managers someday. But first they have to untangle decades of systems, data structures and business processes that were never designed to work together If everything is critical, nothing is. One Defense Department leader says a sharper technology focus is changing how government works with industry, investors, and emerging companies From fisheries patrols to Arctic operations, the Coast Guard is building new ways to turn operational data into usable informationSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s been eight years since the Pentagon underwent a major restructuring of its acquisition bureaucracies, splitting it into two separate organizations overseen by two undersecretaries; one for research and engineering and one for acquisition and sustainment. And according to one of those current undersecretaries, it turned out to be the right decision. Emil Michael is the undersecretary of Defense for research and engineering. He talked about it with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The FBI released its first agency-wide, unclassified cyber strategy on Wednesday. The bureau’s goal is to unify efforts across the bureau’s 56 field offices to counter both nation-state threats and cyber criminals. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The story of September 11 didn't end when the attacks were over. Recovery, rebuilding and remembrance became part of the nation's response as well. A new exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Army focuses on the lesser-known role the Army Corps of Engineers played in those efforts. Joining me with more on the exhibit and this anniversary is museum director Paul Morando.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Remembering September 11 often begins with looking back. One nationwide effort is asking people to look forward as well. This weekend, thousands of volunteers will gather at national cemeteries across the country to honor sacrifice through service. Joining me are Stephen Holley, president and co-founder of Carry The Load, and David Hakanson, president and CEO of GEHA .See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Twenty-five years ago, the attacks of September 11 exposed gaps in how government shared information, coordinated action and prepared for emerging threats. The reforms that followed reshaped federal agencies for a generation. Today we're looking at what government learned from that experience, and whether those lessons are at risk of fading, with Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Friday, September 11th 2026, and today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Twenty-five years after 9/11, we'll examine what government learned from that day, and whether it's keeping those lessons aliveOne national remembrance effort is built around a simple idea: the best way to honor service is through service of your own An organization can have security offices, monitoring programs and compliance requirements everywhere. That doesn't mean anyone is looking at the whole risk pictureSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lieutenant General Mark Simerly is in his final weeks as the director of the Defense Logistics Agency. In the two-plus years as DLA’s leader, Simerly drove the agency to change how it delivers products and services to the Defense Department around the world. In an “exit” press briefing, Simerly tells executive editor Jason Miller and other reporters about how DLA is more agile today and how it has adapted to the changing logistics environment over the last few years.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Pentagon is trying to clean up the records behind military ID cards used by hundreds of thousands of service members. About 215,000 active-duty and reserve troops have records that are missing proof of identity, but the Defense Department says there's no evidence of fraud. Federal News Network's Rachel Cohen has the story.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A recent Federal Reserve Board audit found that insider-risk responsibilities existed across multiple offices, but no centralized program was managing those risks at the enterprise level. The findings offer lessons that extend well beyond the Federal Reserve. Here to discuss them are Chris Lyons and Joe Hackett from the Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Passing an audit remains one of the Defense Department's top financial priorities, but getting there may require more than better bookkeeping. Department leaders are looking at financial-system consolidation, common data standards and major process changes across the enterprise. For a look at what's driving that effort, we turn to Rich Brady, CEO of the Society of Defense Financial Management.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The TSP's F Fund has trailed the G Fund over the last several years. Before deciding what that means for your own investments, it helps to understand what's happening in the bond market. Here with that perspective is Arthur Stein, partner at Allworth Financial.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton For years, the TSP's F Fund was supposed to offer a little more return in exchange for a little more risk. Lately, the results haven't looked that way. For years, the Pentagon has struggled to produce a clean audit. Now the push for auditability is starting to reshape how the department manages money and the systems behind it An organization can have security offices, monitoring programs and compliance requirements everywhere. That doesn't mean anyone is looking at the whole risk pictureSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees will see a major shift in the way misconduct cases are handled. Going forward, the Merit Systems Protection Board will evaluate disciplinary actions using case-by-case criteria, rather than 12 longstanding considerations called the “Douglas factors.” The change is meant to add flexibility, but some have raised concerns that it will lead to bias or subjectivity. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman gets more from Michael Fallings, a managing partner at Tully Rinckey law firm.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Information Systems Agency has issued another sources-sought notice for its massive migration of combatant commands’ common-use IT services to a single service provider. But the pace at which the agency is moving is raising a number of questions. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis has more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As concerns about repeated blast exposure receive increasing attention, the Defense Department has launched several monitoring initiatives. but, GAO says the department has not fully assessed the personnel and resources needed to support those efforts into the future. Alyssa Hundrup, director on the Health Care team at the Government Accountability Office, led that review and joins me now with the details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CMS recently revisited a Medicare payment policy after determining that some arrangements no longer reflected the original intent of the rule. Healthcare attorney Alice Harris joins me now with a look at what the agency saw and what it decided to do about it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Contractors are tracking several policy decisions that could affect how they compete for work and plan for the year ahead, from small-business eligibility rules to counter-drone authorities and the budget outlook. Jim Carroll, CEO of the Professional Services Council, joins me now to explain what's getting the industry's attention. ⠀See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Washington is making decisions now that could reshape competition, investment and planning across the federal marketplace A Medicare policy designed to encourage certain business arrangements ended up producing results regulators didn't intend The Pentagon is collecting more information about the potential effects of blast exposure. GAO says it still needs a clearer picture of the resources required to manage that effortSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Pentagon is using military medical records to identify service members who could be subject to the administration's ban on transgender troops. Federal News Network found that the effort is reaching people who may have transitioned years ago, people who never transitioned and even some people who aren't transgender. How does the military have the ability to find people based on something that may be buried in their medical history? Federal News Network's Rachel Cohen is here to tell us more about her reporting.