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This Week in Government Tech Media – November 14, 2025

By Brad Bass /

Have you heard that the federal government shutdown ended? As you might imagine, the reporters who cover government technology were on top of the news and also looking forward to what comes next now that agencies are reopening. There was also a buzz around Pentagon acquisition reforms. Read all about it below:

The Shutdown Ends!

Around the middle of the week, Congress finally passed a resolution to reopen the government that was swiftly signed by the President. Of course, there was a ton of coverage, with reporters looking at what it all means for civilian and military agencies and contractors:

  • Late on Nov. 12, Grace Dille of MeriTalk reported that the House of Representatives voted 222-209 to approve a funding package to reopen the federal government, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. In a subsequent article, Dille quoted observers who warned it could take the government “months – or even years – to recover from shutdown-related disruptions.”
  • In an update the next morning, Eric Katz wrote in Nextgov/FCW that the President “quickly signed the spending package into law,” funding most agencies through January 31 under the new stopgap continuing resolution – though the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture and legislative branch agencies are funded through September. 
  • Following the House vote, furloughed federal employees were notified to show up for work Thursday morning, according to a Federal News Network article by Jory Heckman.
  • Madison Alder noted in FedScoop that the bill also included language voiding federal agencies’ plans to carry out reductions in force during the shutdown and guaranteeing back pay to federal workers.
  • Reporting for state and local government publication Route Fifty, Chris Teale wrote that the resolution from Congress also reauthorized a popular federal cybersecurity grant program for state and local governments.
  • A statement from an association of state government tech leaders welcomed the cyber sharing resolution and stated that it “demonstrates that Congress is indeed taking this issue seriously,” according to a piece by Colin Wood in StateScoop.
  • In his take on the resolution for Federal News Network, Justin Doubleday noted that cyber experts are urging lawmakers to act quickly to enact a more long-term solution than the one passed this week, which expires at the end of January.
  • The resolution also included provisions to restore some staffing at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which had been suffering from shutdown-related staffing issues, according to an article by Chris Riotta in GovInfoSecurity.
  • Looking at the resolution from the perspective of government contractors, Nick Wakeman of Washington Technology quoted industry observers who opined that the impact of the shutdown “will linger and be felt by contractors for months.”
  • Covering the reopening from the Defense perspective, Brandi Vincent of DefenseScoop reported that civilian Defense Department employees whose pay was impacted by the shutdown were expecting to receive backpay but weren’t sure when or how.
  • It may take time for every Air Force and Space Force civilian employee to receive their backpay and return to the office, according to coverage by Matthew Cox in Air & Space Forces Magazine.
  • Early in the week, Meghann Myers of Defense One quoted defense experts who said the Pentagon had been “hemorrhaging readiness, with training and maintenance hours lost due to lack of funding” related to the shutdown.
  • In Defense and Security Monitor, Shaun McDougall provided an analysis of what to expect with regard to the Pentagon’s FY26 budget, now that the shutdown is over.
  • In a similar piece for Breaking Defense, Alyssa Schonhaut wrote that, upon the government reopening, defense programs will have to operate under FY25 funding levels — but with a few notable exceptions.

Defense Acquisition Reform

Late last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a major address to industry on the Pentagon’s plans for acquisition reform. We saw varied takes on the speech this week from a number of publications:

  • In the Axios Future of Defense newsletter, Colin Demarest provided a thorough overview of Hegseth’s plan to reform the way the department purchases technology, as well as a warning that companies unable to modernize will “fade away.”
  • Stephen Losey noted in Defense News that reform efforts aim to give acquisition leaders “enough flexibility and power to take calculated risks and focus on delivering new weapons speedily.”
  • The initiative calls for changes such as prioritizing a commercial-first approach, cutting red tape, increasing competition and bringing more commercial firms and nontraditional contractors into the defense space, according to an update from Anastasia Obis in Federal News Network.
  • In an article picked up in Washington Technology, Lauren C. Williams highlighted Hegseth’s message to contractors to increase investment: “You must invest in yourselves rather than saddling taxpayers with every cost.”
  • Vincent reported in DefenseScoop that the Pentagon’s pool of acquisition experts may grow in the months ahead, due to the announced reforms.
  • The Pentagon’s acquisition leader Michael Duffey told reporters that reform efforts will emphasize speed, but not at the expense of performance, according to coverage by Ashley Roque for Breaking Defense. 
  • Analysts said the focus on speeding up acquisitions may come with increased near-term cost increases, according to a report from Chris Gordon and Courtney Albon in Air & Space Force Magazine.
  • Roque also wrote a piece with her colleague Carley Welch on changes to the Army’s acquisition structure, including the formation of six new Portfolio Acquisition Executives.
  • Also zeroing on Army reforms, Mikayla Easley of DefenseScoop wrote that the service is initiating a massive reorganization in an effort to drastically shorten procurement timelines and promote innovation
  • For an industry reaction to Hegseth’s plan, Terry Gerton of Federal News Network interviewed Professional Services Council leader Stephanie Kostro, who said the plan has been well received, but “the proof is always in the pudding.”

Upcoming Industry Events

As we do each week, we’re providing a list of upcoming industry events for your consideration. Here are a few for the coming week:

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As the government tech media continues to report the news, this weekly roundup will provide a resource to help you keep track of the biggest stories. I’ll return next week with a new one. In the meantime, tell your colleagues they can subscribe to this update on LinkedIn or via the form below.