Category: Congress

Lawmaker calls for an independent review of cybersecurity in the U.S. courts system

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After a high-profile hack, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is calling for an independent review of cybersecurity in the U.S. courts system. In a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts, Wyden said the federal Judiciary has fallen short in protecting its sensitive IT systems. He pointed to a recent intrusion of the courts’ case management system. Hackers reportedly took advantage of vulnerabilities that were brought to light five years ago, after a separate hack of the case management system. Wyden says Roberts should commission a National Academy of Sciences review of…

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Senate sets date for vote on 2026 defense policy bill

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  The Senate will vote on its version of the 2026 defense policy bill on Sept. 2. The House has not yet scheduled a floor vote on its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, though the House Committee on Rules has set an Aug. 28 deadline for lawmakers to file NDAA amendments. The Senate bill authorizes nearly $ 925 billion for national defense, while the House version aligns with the White House’s $ 883 billion request. Congress has passed the NDAA every year for the past 64 years. (Senate…

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DoD-commissioned report seeks to overhaul confusing reserve duty status system

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More than 30 different duty statuses under which National Guard members and reservists can be called to service could be consolidated into just four categories, a new Defense Department-commissioned report found.  Unlike active-duty troops who remain in one status, reservists and National Guard members move between multiple duty statuses depending on the type of service they perform. Over time, the system has grown to include more than 30 separate statutes scattered across about 20 different titles of federal law, creating inequities in pay and benefits and frequent administrative delays when…

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How the Evidence Act pushed agencies to make data a strategic asset

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What: The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act When: Passed by Congress and signed into law in January 2019 Why it matters: The Evidence Act required agencies to name chief data officers focused on improving data quality, data management, data governance and data stewardship. To celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2025, we’re spotlighting 25 pivotal moments that reshaped the way the government operates. Visit our anniversary page each week as we look back on these defining moments. The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act set agencies down a path of using an…

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Trump removes Billy Long as IRS commissioner, giving him the shortest-ever tenure in the role

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has removed former U.S. Rep. Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than two months after his confirmation, a White House official said Friday. It was not immediately clear why Long was dismissed. His quick exit makes him the shortest-tenured IRS commissioner confirmed by the Senate since the position was created in 1862. Long said in a social media post that Trump had nominated him for an ambassadorship. “It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on…

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House committee’s top Democrat presses for details on HHS layoffs

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The top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee is renewing his call for details about the reductions in force that have taken place at the Department of Health and Human Services. In a letter sent to HHS on Monday, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the committee’s ranking member, pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to explain how the layoffs of thousands of federal employees this year are impacting the agency’s mission. “As a result of these actions, operations of vital programs are in jeopardy — threatening to deprive…

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