The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

House Democrats are doubling down on their investigation into the Trump administration’s management of the government’s retirement processing system. That comes as some federal retirees remain without annuities months after submitting their applications. Here with the latest, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at http...

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton As the Department of Labor faces intense scrutiny over fraud and oversight, its new inspector general is bringing a law‑enforcement mindset to the job GAO finds most of the Pentagon’s joint bases are falling short of facility sustainment goals, raising new questions about readiness and accountability See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...

From unemployment insurance to workforce programs, the stakes for fraud oversight at Labor remain high. The department’s inspector general says his law‑enforcement experience influences how he prioritizes cases and assesses risk. Anthony D’Esposito, the DOL IG, joins me now to discuss his approach to this important work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice...

The Defense Department’s joint bases were created to improve efficiency and readiness, but sustaining those facilities has proven uneven. A new GAO report finds most joint bases are funded below sustainment goals, with limited visibility into how resources are allocated and lingering disputes over who pays for what. To walk through the findings and what they mean for readiness, we’re joined by Ali...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is giving employees with disabilities more flexibility to telework as a reasonable accommodation. CDC supervisors will once again be able to grant telework as an interim reasonable accommodation, while employees wait for final approval from the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS rolled out a new policy last year that strictly limited medical...

For the Navy, consolidating and reducing its sprawling IT networks has been a decades‑long effort. But in recent years, the pace has picked up. Starting from several thousand networks, the service expects to be down to fewer than 100 by next year. Scott St. Pierre, the Navy’s director of enterprise networks and cybersecurity, spoke with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu at our recent DoD Moderniz...

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton New technology is changing how federal agencies use personal data and this week, new tools aim to show what responsible use should really look like As federal agencies rethink how data moves, they’re also rethinking how ideas move, especially from the lab to policymakers Big ideas and big missions still live or die on budgets and contracts, an...

From cross‑agency data sharing to AI‑driven analysis, federal programs now rely on personal information in ways the Privacy Act never fully anticipated. As new APDU resources roll out this week, they aim to clarify how data actually moves, where risks emerge, and what reasonable expectations should look like today. Bethanne Barnes from the Association of Public Data Users joins me to walk through...

This week, early‑career scientists will step up to a microphone and have three minutes to explain their research to policymakers, without jargon and with only one slide. The National Lab Research SLAM is designed to move ideas out of the lab and into federal decision‑making faster. Here to tell us what to watch as it gets underway is Antonya Sanders from Los Alamos National Laboratory. See Privacy...

While agencies talk about modernizing data practices and accelerating research, the President’s budget request reveals where execution pressure is likely to land first. From FY27 funding priorities to what Artemis II showed about how complex missions really get done, we’ll break down what matters most for agencies and contractors with Stephanie Kostro, president of the Professional Services Counci...

The government paid an estimated $4.5 billion for federal employees not to work under the deferred resignation offer last year. The calculation comes from a new data report from the Partnership for Public Service. The organization’s report calculates other cost expenditures, all tied back to the Trump administration’s overhauls to the federal workforce. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew...

Agencies have long struggled to manage so-called controlled unclassified information, or CUI. Now artificial intelligence is posing new and urgent challenges to how agencies handle, share and protect that sensitive information. But federal executives also see opportunities to use AI to modernize their approach to CUI. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me. See Privacy Policy a...

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton After a two‑week recess, Congress is back in Washington with a crowded spring agenda and several unfinished fights waiting on the Hill Apportionments rarely make headlines, but they play a decisive role in how Congress’s funding decisions are actually carried out. New analysis is drawing attention to patterns that warrant closer oversight Arti...

Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week facing pressure to move stalled legislation, navigate internal party tensions and make progress on must‑pass items before the calendar tightens further. We’ll walk through what’s realistically at the top of Congress’s agenda now that members are back in town, with Loren Duggan from Bloomberg Government. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

Apportionments are a core but often overlooked part of how congressional funding decisions are implemented across the executive branch. A new analysis highlights how deviations from historical or statutory patterns can create downstream risks for agencies, programs, and oversight. Breaking down what to watch for is Cerin Lindgrensavage, counsel at Protect Democracy. See Privacy Policy at https://a...

Instead of another systems overhaul, a new IBM Center report zeroes in on how metadata and AI can illuminate relationships across federal financial operations. That added visibility, the research argues, could help agencies spot improper payments and fraud much earlier in the process. Here to walk us through the key insights is executive director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government, D...

The Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense system could receive $17.5 billion in fiscal 2027 after it received a $23 billion down payment last summer. But almost the entire sum hinges on another reconciliation bill. 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...

One of Ed Forst’s first priorities as GSA administrator has been finishing what’s been years in the making. In his first 100 days on the job, Forst moved to implement Transactional Data Reporting across all multiple award schedule contracts. To explain what that expansion means for agencies and vendors, Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me now. See Privacy Policy at https://...

Coming up on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Artemis II is showing how federal education and operational experience come together in space The Washington DC metro region continues to stand out for regional job losses and new Brookings data shows the recovery still hasn’t materialized Health‑coverage decisions in retirement can shape when and how federal retirees tap their money See Privacy Pol...

Several Artemis team members bring military and academic backgrounds that reflect a long‑term federal investment in advanced education. Observers say the mission highlights how institutions like the Naval Postgraduate School translate classroom learning into real‑world mission execution. Joining us from mission control in Housing is science writer with the Naval Postgraduate School, Dan Linehan. S...

New data from Brookings shows the Greater Washington region is still losing ground on jobs, raising questions about how economic systems tied to federal work are adapting or failing to over time. The region is responding strategically, but so far, those responses haven’t translated into measurable improvement. Here to explain what’s happening beneath the surface is Tracy Loh, fellow at the Brookin...

Once federal employees leave service, decisions about FEHB and Medicare quickly intersect with how they draw income from the TSP. Those choices are easier to manage when they’re coordinated rather than made in isolation. Joining us to connect the dots is federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan, principal at RetireFederal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti...

The federal government currently has both the largest political workforce and the lowest levels of senior career leaders in decades. A new report finds that there are now more political appointees in place under the Trump administration, than any other modern U.S. president. At the same time, senior career leadership staffing has gone down 30%. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman....

The Trump administration wants to start privatizing more airport security screening operations. The White House’s 2027 budget request would cut jobs at the Transportation Security Administration and shift much of that funding to private screening contractors . For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

Coming up today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton GSA spent more than $100 million on building studies, but an inspector general audit found the agency lacked a consistent way to track whether that work informed decisions HUD’s first‑year reset on fair‑housing guidance is reshaping how landlords, owners, and local governments navigate federal housing rules Small businesses are navigating one...