The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

The Small Business Administration and the Defense Department are expanding an arrangement to foster new companies with national security technology. The latest joint effort is called the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies Initiative. SBA even has a brand new financial instrument. For the details, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked to SBA Associate Administrator Bailey DeVries.

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It might be the biggest thing in computing since the microprocessor. But quantum computing doesn't come with guaranteed security. Among the challenges, developing cryptography algorithms that resist quantum computing. Government and industry are both pursuing this goal. For a view from the industry side, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to the vice president for quantum adoption at IBM, Scott Crowder.

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While the Thrift Savings Plan overseers work to fix the TSP web site and system behind it, users report ongoing problems. Mainly long telephone wait times and a lack of control over monthly withdrawals. Financial coach and federal retiree Abe Grungold has more.

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Federal employment is anything but simple. In fact, each year, thousands of federal workplace cases end up in the courts, federal district, appellate, and administrative forums. Joining the Federal Drive with a quick look at some of the most important cases of 2022, Shaw Bransford and Roth senior counsel James Heelan.

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For various reasons, defense contractors have quite a bit of Defense Department property in their possession. But DOD can only guesstimate how much it's all worth. That figure isn't small. Like, $220 billion worth. The Government Accountability Office finds, Defense officials don't have a good plan for figuring it out. For more, the Federal Drive turned to the director of GAO's financial management and assurance team, Kristen Kociolek.

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From software vulnerabilities to counterfeit electronics, agencies are grappling with risks throughout their supply chains. Now the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is setting up a new program to help feds and others put supply chain security policies into practice. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me with the latest. 

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A bill that would return much of the federal workforce to the office heads for a House floor vote this week. The Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems — or SHOW UP — Act would return federal employees to pre-pandemic working conditions. The Republican-led bill has a low chance of being enacted, but it’s drawing concerns from Democrats. Joining the Federal Drive with details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.

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Few people heard of the FAA's NOTAM system until it crashed and brought aviation to a standstill earlier this month. The FAA blamed a contractor for accidentally deleting files, such that the system failed to synchronize. The Federal Drive's next guest says the incident speaks to all contractors about the need to supervise their people. Federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen joins me now.

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The Automated Commercial Environment is an old system operated by Customs and Border Protection. It supports the movement and fees collection of ship cargo moving in and out of the United States. It might be old, but CBP has updated this system several times over the decades. Now, using a chunk of money from the Technology Modernization Fund, CBP has overhauled a crucial module in the Automated Commercial Environment. The Federal Drive got some of the details from the executive director of CBP's trade transformation office, James Byram.

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The latest benefit signed into law for veterans aims to help those exposed to the poisonous fumes of burn pits and other sources. VA officials say they were ready for the Pact Act. For an update, the deputy under secretary for the office of policy and oversight, Ronald Burke.

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