The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recently, Major Kate Rubins became the first Army Reserve officer to receive the Basic Aviation Badge with Astronaut Device and Space Badge. Just tack it on as another accomplishment for her. As a microbiologist and NASA astronaut who also serves in the Army Reserve, I thought I would use this show as a good excuse to get the chance to meet her and hear her story, and that's just what I did. My first question, what do you consider your official job?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A clause in the Defense Authorization law for 2025 has procurement attorneys sitting up in their chairs. It calls on the Defense Department and the Government Accountability Office to develop a plan to test a novel idea. Having companies that lose bid protests to repay DoD for legal costs. Joining me with what this could all mean, Venable procurement attorney Chris Griesedieck.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal building's disposal. Board has secured yet more time to deal with

partially empty office space. The public buildings reform board was supposed to

help the General Services Administration identify properties it no longer

needs. Congress gave the board six years, but a recently signed law now gives

the board an extra year and a half. Federal News Network's Jory Heckman has the

latest.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first military paycheck of 2025 lands in service members bank accounts. Next week, they'll see one of the biggest increases in decades, 14.5% for junior enlisted service members and 4.5% for everybody else. Some troops will get even bigger raises in the new year, though, on top of the base pay raise, housing allowances are increasing by 5.4% still, the real number depends a lot on where they're stationed and a little bit on their rank. Federal News Network's Jared Serbu has been digging into the data.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President-elect Trump has promised to use tariffs as economic levers to benefit the U.S. Perhaps strangely, tariffs figure into federal acquisition rules and practices. Lots of things to fulfill federal contracts some from other countries. We get a detailed look now from Haynes Boone procurement attorney Dan Ramish.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Don't look for the Education Department to disappear after the next Trump administration assumes office. It won't have enough votes in Congress. Still, the department is likely to undergo fairly drastic change. Some predictions now from the director of education policy at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, Rick Hess.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Among its biggest challenges, the FAA has a constant need to install new equipment while keeping the old stuff going. That task falls members of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialist, PASS. The union represents FAA employees who deal with aging technology and sometimes a shortage of spare parts. PASS told a Senate committee the FAA is too slow in developing its technical workforce...and not moving fast enough to stay ahead of aging infrastructure. We get more now from PASS president Dave Spero.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Members of Congress are seeking some more details from the Treasury Department on a

recent China connected cyber attack. The hackers were able to access some Treasury workstations after compromising a third party software provider. Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday has the latest.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.