If you read our post last week, you’ll recall that much of the government technology media coverage was focused on actions by the Trump administration that put a hold on various spending initiatives – creating mass confusion among government workers and contractors. This week, much of the coverage has been in response to shake-ups caused by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Here’s our roundup:
DOGE Access to Agency IT Systems
We saw a lot of coverage around DOGE’s controversial moves to access systems at agencies like the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Treasury Department:
- OPM officials are asking a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit by two federal employees claiming the agency illegally used its email system on behalf of the DOGE, reported in Nextgov/FCW by David DiMolfetta. In MeriTalk, Grace Dille wrote that OPM stated that its action did not create a privacy risk. Billy Mitchell of FedScoop reported that OPM claims the plaintiffs misinterpreted the law.
- A federal judge limited DOGE’s access to a Treasury Department payments system after labor organizations filed a lawsuit raising privacy concerns, according to reporting by Matt Bracken in FedScoop. Dille reported in MeriTalk that the White House agreed to the restrictions.
- DOGE also now has access to systems at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to an article in Nextgov/FCW by Eric Katz which said the move is raising concerns about interference with scientific activities.
- Senate Democrats are pushing back in response to reports that the DOGE is accessing systems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to an article by Edward Graham in Nextgov/FCW.
- In Federal News Network, Jory Heckman noted that Democratic lawmakers are also pushing back against DOGE efforts to expand access to even more agencies’ systems. Heckman’s colleague Anastasia Obis reported on Senate Democrats’ concerns that DOGE’s access raises security issues.
- In a similar vein, Natalie Alms of Nextgov/FCW quotes several experts who believe that the DOGE actions pose a “constitutional crisis.” Derek B. Johnson of CyberScoop also interviewed technology and legal experts, whom he reported were “aghast” at the DOGE actions.
- But wait, there’s more. DOGE personnel are also accessing systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to a report from Reuters.
DOGE at FAA, GSA and More
Aside from the hubbub over access to government IT systems, the DOGE is plowing forward on several fronts:
- Weslan Hansen wrote in MeriTalk that the DOGE will work with the Federal Aviation Administration to upgrade the country’s air traffic control systems.
- Alms reported in Nextgov/FCW that the DOGE plans to shut down the General Service’s Administration’s 18F office, the tech team behind projects like the IRS free tax filing website. Hansen noted in MeriTalk that DOGE head Elon Musk stated in a social media post that he had “deleted” the organization.
- In other GSA/DOGE news from outside of the government tech trade space, Paresh Dave, Zoe Schiffer and Makena Kelly of WIRED reported that DOGE is developing GSAi, a custom generative AI chatbot to boost productivity at the GSA.
- Speaking of Musk, Alms teamed with Nick Wakeman of Washington Technology on a piece in Nextgov/FCW on ethical questions raised by Musk’s status as a “special government employee” leading the DOGE.
- Along similar lines, Robert Lemos published an article in commercial tech trade Dark Reading on the likelihood that cybersecurity of U.S. space systems will likely worsen due to the push for deregulation by Musk and others.
Making Agency CIOs Political Appointees
The Trump Administration is asking agencies to reclassify their top tech positions from titles reserved for career workers to ones that only political appointees can occupy.
Unsurprisingly, the government tech media jumped on the story:
- Alms wrote in Nextgov/FCW that the action opens the door to the politicization of government technology.
- Rebecca Heilweil noted in FedScoop that the administration believes the action could also help increase the potential talent pool for CIOs.
- In MeriTalk, Hansen reported that the administration wants the change because agency tech chiefs have “policy-determining capabilities across a range of controversial political topics.”
Once again, it feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface of the trending news in the government tech space. If you’re looking for additional information, you might want to check out the latest Washington Technology WT 360 podcast where Wakeman and his colleague Ross Wilkers discuss the impact that the first weeks of the Trump administration might have on government contractors. For more of a Defense slant, try Breaking Defense’s latest Weekly Break Out podcast, focused this week on “contracting chaos.”
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and see you next week!