The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Friday, December 19, 2025

The Treasury Department is officially suspending Direct File, a free online tax filing platform the IRS launched last year. The department said it’s exploring alternatives. That includes strengthening its partnership with tax preparation companies through its Free File program. Direct File expanded to 25 states during this year’s filing season and saw higher favorability scores. But Treasury said the program cost too much and didn’t see enough usage to keep scaling it up. For more on what happens next, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with the CEO of Code for America, Amanda Renteria.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The future at the Federal Emergency Management Agency remains murky after the Trump administration recently delayed a long-anticipated report from the FEMA Review Council. The uncertainty around the council’s recommendations cap a year of flux at FEMA. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me with more details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The bipartisan package that ended the shutdown includes measures to upgrade legislative operations, from a Data Map for AI readiness to Case Compass for smarter constituent service. Danielle Stewart of POPVOX Foundation explains how these changes tackle Congress’s “pacing problem” and what comes next.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton When hackers weaponize AI, the rules of cyber defense change overnight New provisions in the shutdown-ending funding deal aim to modernize Congress with data tools and casework innovations championed by POPVOX Foundation A recent court ruling could reshape how agencies source under the Trade Agreements ActSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Court of Federal Claims ruled that the VA violated the Trade Agreements Act by awarding a drug contract to a non-compliant supplier, rejecting the agency’s argument that high cost justified bypassing the law. The decision underscores that TAA imposes an outright sourcing prohibition and not a price preference. Here to explain what this means for federal procurement is Partner at Haynes Boone, Dan Ramish.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its Claude chatbot to automate a cyberespionage campaign against tech firms, financial institutions and government agencies, marking what could be the first large-scale AI-driven attack. Joining me to explain what this means for defenders and what’s next for nation-state tactics is the former department head of AI security at MITRE and co-founder of AI security consulting firm, Fire Mountain Labs, Dr. Josh Harguess.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Military Family Advisory Network is conducting its biennial survey to better understand the needs of military and veteran families worldwide. The stories shared through the survey lead to real change. The research has helped shape major policy and quality-of-life reforms, including the Military Housing Privatization Initiative’s Tenant Bill of Rights and a Congressional quality-of-life panel for service members and their families. For more, Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis spoke with Military Family Advisory Network’s Chief Executive Officer Shannon Razsadin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Office of Personnel Management wants to bring a surge of technical expertise into the government’s ranks. The agency is aiming to recruit 1,000 new federal employees for the inaugural class of the “U.S. Tech Force." The new hiring effort comes after hundreds of thousands of feds left government this year. Here with details, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Service members face a simple truth with complex consequences: follow lawful orders, refuse unlawful ones Can a year in government spark a lifetime of innovation? What reforms can fix our fragile air traffic control system?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

America’s air traffic system is showing cracks, and the shutdown only widened them. Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute is here to explain why budget dependence and failed modernization make the system fragile, and why he believes a Canadian-style model could be the fix.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.