Federal Drive with Tom Temin

In the federal IT world, modernization often gets measured through dashboards and scorecards. And if agencies don’t post high grades they might hear about it from Congress. But when it comes to moving from on-site data centers to the cloud, agencies face substantial workforce and culture challenges that aren't always reflected in those metrics. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman had more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The inspector general at the Agriculture Department said the agency doesn't the have budget authority to relocate employees at two of its research bureaus to Kansas City. The inspector general cited a provision in 2018 omnibus spending bill as a reason for the finding. That provision was supposed to prevent agencies from moving funds to reorganize, reprogram or relocate without first getting permission from Congress. But USDA said that provision is unconstitutional. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain why USDA's legal opinion could serve as model for other agencies looking to reorganize or relocate.

The Defense Department has just kicked off a new effort to catch serial sexual assault offenders. It's called the CATCH program, and it compares predators’ identifying information to those in law enforcement databases, including in cases where the victim wants to stay anonymous. It also gives victims another chance to prosecute their attackers. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione has been writing about CATCH, and he joined Jared Serbu with the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

There has been a dramatic increase in the volume of the drug fentanyl entering the U.S., and Customs and Border Protection officers are on the front lines of the interdiction process. But according to the Department of Homeland Security inspector general, CBP isn’t doing enough to protect its personnel from exposure to the deadly drug. In fact, the agency hasn’t updated its handbooks for handling dangerous substances for eight years. The IG found the situation so worrisome that it took the relatively rare step of issuing a management alert prior to issuing its full report. Donald Bumgardner is the deputy assistant inspector general for Audits. He talked with Jared Serbu about the concerns, including why fentanyl is so dangerous, on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

By now there have been plenty of stories about the hardships the longest government shutdown in history created for the federal workforce. But new research from Weber State University is among the first to try to quantify the impacts. Researchers surveyed IRS employees and business owners in Ogden, Utah, and found serious financial impacts both during and after the shutdown. Moreover, 72 percent of the workforce reported negative mental health effects. Bob Tobias is a professor in the Key Leadership Program at American University. He joined Jared Serbu to talk about what the findings say, and how they might inform Congressional action around future shutdowns. Hear more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Federal employees are used to seeing political appointees come and go, and they’re used to responding to changing priorities. But it helps if those priorities are clearly communicated. That didn’t happen during the leadership changeover at the top of the State Department, and the Government Accountability Office said it’s one big reason State has made relatively little progress on its agency reform plans. Out of 17 management reforms the department outlined to Congress last February, only one has been accomplished. Jason Bair is acting director for International Affairs and Trade Issues at GAO. He talked with Jared Serbu about what State can do to speed things along on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The President’s Management Agenda puts a focus on agencies making it easier for their customers to seek help online over the phone or in-person. In light of those efforts, the Treasury Department has rolled out a 10-year vision for the future of financial management in government that spells out how the agency expects to provide better service to the public going forward. Dave Lebryk is the Treasury Department’s fiscal assistant secretary. He gave Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman an overview of what Treasury’s vision looks like. Hear more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The president has signed a budget agreement that brushes aside the final two years of the Budget Control Act and delays a potential breach of the debt ceiling. But in order to avoid a government shutdown, Congress still needs to agree on the nitty gritty details of the 2020 appropriations bills. And once they get back from the August recess, they’ll only have a few work weeks to get it done. For an update on where the appropriations process stands, Loren Duggan, the editoral director at Bloomberg Government, talked to Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

When most people think about agency oversight, what springs to mind are Congressional hearings and inspector general investigations. But a huge proportion of the government’s oversight functions happen out of public view – within the executive branch itself. And a new task force at the Bipartisan Policy Center said it’s time to rethink how many of those functions are conducted, with an eye toward mission outcomes. Dan Blair is a former deputy director of the Office of Personnel Management. He served as a consultant on the task force’s report, and talked with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu about the recommendations on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Federal whistleblowers got their day in the spotlight this past week as part of National Whistleblower Appreciation Day. The day goes back more than 240 years, even before the United States had written a constitution. The federal oversight community celebrated the week with the launch of several new resources designed to help whistleblowers report waste, fraud and abuse. Inspectors general and members of Congress said the goal is to encourage more people to speak up. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko had more details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

First through the Choice Act and then the MISSION Act, Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs have been trying to expand veterans’ access to private sector medical providers since 2014. As of June, those choices now extend to urgent care clinics. VA now has 5,000 of those walk-in clinics under contract to treat veterans with relatively minor illnesses and injuries, and said it’s adding more every day. Dr. Kameron Matthews is the deputy under secretary for Health for Community Care. She talked with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu about how the program works, and what types of care VA’s hoping to provide through the clinics. Hear the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

There’s still no guarantee we won’t have another government shutdown two months from now, but Congress and the president removed one of the biggest sources of budget uncertainty last week with the passage of a two year budget deal – a deal that also finally signals the sunset of the Budget Control Act. So what does it mean for contractors? For more on that, we spoke with Larry Allen, managing director of the Federal Market Access Group at BDO. Hear more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Army uses mobile wireless command posts to keep its soldiers connected to the internet and to classified networks in the field. The Army is now trying to make those command posts easier to bring along for expeditionary forces. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione talked with Paul Mehney, a spokesman for the Army program executive office for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO-C3T) about how the service is bringing the internet to the battlefront. Hear their discussion on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The Labor Department is trying to take a different approach to employee engagement and accountability.It’s about dealing with poor performance with some immediacy while also recognizing those who excel with bonuses and awards. Patrick Pizzella, acting sectary of Labor, says he’s trying to find the right balance to keep the agency moving forward. He joined Federal News Network's Jason Miller for an exclusive interview.

A total of 18 Marines and one sailor have now been taken into custody in an ongoing crackdown on alleged drug and human smuggling at the southwest border. All the service members appear to have been part of a single unit based at Camp Pendleton, California. The investigation started when two of the service members were allegedly caught by the Border Patrol in the middle of transporting someone across the border, and expanded from there. Greg Rinckey, a former JAG attorney who’s now a partner at Tully Rinckey, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin by phone to discuss the case.