The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Latest Episodes:

Senate stopgap extends key cyber authorities, TMF Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

The Senate’s bill to keep the government funded past the midterm elections would keep critical cybersecurity authorities alive through December. The continuing resolution would also extend the authorities of a central fund that invests in agency technology projects. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me.

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

VA’s cloud security memo more mythbuster than new policy Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

The Department of Veterans Affairs recent memo on cloud security isn’t breaking new ground. It’s not even changing policy. The best comparison for the memo that is reminding VA contracting officers and program managers that vendors do not have to have their FedRAMP certification before responding to or submitting proposals for solicitations or requests for information is mythbusting.

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

Some critics say one little-known EPA power means the approval process may never truly be over Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Investors, developers and local communities make long-term decisions based on the assumption that a federal permit means a project can move forward. Critics of a little-used EPA authority argue that assumption may no longer be as reliable as many people think. Joining me to walk through the issue is Myron Ebell, chairman of the Fix the EPA Veto Coalition.

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

Senate stopgap extents key cyber authorities, TMF Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

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

One of the toughest jobs in government is paying today to avoid problems tomorrow Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Whether it's backup power for a hospital or a microgrid for a public facility, FEMA's hazard-mitigation programs are designed to reduce future disaster losses before they occur. A recent GAO review examined how communities make the case for those investments and how FEMA evaluates whether they're worth the cost Joining me now is Janet McKelvey, Acting Director for Natural Resources and Environment at GAO.

Read the report here: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-26-108470.pdf

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

How much should homeowners have to pay upfront to get lower energy bills Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Energy-efficient homes can save money over time, but new requirements often increase costs at the front end. A recent Department of Energy analysis examined that tradeoff and raised questions about how policymakers should balance affordability and long-term savings Joining me to walk through that analysis is Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson.

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

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Wednesday, August 5, 2026 Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton

Everyone wants lower energy bills. The question is how much homeowners should have to pay upfront to get them
One of the toughest jobs in government is paying today for problems you're hoping won't happen tomorrow
A permit is supposed to provide certainty. Some critics say one little-known EPA power means the approval process may never truly be over

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

Army says its ready to scale NGC2 across the force Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

The Army says one of its biggest modernization efforts has reached a turning point. After years of testing, officials say its Next Generation Command and Control program, or NGC2, is ready to move beyond experiments and into broader use across the force. The goal is to replace a patchwork of aging command-and-control systems with a single, data-driven network that helps commanders make faster decisions on the battlefield. But turning that vision into reality will mean overcoming technical, budget and cultural challenges. Federal News Network's Rachel Cohen joins us with more.

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

OPM cements major shift in federal employee appeals, RIF processes Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Adverse action rules for federal employees are undergoing a major transformation. A set of final rules from the Office of Personnel Management transfer more power to OPM and take some authority away from the Merit Systems Protection Board. At the same time, agencies will now be required to prioritize employee performance over tenure during a reduction-in-force. Here with more, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.

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

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton . . .

When technology changes faster than acquisition cycles, government has a problem
Contracting officers have broad authority to evaluate proposals. But they don't get to change the scoring system after proposals arrive
Many acquisition reform efforts focus on policies and regulations. The Defense Innovation Unit is betting that changing the workforce may be just as important

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