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- The Department of Defense warns of a possible US default. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said if Congress did not raise the debt ceiling it would undermine the economic strength on which the country’s national security rests. In a public statement, Austin set out what could happen if the United States defaults on the funds it owes. Austin said the services of the military and survivors would be jeopardized, federal contractors may not be paid, and the United States’ international reputation could be damaged. Congress has until October 18 to raise the debt ceiling.
- Several bills giving new powers to the Inspectors General are going through Congress. Now more than 20 non-profit groups are highlighting what they believe are the most urgent IS reforms. The groups are calling for a law requiring a president to give Congress a detailed explanation for dismissing an IG. They also seek to give IGs the power to interview public officials who leave their posts before an investigation is completed and to provide tools for Congress to hold IGs accountable for alleged wrongdoing.
- The Justice Department launches a new initiative to hold state contractors accountable for their cybersecurity efforts. It brings the power of the False Claims Act to the growing cybersecurity challenge. Government contractors may now face heavy fines for failing to do enough to protect networks and systems that contain federal data. The DoJ yesterday announced the launch of the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, led by the Commercial Litigation Division of the Civil Division, Fraud Division. The task force will pursue cybersecurity fraud committed by government contractors and grant recipients through the False Claims Act and the Qui Tam or Whistleblower provision of the Act.
- A fourth cybersecurity guideline since August is about to be published. Chris DeRusha, federal chief information security officer, said a new endpoint discovery and response memo is in its final stages. The EDR guidelines would meet any of the 23 deadlines assigned to the authorities under President Joe Biden’s Cyber Executive Order issued in May. The Office of Management and Budget has already published memos for logging cyber incidents in order to secure critical software and implement a zero trust architecture. DeRusha said OMB is currently reviewing more than 100 comments on the draft zero trust strategy. A final strategy could be published in early 2022 at the latest.
- The head of the postal service regulator could stay longer than expected. President Joe Biden expects to nominate Post Regulatory Commission Chairman Michael Kubayanda for a full six-year term. The Senate confirmed Kubayanda in 2019 that it would serve the remainder of a sub-period that expired in November 2020. However, commissioners can serve an additional bridging year if a replacement has not been nominated and confirmed. As chairman of the PRC, Kubayanda has expressed concern about the postal service’s recent decision to slow down 40% of world-class mail delivery. (Federal Intelligence Network)
- Intelligence community officials undertake to continue their transition to introducing commercially available products. It is now a requirement for US intelligence agencies to consider commercial imagery before contacting state satellites. The explosion in the geospatial industry has caused intelligence officials to think about how best to capitalize on the influx of commercially available data. And they also want to remove regulatory hurdles for retail companies. Stacey Dixon, Executive Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service: “We want and need the American GEOINT industry in order to be the strongest and most efficient in the world.”
- The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency’s new campus in St. Louis will be “like no other in the” intelligence community. That’s because, according to Vice Admiral Robert Sharp, director of the NGA, about 20% of the building will be unclassified space. He said the agency will use the space to connect with industry, academia and the local community. The new campus is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2025.
- The army is setting up a new central directorate where soldiers can report sexual assault and harassment and receive the services they need. The Fusion Directorate came from the Army’s report of attacks on the military following a handful of violent incidents at Fort Hood, Texas. Fusion will bring medical professionals, victim advocates and investigators together in one area to make it easier for victims to get help. (Federal Intelligence Network)
- The Merit Systems Protection Board has taken a small step closer to a quorum. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee introduced the three presidential candidates to the board. The members of the committee voted along the party lines for the nomination of Cathy Harris, the election of the president as MSPB chairperson. Committee ranking member Rob Portman said he still had concerns about Harris’ previous statements and social media posts. The committee easily advanced the remaining nominees, Tristan Leavitt and Raymond Limon. All three nominations are now going to the entire Senate for a vote. The MSPB has not had a quorum for over four years.
- The Human Resources Office will again check with the agencies how they manage their human capital systems. OPM last performed these reviews in 2019. It regularly reviews other agencies to see how they are achieving hiring, training, and other people management goals. However, these reviews ensure that agencies have tools and metrics to measure whether they are meeting these broader human capital goals. OPM said it would start these assessments next spring.
- Federal employees celebrated the start of their annual fundraising campaign with a guest of honor. The combined federal campaign hopes to match or exceed last year’s donations. Federal employees in the Washington area raised over $ 37 million in 2020. Vice President Kamala Harris: “It truly is proof of your determination that you did this at a time when so many of you were experiencing your own troubles because of the pandemic. But that’s you. “The CFC is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The campaign runs until January 15th.
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