Archana Vemulapalli, chief technology officer for the District of Columbia, discusses the impact of a federal IT leadership vacuum on state and local governments.

Harrison Smith, deputy chief procurement officer at the IRS, discusses his agency's new approach to industry outreach.

Politico budget and appropriations reporter Sarah Ferris, Military Times' Capitol Hill bureau chief Leo Shane III, and Bloomberg Government legislative analyst joined Francis for this edition of the Federal Beat. They discuss the buzz of budget talk as Congress returns to Washington.