• The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is coming under scrutiny for workforce cuts as cyber and physical threats to critical infrastructure rise. A group of Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a Government Accountability Office report on the impact of recent workforce reductions and program cuts on CISA’s ability to fulfill its mission. The lawmakers, from the House Committee on Homeland Security and Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection pointed to CISA’s loss of nearly 1,000 employees, or about a third of its workforce, in the first half of 2025. Though CISA has announced plans to hire 300 employees to rebuild, the Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal proposes removing another 900 positions from the agency. CISA has also experienced leadership turnover during the second Trump administration.
• The National Archives and Records Administration finally has a Senate-confirmed agency head. Brad Wilson became the 12th archivist of the United States on August 7, receiving bipartisan support. He previously served in positions at Princeton as well as the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University. He’ll replace Ed Forst, head of the General Services Administration, who had been overseeing NARA in an acting capacity since April.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is providing opportunities for students to pursue skilled technical jobs in the aerospace industry. The agency is investing roughly $10 million to speed up the development of technical roles to meet growing talent demands of the space industry. The funding is part of a new initiative called NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs, or NASA State Hubs. These hubs will connect students with aerospace employers, high school career programs and community colleges to help prepare them for high demand technical jobs, such as welders, electricians and machinists.
• Two agencies have filled key technology leadership roles. FEMA and the Defense Contract Management Agency have filled their chief information officer roles with familiar faces. FEMA hired Steve McAndrews, who has been the deputy CIO at the National Nuclear Security Administration since January 2022. He also has been on detail to the Energy Department's Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response office for the last several months. DCMA hired Dave Catanoso to be its new CIO. Catanoso spent more than 14 years working at VA , most recently serving the senior advisor for IT modernization. He also was deputy CIO at CMS.
• Nicole Perry will take over as head of the Navy’s Office of Small Business Programs, effective immediately. The service said in a release that Perry, the office’s deputy director, is an Army veteran with about 25 years of experience in defense contracting and finance. She’s replacing Andrew Magliochetti, who spent a year in the role. Magliochetti is heading out to “spearhead the launch of a new Department of the Navy initiative,” according to the release. His LinkedIn profile only says the new position is “to be announced.”
• The U.S. military doesn't have enough maintenance staff to address its $285 billion maintenance backlog and doesn’t consistently track work orders from troops who live and work in neglected facilities. The Government Accountability Office says the DoD needs to take a closer look at how continuing to underfund military installations across the globe affects mission readiness and troops’ quality of life. The watchdog recommended a 13-point plan to improve how DoD manages its buildings.
• The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) is joining an ongoing lawsuit against the IRS to protect members from having to follow what it calls an unlawful directive. The lawsuit is challenging the provisions of an order that broadly grants immunity to President Trump, his family and his family's business interests from tax audits. NTEU says this case is about protecting the integrity of the civil service and IRS employees. The union says IRS employees should never be forced to choose between following a political directive to keep their job and following the law.
• Private equity firms could face increased congressional scrutiny come November as lawmakers focus more closely on the industry’s growing presence in the defense sector. Legal experts say recent congressional oversight letters reflect growing concern among lawmakers about how acquisition strategies used by private equity could impact the long-term stability of companies that provide critical national security services and materials. While lawmakers will continue examining private equity’s involvement in the defense industry regardless of the outcome of the midterm elections, congressional investigations could increase should Democrats flip control of the House or the Senate. In June, Senate lawmakers introduced a bill that would require the Defense Department to review transactions that would result in a private equity firm holding a 25% stake in a defense contractor.
• The Social Security Administration is looking for advice on how to best roll out artificial intelligence capabilities across its systems and workforce. The agency posted a request for information last week focused on leveraging lessons learned from other agencies and the private sector. They’re particularly interested in sourcing, talent, infrastructure, training and governance. Comments on the RFI are due by September 28.

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