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- DoD’s acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins will review Defense Secretary’s Pete Hegseth’s use of the commercial messaging app Signal to discuss operational details of airstrikes in Yemen. Stebbins said the review will “determine the extent to which the defense secretary and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business.” The evaluation will also investigate the compliance with classification and records retention requirements. Stebbins’ memo comes after two top Senate lawmakers requested a probe into the incident that has stunned Washington.
- Democrats are continuing their probes into how the Department of Government Efficiency is accessing and using federal agency data. House Oversight Committee Democrats this week introduced a resolution of inquiry investigating how DOGE is using data and artificial intelligence at federal agencies. The committee has 14 legislative days to vote on the resolution or it will become privileged on the House floor. Lawmakers specifically want to know whether DOGE is using AI to identify spending cuts. And on the Senate side, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.) demanded answers from 24 agencies this week about DOGE’s access to their data. Peters’ letter comes amid numerous reports that DOGE teams are skirting privacy and security laws to gain access to data repositories.
(Democrats want answers on DOGE access to federal agency data – Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee)
- More high-level federal employees will soon be held to different performance standards. The Office of Personnel Management is telling agencies to change the way they review employees in Senior-Level, Scientific and Professional positions. The changes in OPM’s new guidance are nearly identical to OPM’s updates to performance reviews for Senior Executive Service members, announced in February. Those updates make employees’ adherence to the President’s policies the “most critical element” of their performance reviews. Agencies are expected to adopt the new performance review system for SL and ST employees by next September at the latest.
(New senior professional performance appraisal system and plan – Office of Personnel Management)
- The Defense Department’s new guidance requires the military services, combatant commands, and DoD agencies and field activities to publicly report any canceled or terminated contracts tied to the Trump administration’s efficiency initiatives. The new directive provides contracting officers with specific instructions for reporting all qualifying contract terminations and cancellations. The guidance, released by the office of defense pricing, contracting and acquisition policy applies to both Federal Acquisition Regulation-based contracts and Other Transaction agreements. So far, the Defense Department, in partnership with the Department of Government Efficiency, has identified $800 million in what it considers wasteful spending.
(DoD provides instructions for reporting terminated contracts – Department of Defense)
- The Social Security Administration is back at it with plans for tighter identity-proofing requirements. SSA will eliminate an option for individuals to verify their identity over the phone to receive retirement benefits or request direct deposit changes. Instead they’ll have to verify their identity through the agency’s “my Social Security” online platform or show up at an SSA field office to complete the verification process. SSA walked back an earlier version of these plans that also impacted disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries. SSA is also looking at a partnership with the Postal Service to let beneficiaries verify their identity at a nearby post office.
(Social Security Administration outlines new plan for stricter ID-proofing options – Federal News Network)
- Two of President Trump’s nominees who could take the reins on federal workforce issues just faced a flurry of questions from Senate committee members. During their nomination hearing yesterday, top picks for the Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget both showed favor for Trump’s efforts to massively reduce the federal workforce. Scott Kupor, Trump’s nominee for OPM director, also told lawmakers he plans to overhaul the performance management system for federal employees. And Eric Ueland, Trump’s pick for OMB deputy director for management, said he sees many “opportunities” that could come from the recent cancelation of most agencies’ union contracts.
(OMB and OPM nomination hearing – Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee)
- The Army is walking away from its plan to issue an up-to-$10 billion multiple-award contract that was supposed to have been used to handle its software development needs. After three rounds of draft RFPs and industry feedback, the service posted a brief notice last week saying it has “determined to no longer pursue the solicitation and award” of the 10-year ID/IQ contract. Officials did not immediately identify their next steps. Previously, the Army intended to make initial awards to a pool of 10 to 20 vendors.
(Army walks away from multi-award contract for software development needs – U.S. Army via System for Award Management)
- The Trump administration put employees at the Institute of Museum and Library Services on administrative leave. But its board wants to know how the agency will continue its statutory obligations. The board is asking the acting director of IMLS how many employees will remain to keep paying out grants and other essential functions. IMLS is the largest source of federal funding for museums and libraries. President Donald Trump called for the elimination of IMLS and other small agencies in a recent executive order leaving only functions required by law.
(Letter to acting Director Keith Sonderling – Institute of Museum and Library Services)
The post Pentagon inspector general investigating Hegseth’s use of Signal messaging app first appeared on Federal News Network.