Welcome to the Fed Mission Success News Round Up brought to you by Makpar. Each week, we will provide a summary of actionable news and insights to help aid in overall mission success for Federal agency IT decision-makers and influencers.
House Passes Bill to Modernize Technology at Federal Financial Agencies
The House passed the bipartisan FUTURES Act, which would require federal financial regulators to assess their technology capabilities, identify gaps and procurement barriers, and develop plans for addressing those challenges, according to FedScoop.
Treasury’s Bessent Opposes Liability Exemptions for AI Companies
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress not to grant AI companies liability exemptions, arguing that holding developers responsible for what their systems create is an important safeguard as AI capabilities expand, according to FedScoop.
USDA Official Says AI Regulation Lacks Consensus Across Government and Industry
Government and technology leaders have yet to reach broad agreement on how to regulate increasingly capable AI systems, highlighting the need for policymakers and industry to work together on potential rules and safeguards, according to MeriTalk.
Oracle Leaders Subpoenaed Over VA’s $27B EHRM Contract
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs has subpoenaed Oracle executives Larry Ellison and Mike Sicilia to testify about VA’s decision to raise the ceiling of its Electronic Health Record Modernization contract from roughly $10 billion to nearly $27 billion, according to MeriTalk.
DOE Opens $215M Quantum Genesis Competition for Fault-Tolerant Systems
The Department of Energy (DOE) opened a competition with up to $215 million in planned funding aimed at accelerating commercially built quantum computers capable of solving scientific problems beyond the reach of conventional systems, according to MeriTalk.
TSA AI Agent Handles 100,000 Traveler Conversations a Month
The Transportation Security Administration’s AI agent, Ace, is handling about 100,000 routine traveler conversations each month and resolving 96 percent of inquiries without human escalation, helping travelers get answers while allowing TSA staff to focus on higher priority cases, according to NextGov.
