President Joe Biden’s administration has set its sights on infrastructure, including the need for expanded broadband. Experts generally agree that public-private partnerships will be a big part of these goals. Jeffrey A. Campbell is Vice President,Government Affairs for Cisco Systems, Inc. He joined the show to discuss broadband access and public-private partnerships.
The Biden administration came into office last year with the promises of working toward a more equitable America, recognizing the effects that structural and institutional racism have had on American communities. In his first week in office, the president issued an executive order recognizing government’s responsibility to diversity, equity and inclusion. Michael McAfee is the president and CEO of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity. Max Stie...
This week, Russia sent troops into eastern Ukraine, marking the second time in eight years that Vladimir Putin has invaded the country. NATO allies have brought sanctions against Russia, but Putin said on Wednesday that Russia was still open to diplomacy on Ukraine. Because of the conflict, the State Department has been moving its staff away from the Kyiv embassy and is monitoring the situation. GovExec correspondent Courtney Bublé is covering the embassy staff movement. She joined the show to t...
With remote work becoming the norm, what steps are workers taking to protect federal employees that deal with sensitive documents regularly? Gitlab AVP of Public Sector Bob Stevens joined the podcast discuss how best to protect feds that are working remotely, why hyper automation will be 2022’s biggest trend and how to improve the software supply chain.
Security clearances are a key part of the federal government’s workforce. But, the strictures and rules around security clearance processes are always moving and agencies are agencies are updating their processes often, which can leave those applying to be cleared in a bit of a bind because navigating the process can be difficult and confusing. Elaine Fitch and Mary Kuntz are attorneys with the firm of Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C. advise clients on the security clearance process an...
Congress faced a debt limit crisis in December, but passed a short-term bill at the last minute before ultimately punting the issue to 2023. Because there is no roadmap for how the government would operate if it breaches its debt ceiling, Democrats this week introduced a bill that would allow the executive branch to issue new debt, as long as the president notifies Congress. Eric Katz has been covering the debt limit bills in Congress. He joined the show to discuss the state of things on Capitol...
After a private briefing for senators in January 2020 about the coronavirus crisis, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr sold between $500,000 and $1.5 million in stock shortly before markets tanked. Former Senator Kelly Loeffler also sold millions in stock between the briefing and the market drop. Some public outrage surrounded the news about the Senators capitalizing on insider information, but the news cycle moved on. A few months ago in December, Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper disclosed that...
Dr. Anthony Fauci has seen a lot in his decades of service in government.. As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President, Fauci has become one of the faces of the COVID-19 response. But, Fauci’s agency also recently released a new pandemic preparedness plan that brings all together all of government. Recently, GovExec correspondent and frequent GovExec Daily guest Courtney Bublé interviewed Dr. Fauci about the ways he and ...
Breaches of network and internet security are a constant threat to government operations for every agency. Foreign governments, private hackers and many bad actors in between are trying to hack government systems. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is no different and the task of securing information systems falls to Dr. Gregory Edwards, FEMA’s Chief Information Security Officer. Before his current position, Dr. Edwards joined FEMA in 2020 as the Senior Technical Advisor to the Office of th...
The Super Bowl this weekend will pit the Los Angeles Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals. Championship events are targets, though, so the Homeland Security Department is deploying personnel and resources to help law enforcement in Los Angeles this week as the Super Bowl fifty six descends onto SoFI Stadium. Courtney Bublé is a reporter at Government Executive. She joined the show to discuss the Homeland Security preparations for Super Bowl 56 in Southern California.
Four in 10 adults reported feeling symptoms of anxiety or depression, an increase from 1 in 10 that reported the same symptoms in 2019. Mental health struggles are common, they're especially in individuals in high-stress positions. Paul Sheesley is a registered psychotherapist from the Washington DC thats worked with CEOs and politicians across the region. He joined the podcast to discuss why it is essential for individuals in high-stress positions to implement sustainable habits that bring bala...
Critics of the practice of asking for salary history during the hiring process suggest that doing so disproportionately affects women and candidates of color, thus perpetuating inequality. With that as a backdrop, some are disappointed that the Department of Justice advertised the creation of its chief diversity officer position on USAJOBS.com, complete with a request for the highest grade/step or salary achieved in the job history. GovExec senior reporter Erich Wagner covers the federal workfor...
Last month, it was announced that the Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s federal vaccine mandate that would enforce a vaccine-or-test requirement for employees at private businesses with 100 or more employees. The question will now be asked, does the government have the power to enforce this mandate for private sector employees? John Ho is a labor and employment attorney and chair of the law firm Cozen O'Connor’s OSHA Practice. He joined the show to talk about the OSHA decision and how it w...
The Merit Systems Protection Board has been without a quorum for five years, leaving thousands of current and former federal employees in limbo, unable to receive a decision on their challenges against adverse personnel actions ike whistleblower retaliation cases and unfair firings. John P. Mahoney is an employment attorney and a former administrative judge. He has represented federal employees, unions, employee associations, contractors and agencies in cases involving federal employment law. He...
Within the first week of his time in office last year, President Joe Biden issued an executive order implementing a set of ethics rules for his administration, following through on one of his promises around ethics while he was campaigning for office. A little more than a year later, it’s worth asking how much progress has the administration made on ethics. Courtney Bublé is a Government Executive reporter. She has a story on our site right now taking a look back at the year-plus of the Biden et...
