For 2025 budget request, federal IT prioritizing AI, CX

The White House is seeking the smallest increase in spending on federal civilian IT since 2013, when the technology budget actually dropped. The $ 75.1 billion request for fiscal 2025, however, isn’t pushing the same old, same old. It’s clear the Office of Management and Budget is telling agencies to make even more strategic investments in Biden administration priorities around artificial intelligence and customer experience. “The administration is focused on understanding where agencies are on their information technology (IT) modernization journeys, determining the right investments to support secure technology integration…

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Congress, Biden administration look for ways to boost federal recruitment, retention of military spouses

House lawmakers are looking to offer a little more help to military spouses who may be struggling to keep their jobs. Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) introduced the READINESS Act on Nov. 21. If enacted, the bill would provide more job flexibility to the spouses of both active-duty military members and Foreign Service officers. The bipartisan legislation presents several options to military spouses working in government. Upon a military relocation, they would be able to seek an individual determination from their employing agency about whether they can…

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Why there’s not a huge cause for optimism for the rest of the federal budget year

The latest continuing resolution Congress passed last week avoided a government shutdown. But even if lawmakers achieve that feat again next year, on the two different dates when the CR expires, there are a lot of other ways the rest of fiscal 2024 could be messy for federal agencies and their vendors. To look into it further, Federal News Network Deputy Director Jared Serbu talked with Larry Allen, President of Allen Federal Business Partners on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Interview Transcript:  Larry Allen Jared, my primary concern still…

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Biden nominates a former Obama official to run the Federal Aviation Administration

President Joe Biden on Thursday nominated a former Obama administration official to lead the Federal Aviation Administration after his first choice withdrew in March after running into opposition from Republican senators. The White House said Biden nominated Michael G. Whitaker, a former deputy administrator at the FAA. He is currently the chief operating officer of a Hyundai affiliate working to develop an air taxi aircraft. Whitaker’s nomination had been expected for months, and Biden’s announcement was praised by several industry and labor groups. The FAA, which regulates airline safety and…

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Two GOP lawmakers look to defund armed regulatory officers at certain federal agencies

Is that recording of your agency’s latest Zoom meeting a federal record? The National Archives said it probably is in many cases. A draft bulletin released by the National Archives and Records Administration this week said agencies must incorporate records management practices into their use of collaboration platforms. The use of those tools, like Zoom, Webex, Slack and Discord, has become a fixture in government over the last few years. The draft NARA bulletin said agencies should work with platform providers to ensure records can be exported with required metadata.…

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