Senate Democrats charge DOGE is putting federal data at risk

Senate Democrats are charging the Department of Government Efficiency is putting federal data at risk at the Social Security Administration, the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. In a new report, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said staff investigations and whistleblower accounts show how DOGE personnel are working without any accountability to agency leadership, congressional oversight or the public. For example, Peters said despite an SSA risk assessment warning of an up to 65% chance of catastrophic breach, the data remains in systems without any verified security controls. Peters called on SSA, GSA and OPM to immediately halt DOGE operations and access to information systems given the risk of a serious data breach.Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wants answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the Army considering a major expansion of privatized barracks, even though the military has a long history of exploitative practices by privatized military housing providers. According to reports, construction has already begun at Fort Irwin, California, as part of a pilot project that will replace existing barracks with modern apartment units. The effort began under former President Joe Biden, but now the Army is planning a broader expansion. Warren said while the goal of these efforts is to cut costs and increase the quality of housing for service members and their families, the approach has failed. Instead, the Pentagon created higher costs for taxpayers as health and safety standards continued to decline, according to Warren. Warren asked Hegseth to estimate the total costs associated with long-term barracks improvement projects across the Defense Department. She also requested details on how the Pentagon’s 2026 budget proposal funds the Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization program long term to address health and safety conditions in the barracks.The Justice Department has settled a case with Georgia Institute of Technology over allegations the university failed to follow contractual cybersecurity requirements. Georgia Tech agreed to pay $875,000 to resolve the False Claims Act lawsuit. DOJ alleged the university didn’t meet certain cyber requirements in connection with Air Force and other Defense Department contracts. DOJ also alleged Georgia Tech submitted a false cybersecurity self-assessment score to DoD contracting officers. The settlement comes as the Pentagon prepares to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program later this year.]]>

The partial government shutdown is affecting the Government Accountability Office’s bid protest process. GAO has shut down its Electronic Protest Docketing System, meaning both ongoing and new bid protests are on hold until the government reopens. GAO said it will extend protest decision deadlines for a period of time equal to the length of time that the agency is closed. Additionally, deadlines for the filing of new protests that fall on a day that GAO is closed are extended to the first day that GAO resumes operations. Lawyers and companies also can’t access protest documents during the partial shutdown, so any other filing deadline for an agency or private party will be extended by one day for every day that GAO was closed.The White House has tapped Mark Ditlevson to serve as the next assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs. He is currently serving in the role in an acting capacity. If confirmed, he would succeed Melissa Dalton, who held the position under former President Joe Biden. In this role, Ditlevson would oversee the Defense Department’s homeland defense activities, including cyber operations, defense support to civil authorities and space-related matters. His nomination comes as the Trump administration continues to expand U.S. military activities within the homeland. In his testimony earlier this year, Ditlevson said the department is preparing to expand counter-drone operations along the southern border.The Transportation Department is tracking some call outs by air traffic controllers as the government shutdown enters its second week. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there’s been a slight uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick during the shutdown. “Our priorities are safety, and so if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people,” Duffy said during a press conference Monday. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association also urged its members to continue delivering consistent, high-level public service. More than 13,200 air traffic controllers are among the feds working without pay during the shutdown.
The IRS is going through yet another leadership shakeup. Frank Bisignano, the head of the Social Security Administration, will now also serve as CEO of the IRS. It’s a new role that will oversee the agency’s day-to-day operations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will still serve as the acting IRS commissioner. The head of IRS Criminal Investigations, Jarod Koopman, is now serving as acting chief tax compliance officer and will oversee its enforcement operations.The Trump administration is threatening more layoffs, but one agency is doing the opposite. The General Services Administration brought hundreds of employees back to work to manage its governmentwide real estate portfolio. That’s after it rescinded reduction-in-force notices they had delivered months ago. Several GSA employees said the government shutdown didn’t hamper plans to reinstate them. GSA’s Public Buildings Service is in charge of managing government office space and has carryover funds that allows it to keep a majority of employees paid and working during a shutdown.
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