Category: Congress

SBIR/STTR awards remain vulnerable to foreign influence

remain, Awards, Vulnerable, SBIR/STTR, Foreign, influence0 comment

Of the 12 agencies running the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, only one has made significant progress to prevent or limit foreign adversaries from taking advantage of the research and development funding. New data from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chairwoman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, shows that the National Institutes of Health both flagged and denied all applications that included companies or people from places like China and Russia. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is the chairwoman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.…

Read More...

As the executive branch slashes foreign aid programs, will Congress step in?

Congress, Foreign, executive, Programs, step, Branch, slashes0 comment

Interview transcript: Terry Gerton: Foreign aid has probably garnered more headlines in the last two months than it has in the two years. With DOGE’s termination of most of USAID’s grants, and even more recently, the proposed reorganization of the Department of State, we’re seeing a massive realignment of the U.S. strategy when it comes to foreign aid. So Bob, what role has U.S. foreign aid funding played in global humanitarian assistance? Can you give us an idea of the impact? Bob Powers: Yes, certainly it plays a massive role…

Read More...

Lawmakers question Noem over cuts to CISA, FEMA, TSA

Over, Lawmakers, cuts, question, FEMA, Noem, CISA0 comment

House lawmakers left with lingering questions about proposed budget cuts at the Department of Homeland Security after a Tuesday oversight hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The hearing, before the House Appropriations Committee’s homeland security subcommittee, was held days after the Trump administration released its proposed fiscal 2026 “skinny budget.” The request would increase overall DHS funding — largely at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol — it would also cut budgets at several component agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Emergency…

Read More...

The Latest: White House unveils Trump’s 2026 proposed budget

proposed, trumps, 2026, budget, House, White, latest, unveils0 comment

The White House is unveiling President Donald Trump’s budget, a sweeping framework proposing steep reductions in non-defense domestic spending while increasing expenditures on national security. The budget plan released Friday shows a desire to crack down on diversity programs and initiatives to address climate change. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to strip temporary legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to being deported. Here’s the latest: Trump insists the economy will do ‘fantastically’ despite recession concerns The president in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet…

Read More...

The Capitol building looks like it always has, but it has a new architect

Building, Always, capitol, architect, looks, like0 comment

More than any other building, the U.S. Capitol stands as the symbol of the republic. The building itself is just one of many in an historical collection encompassing 18 million square feet of building space over 570 acres. Overseeing it all, the architect of the Capitol. The current architect has held the job for just about a year. Thomas Austin joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Interview transcript: Tom Temin: I don’t know where you begin to talk about what the Architect of the Capitol does these days, but let’s…

Read More...

This politician is still going strong at 75 years old

still, Strong, This, Years, “Going, Politician0 comment

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) could be called a renaissance man of Congress. He’s been a successful businessman, ambassador, philanthropist, civic booster and elected official at the state and tfederal levels. A life-long learner, he’s also been a regular guest on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin, and joined Tom for a final interview. Interview transcript: Tom Temin Congressman Beyer, good to have you back. Don Beyer Thank you, Tom, very much. And I get a lot of lifelong learning on your show. Tom Temin Well, I appreciate that very much.…

Read More...