The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton - - Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Early in the Trump administration the Department of Government Efficiency directed the General Services Administration to take major cuts to leased office space. GSA officials say they successfully terminated hundreds of leases this year, but far fewer than goals set by DOGE. These updated figures come at a time when government officials are taking stock of DOGE’s impact, and whether agencies came close to achieving the Trump administration’s government efficiency goals. Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman joins me with more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Agencies have 90 days to update acquisition polices to ensure that the artificial intelligence tools they purchase are truth seeking and ideological neutral. A new memo from the Office of Management and Budget details new requirements starting March 11 for contracts awarded for large language models. Federal News Network executive editor Jason Miller joins me with more on what agencies will have to do to meet the administration's new AI guidelines.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Six months after launch, the Impact Project has grown in scope and added a Security Map that reveals patterns in threats against public servants. Abby Andre, the project's founding executive director, explains what the data shows and how it can guide action.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Holiday travel and tax season remind us how much we rely on federal workers. Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution is here to explain what happens when staffing cuts push government past its breaking point and why the drive for efficiency can create systemic risk.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Coast Guard urgently needs 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters to replace aging ships, but GAO found serious challenges, from unstable designs to unclear cost baselines that put the $17 billion program at risk. Shelby Oakley, Director of Contracting and National Security Acquisitions at GAO, is here to break down the risks and what needs to change before Stage 3 ship construction begins.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 The Impact Project expands its reach with a new Security Map that exposes threats facing public servants How lean can government get before essential services start to fail? GAO says the Coast Guard’s biggest shipbuilding program faces major design and cost risksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal retirement processing has slowed substantially this year due to the Deferred Resignation program. As the Office of Personnel Management continues modernizing retirement systems, another application surge looms.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration is moving to strip away the union rights of Transportation Security Administration employees for the second time this year. As part of its latest move, DHS would dissolve TSA’s collective bargaining agreement early next year. The union that represents TSA employees has vowed to fight this latest action in court. Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins me with the latest.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trump administration’s deferred resignation program helped lead to a massive and unexpected surge in retirement applications, now flooding the government’s retirement systems. But amid that application influx, the Office of Personnel Management has also rolled out a major effort to modernize the legacy federal retirement system. Many experts see the launch of OPM’s “online retirement application” as a long-awaited improvement. But with high retirement volumes, some remain wary of the timing. As part of her special report this week, Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman gives us the details.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal employees are seeing signs of stability. Retirement processing is improving, workforce protections are holding, and pay raise prospects are clearer. But with continuing resolutions and hiring freezes still in the mix, the path forward requires careful planning. Here with a look ahead is National Association of Retired Federal Employees Association, Vice President for Policy and Programs, John Hatton.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.