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With election season accelerating, pressure is building on Congress to wrap up its work and head home. We examine what's still on the agenda and what could be pushed aside with WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell MillerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees nearing retirement often discover that health coverage decisions are more complicated than they expected. From spouse eligibility to Medicare enrollment, small choices can have lasting effects. Here with answers to some of the questions listeners ask most often is Tammy Flanagan, principal with Retire Federal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, government reform efforts have focused on accountability, oversight and reducing risk. A new blueprint argues that approach may have left agencies better at avoiding failure than achieving success. Joining me to talk about their new reform proposal are Loren DeJonge Schulman and Rob Shriver. Loren Schulman is the director for Government Capacity with the Federation of American Scientists. Rob Shriver is Managing Director of Civil Service Strong and Good Government Initiatives at Democracy Forward.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Turning 65 doesn't make the choice between Medicare and FEHB any less confusing Government is very good at preventing mistakes. But what if that comes at the expense of actually solving problems? Washington often focuses on what Congress passes. What lawmakers decide not to tackle can matter just as muchSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Labor Day, and coming up today on the Best of "The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton" One taxpayer's effort to solve an IRS problem led to a much larger question about how the agency is functioning today The Postal Service has long delivered ballots. Increasingly, policymakers want it to play a larger role in how ballots are validated and counted Military housing has been under scrutiny for years, yet many of the same complaints continue to surface. A closer look suggests the challenge may be bigger than any one landlord or property Questions about institutional capacity aren't new. Some of the federal government's oldest obligations have long faced a gap between commitment and executionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

House Veterans Affairs lawmakers sought answers on Wednesday about why the Veterans Affairs Department massively increased the contract for its electronic health record system. But, one key participant in the project, the contractor Oracle, failed to show up and committee members were not happy. Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now with details on how lawmakers plan to force Oracle to testify.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new White House strategy ranks the technologies viewed as most important to national security and economic competitiveness. According to one new industry analysis, less attention is being paid to reducing cyber risk in the systems government already relies on every day. Rob Smith and Brad LaPorte of LionFish Tech Advisors join me now to discuss those gaps.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A recent Congressional Budget Office report estimates that it could cost over $7 billion to protect military installations from unmanned aircraft. But the report also highlights a threat that is evolving faster than traditional acquisition cycles. For a closer look, I'm joined by Bill Ostrowski, CEO of MyDefence North America.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recent attacks on water utilities have shown how quickly a local cybersecurity incident can become a national concern. The systems that deliver drinking water are operated by thousands of separate organizations with varying resources and cyber capabilities. For more on what that means for protecting critical infrastructure, I'm joined by Ozgur Ozmen, assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Recent attacks on water utilities exposed a cybersecurity challenge that's national in scope but local in responsibility It may be easier to calculate the cost of defending military bases from drones than to design defenses that can adapt as quickly as the drones do. As Washington races to build the next generation of national security technology, some cybersecurity experts are focused on the systems already in the fieldSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Artificial intelligence is forcing agencies and industry to take a prioritized approach to software patching. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s new directive on patching is designed to have agencies focus on the highest risk cyber vulnerabilities and give them more time to focus on other important security practices. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies have a few months left to survey their employees before the required end-of-year deadline. For most, it will be their first time distributing an employee engagement survey on their own. For some federal workforce experts, transitioning to agency-specific surveys is a welcome change. But questions remain about a tight timeline, limited resources and lack of experience. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope combines the image quality of Hubble with a field of view that's dramatically larger. That will allow scientists to map vast portions of the sky, search for distant planets, and study some of the biggest unanswered questions in astronomy. Federal News Network's Eric White gets more details from Matthew Bolcar, senior optical systems engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For years, research institutions operated under relatively defined federal standards for reviewing high-risk biological research. A new government-wide policy shifts toward a broader risk-based approach that requires universities and laboratories to make more of those decisions themselves, with significant compliance consequences if they get them wrong. Here with a breakdown of where the rules are changing is Cara Baer, partner at Butler Snow.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The traditional Ph.D. model was built around academic research careers. As industry absorbs more advanced scientific talent, NSF is testing whether a different approach could better align training with opportunity. Here to walk through NSF's pilot program is Sr. Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director for Technology Innovation and Partnerships at the National Science Foundation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton The people earning STEM Ph.D.s aren't ending up where doctoral education was originally built to send them The federal government is asking universities and laboratories to make more decisions about biological research risks before Washington gets involved NASA's newest space telescope wasn't built to zoom in on a single mystery. It was built to show astronomers more of the universe at onceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.