Welcome to The Wrap for Wednesday, April 29!
From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:
Happy Birthday, OneGov! The General Services Administration (
GSA
) launched OneGov exactly one year ago today to modernize and streamline federal IT acquisitions through standardized terms and pricing. The payoff: GSA announced today that OneGov has saved American taxpayers $1.1 billion in its first year. A GSA spokesperson told MeriTalk that OneGov is on track to save taxpayers $1.5 billion by year’s end. Sixteen Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act agencies and 70 total government organizations are participating in the initiative, with nearly 3.4 million users. “Saving $1.1 billion in just one year shows the power of buying at scale – empowering federal agencies faster while aggressively safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” said GSA Administrator Edward Forst. Looking ahead, GSA plans to turn the short-term OneGov deals into longer-term, scalable programs. Stay tuned: GSA Deputy Administrator Michael Lynch said that GSA is currently working with industry partners to shape the program’s next phase.
DOGE Access Draws Scrutiny
Remember when the
Department of Government Efficiency
(DOGE) gained access to government systems in early 2025? The
US Government Accountability Office
(GAO) is looking into it. In a new report, GAO said DOGE’s access to critical
U.S. Department of the Treasury
payment systems created potential IT security risks. The watchdog found that the
Bureau of the Fiscal Service
(BFS) issued one DOGE employee a government laptop without ensuring the employee agreed to follow security rules or prevent data from leaving the bureau. That employee could view, copy, and print data from three BFS payment systems, and was inadvertently granted temporary ability to create, modify, and delete data in one system. GAO found no evidence that system data was changed. Still, the report said BFS implemented only five of 14 selected controls for DOGE staff. GAO warned that without stronger oversight, payment information remains at greater risk of improper access, disclosure, modification, and misuse.
Lawmakers raised concerns this week that NASA’s budget request for fiscal year 2027 would cut too deeply into science, technology, space operations, and STEM engagement. President Donald Trump’s proposal would give
NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$18.8 billion, down $5.6 billion from fiscal year 2026 levels. Science funding would fall from $7.25 billion to under $3.9 billion, while funding for the Office of STEM Engagement would be eliminated. Exploration funding, however, would increase from about $7.8 billion to $8.5 billion. Lawmakers in both chambers warned that prioritizing exploration while pulling back on science and technology could weaken the foundation behind future missions. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said no missions have been canceled yet, but some could be done “better, faster, and at lower cost” for taxpayers. But wait, there’s more: Lawmakers also criticized the administration for failing to deliver NASA’s Integrated Operating Plan, which was due to Congress on March 9. Isaacman said the plan is undergoing final review, and Congress should have it next week.
Plankey Is Officially Out
ICYMI:
The White House
officially withdrew the ill-fated nomination for Sean Plankey to become director of the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
(CISA) on Monday. President Donald Trump’s move to withdraw the nomination followed a request by Plankey to have his nomination rescinded. That request was reportedly because Plankey’s “wife and young family are owed greater certainty and work life balance from their husband and father.” In his letter to Trump, Plankey wrote: “After thirteen months since my initial nomination, it has become clear the Senate will not confirm me.” Trump first nominated Plankey to lead CISA in March 2025, but both Democrats and Republicans stalled his nomination. No new nominee has been announced yet for CISA director.
Once again, let’s “call IT a day,” but we’ll bring you more tomorrow. Until then, please check the MeriTalk breaking news website throughout the day for the latest on government IT people, progress, and policy.
And finally, please hit the news tip jar (with leads, breaking news, or simply your two cents) at newsstaff@meritalk.com.