The role of science in government has ebbed and flowed throughout the history of the U.S., but it has undoubtedly been integral since the National Science Foundation was formed in 1950. As innovation and scientific progress moves forward in the 21st century, NSF’s mission to support science research and education becomes that much more important. Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan is a computer scientist, engineer and the 15th director of the National Science Foundation. He previously served as the exe...
Recreational marijuana is use is legal in 18 states and three U.S. territories, including the District of Columbia. But it remains illegal under federal law, thus affecting federal employees and security clearance applicants. While the director of national intelligence recently sent a memo to agency heads clarifying some of these conflicts, marijuana use can still be an issue for those looking to apply for a clearance. Aaron Herreras Szot is an associate with Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch...
Tax season is here again and the Treasury Department warns that this year could could likely bring challenges to timely processing. What can taxpayers expect? What lessons has the IRS learned from two pandemic tax years that could improve the taxpayer experience? Dr. Joann Weiner is an Associate Professor of Economics at George Washington University. She joined the show to discuss what makes this tax season different and how taxpayers should navigate the third tax year during COVID-19....
Federal employees have a number of options for their health care, but there is one extra perk that is hiding in plain sight. A health saving account can help feds plan for retirement, if done correctly and our guest today has a post on our site exploring this strategy. Kevin Moss is a senior editor with Consumers’ Checkbook. The Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees is available to many federal employees for free. He’s also the author of a post on GovExec.com headlined “Why a H...
The American Customer Satisfaction Index 2021 Federal Government Report showed citizen satisfaction in government services in a freefall over the last four years, with declines across all driving indicators of satisfaction. The Biden administration is trying to reverse this trend with an Executive Order emphasizing “Customer Experience and Service Delivery.” James Isaacs is President of Cyara, a customer service assurance platform. He joined the podcast to discuss how government can improve cust...
Last week, Democrats in the House and Senate introduced legislation that would grant federal employees an average 5.1% pay raise in 2023 . The plan is similar to previous efforts by the lawmakers to secure a bigger pay raise for federal public servants. GovExec senior reporter Erich Wagner covers the federal workforce. He joined the show now to discuss the proposed pay raise plan and other workforce stories he has been covering....
The Office of Personnel Management recently issued guidance to agencies seeking to implement the portion of an executive order encouraging improved diversity and inclusion efforts across the government. OPM chief Kiran Ahuja noted in the guidance that agencies “should elevate” diversity and inclusion within their organizations, including by establishing the chief diversity officer or diversity and inclusion officer within their agency. Shrupti Shah is a Managing Director with Deloitte Consulting...
On Friday, a federal court in Texas issued an injunction against the White House’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the federal workforce, pausing the implementation of a requirement for more than 2 million public servants. GovExec reporter Eric Katz is covering the vaccine mandate and the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. He joined the show to talk about the injunction and what’s next for the vaccine mandate for feds.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, with the omicron variant straining health care systems and the American public. Health officials have had to adjust to the changing nature of the crisis and strategies are being changed to face new coronavirus-related challenges. Dr. Anthony J. Santella is a professor of Health Administration and Policy and the COVID-19 Coordinator at the University of New Haven. He joined the podcast to discuss COVID-19 in light of new variants and new policy....
Last week, the Supreme Court blocked the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule that was to bring a vaccine-or-test requirement for employees at private businesses with 100 or more employees. In a 6-3 decision, the conservative majority on the court said OSHA had overstepped and that COVID-19 was not specifically a workplace risk. Stephanie Rapp-Tully is a partner and federal employment attorney with Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Washington, D.C. office. She joined the show...
Last month, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released its semiannual Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The documents lay out a priority set for the Biden administration as it enters into its second year. Daniel R. Pérez is a senior policy analyst for The George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center. He joined the podcast to discuss a commentary he wrote about The Fall 2021 Unified Agenda ....
This week marks a year since President Joe Biden was inaugurated, but the anniversary comes as the COVID–19 pandemic continues to ravage the U.S. and the world. Surging numbers of cases of the Omicron variant are straining health systems as the administration tries to contain the crisis. Courtney Bublé writes GovExec's Coronavirus Roundup. She joined the show to talk about the state of the pandemic as the Biden administration nears the first anniversary of inauguration.
Immigration policy is one of the most entangled aspects of American governance, complete with a series of overlapping systems. Inevitably, this will produce bureaucracy and complicated implementation of the often-tortuous rules. The legal processes can be stressful, arduous, and frustrating, leading to an anti-immigration administrative culture. In fact, these administrative burdens can be a driving force or even a tool against legal immigration. In a recent paper, our guests today argue that th...
Government is not known for its stellar or responsive customer service, but the White House is hoping to change that. Last month, the Biden administration issued an executive order designed to improve the customer experience with government agencies. The order looks to tackle the administrative costs that citizens have to deal with when interfacing with government agencies, making for easier interactions. Stan Soloway is president and CEO of Celero Strategies, LLC and a GovExec contributor. He f...
The Omicron variant has changed the calculus of pandemic guidance at the CDC and state health departments. As the more transmissible virus infects more people, federal agencies are now getting guidance from the White House Safer Federal Workforce Task Force on how to deal with the pandemic during this latest surge. GovExec senior reporter Erich Wagner covers the federal workforce. He joined the show to discuss the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force's new guidance.
