Federal Drive with Tom Temin

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is continuing its fast evolution as a standalone department, with CISA set to get its own procurement authority this month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Supreme Court recently striking down Roe v Wade, military service members may need to think about abortion in different ways. The Defense Department is promising to protect abortion, but that still leaves some pregnant service members in the lurch. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione had more on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Issues with the Thrift Savings Plan member access system have persisted for more than a month now. Long wait times and dropped calls at the TSP's customer service center, lack of access to historical documents, beneficiary designations and financial information. All problems with the new My Account Platform. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board launched the system June 1. Now, many of the problems are getting more attention on Capitol Hill. Federal News Network's Drew Friedman spoke with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), about why the TSP issues have been a recent priority for her, on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Members of Congress continue their interest in seeing the curtailment of animal testing for drugs and cosmetics. Now some members are urging the Food and Drug Administration to develop guidance for industry on how to avoid animal testing for products requiring FDA approval. For more, Nevada Rep. Dina Titus (D) joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the Taliban-overran Afghanistan following the American pull out, tens of thousand of Afghans who had helped American forces, they had to flee. They came here. Today's guests responded to a sudden need for transportation, housing and other aid. Their State Department team are now finalists in this year's Service to American Medals program. Two of them joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin  in studio: Director of State's Refugee Processing Center Hilary Ingraham, and Domestic Resettlement Chief Holly Herrera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Agencies across the board have been turning to innovation challenges to come up with fresh answers to old problems. Now the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a challenge. SAMHSA is looking for new approaches to behavioral health recovery. With details, SAMHSA Administrator Miriam Delphin-Rittmon spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the federal government, thanks to Congress, the fiscal year rarely starts on time. But it always ends on time. And now, this first week in July, contractors are marking the start of the fiscal quarter in which the government spends the biggest portion of available dollars. For a yearly year-end prep talk, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The principal overseer of government operations and budget execution also has to go to Congress each year for its own appropriation. The Government Accountability Office uses the savings its caused throughout government as its own justification. For 2023, GAO is asking for $810 million, a nearly 13% increase from what it received for the current fiscal year. For more, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the GAO's Chief Operating Officer Orice Williams Brown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is the White House's quarterback for the zero trust drive. CISA is providing shared services and advising agencies on their zero trust and cybersecurity plans in general. At the recent Federal News Network Zero Trust Cyber Exchange, we heard from CISA senior technical advisor John Simms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China can't do anything to prevent Congress from passing a budget on time for 2023. But the China competitiveness bill could do just that. With the year-end just three months away now, legislative arguments over the bill threaten budget talks. For how, the Federal Drive turns to WTOP capitol hill correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might of heard. In nearly every locale in the nation, home prices have soared. Many houses get multiple offers, and sell for may more than the posted price. The Veterans Benefits Administration has been tinkering with the 75-year-old home loan program to ensure it gives veterans a shot at the house they want. Joining the Federal Drive with an update, VA's executive director of loan guaranty, John Bell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If copyrights are a measure of women's long-term rise in economic participation, trends show progress but still a ways to go. A recent study by the U.S. Copyright Office shows that over a 40-year period, women's share of registrations rose from 28%, to 38% in 2020. Joining the Federal Drive with analysis, University of Minnesota business school professor Joel Waldfogel, and Copyright Office chief economist Brent Lutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expanding its footprint in the cloud. And doing it in a slightly unusual way. FEMA is partnering with the Agriculture Department to develop a charge-back model to its program areas. Jim Rodd is FEMA’s cloud portfolio manager. He tells executive editor Jason Miller about how the cloud will impact FEMA’s mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States is helping Ukraine militarily, but only indirectly. When it comes to health care for the besieged Ukrainians, the aid and cooperation are more direct. Much of the work falls to the Health and Human Services Department. Joining the Federal Drive with an update, the H-H-S assistant secretary for global affairs, Loyce Pace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an agency as large as Veterans Affairs, with a third of a million employees, there's no shortage of things to go wrong. Often, it is whistleblowers that point them out, often to the office of inspector general. Now a bipartisan bill that passed the House would ensure continuance of a policy, that every VA employee receive training by the OIG, to learn how to report alleged wrongdoing. Here with more on the VA Office of Inspector General Training Act, one of its original sponsors, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices