Front Burner
VA Gets OPM Assistance to Carry Out Mass Layoffs
Federal News Network reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reached an $726,000 agreement with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to manage its workforce reduction plan that aims to cut over 80,000 positions.
CISA’s Executive Director is Leaving the Agency
NextGov reports that Bridget Bean, the Executive Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is retiring. It remains unclear who the new Executive Director will be or when Bean will depart. The President’s nominee to head the agency, Sean Plankey, faces a committee vote on Tuesday.
Industry Calls for More Research Funding, Public-Private Partnerships in the National AI Strategy
NextGov reports that feedback from industry on the request for information (RFI) for the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy emphasized the need for U.S. leadership in developing standards, continued Federal investments in key areas, and partnerships between the Federal Government and the private sector.
NIST Cyber Center Publishes Final Zero Trust Implementation Guide
Meritalk reports that last week, the National Institute of Standards and Technologies’ (NIST) Cyber Center published its final practice guide on implementing Zero Trust architecture.
White House AI Czar on Race with China: ‘We’ve Got to Let the Private Sector Cook’
Fedscoop reports that David Sacks, the White House’s AI and Crypto Czar, stated that in order for the U.S. to ensure global leadership over China in AI, the traditional AI regulatory framework must be replaced with a strategy that focuses on innovation.
Congressional Update
House Panel Pushes Ahead $453 Billion Funding Plan for VA Next Year
Military Times reports that House appropriators have advanced a $453 billion budget plan for the VA next year that includes 22 percent increase in funding from the previous fiscal year’s approved levels.
House Armed Services Leaders Unveil Bill to Reform Defense Acquisition, Speed Up Requirements Process
Defense Scoop reports that the House Armed Services Committee has unveiled the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act, a bill that seeks to reform the Department of Defense’s (DoD) acquisition system by accelerating the requirements process, removing unnecessary delays, and giving leadership more authority to streamline the delivery of technologies to warfighters.
House Bill Would Task NSA with Developing AI Security Playbook to Counter China
NextGov reports that a bipartisan group of House lawmakers have introduced legislation requiring the National Security Agency (NSA) to develop a strategy to protect U.S. AI models from foreign espionage.
House Lawmakers’ CISA Budget Reprieve Comes with Questions
Federal News Network reports that the House Appropriations Committee projects that the 2026 budget for CISA will include significantly fewer cuts and workforce reductions than outlined in the President’s budget request.
Draft Proposal Looks to Put EHR Reform Measures Back on the Table
NextGov reports that Republican-led Draft Legislation reviewed during the House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing last week would enhance oversight of the VA’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) Modernization Program by reviving reporting requirements removed from last year’s Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.