The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The Government Accountability Office recently made big headlines with its report on the cost of the deferred resignation program. In 2025, agencies spent nearly $7 billion paying federal employees *not* to work. But there's more to the story beyond the headline, like the other factors to consider when calculating DRP costs versus savings, and the limitations of what we actually know about the program. To get into the details, Federal News Network's Drew Friedman sat down with the author of the widely covered report, GAO's Director of Strategic Issues Dawn Locke..

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The new leader of the Transportation Security Administration is laying out a bold vision for the future of TSA. TSA Administrator David Cummins says the agency’s Horizon 25 strategy is aimed at modernizing airport checkpoints and improving the traveler experience. For more on how those plans are coming together, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.

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Nearly every veteran has earned burial benefits through military service, but only a fraction of eligible families ever use them. Many families don't learn what's available until they're faced with decisions that can't be postponed. Here to discuss what veterans and their families can do before that moment arrives is Mike Meese, president of Armed Forces Mutual.

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Every year, the AUSA conference offers clues about where Army leaders are focused and where the toughest debates may lie ahead. This year's gathering comes amid leadership changes, continuing modernization efforts and new questions about alliance management. Gen. Robert Brown, president of the Association of the United States Army, joins me now with a conference sneak peek.

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Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

• This year's AUSA conference arrives at an important moment for the Army, with major questions about modernization, readiness and the alliances behind both
• Nearly every veteran qualifies for burial benefits, but only a fraction of eligible families ever use them

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The Pentagon already tracks suicides among service members and their families, but it doesn’t have the same requirement for its civilian workforce. Now, a Maryland lawmaker wants to change that after five suicides in five weeks at Fort Meade. Federal News Network’s Rachel Cohen joins me with more on the proposal.

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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is facing widespread pushback on its planned overhaul of the federal sector complaint process. Lawmakers, former commissioners and other stakeholders are all warning that a proposed rule from EEOC would make it more difficult for federal employees to challenge workplace discrimination. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.

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The government continues to test the reach of the False Claims Act in contractor compliance cases. Recent settlements suggest employment practices may receive the same scrutiny as other contractual obligations. Here to discuss the implications is Richard Arnolt, partner at Bass, Berry & Sims.

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For generations, civil service reform has focused on federal employees. A new proposal argues that government capacity depends on a much larger ecosystem of people who carry out public purposes. Here to discuss that perspective is Don Kettl, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland and author of the paper.

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Retirement calendars can be helpful, but they don't tell the whole story. Choosing when to retire involves a series of tradeoffs that can affect your benefits long after you leave federal service. Bringing her deep expertise to this question is Tammy Flanagan, Principal with Retire Federal.

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