Horizon cutting-room links: 26 March 2025

Today is Wednesday, 26 March 2025. These are your cutting-room links.

"White House scraps public spending database," Roll Call

"As of Monday morning, the Office of Management and Budget was no longer making “apportionments” of previously enacted appropriations available on the website it set up for that purpose after Congress mandated the requirement starting in 2022. ... Sources familiar with the decision said it was because sensitive and preliminary information was being disclosed on the site, including some information that could be considered risks to national security if made public. But open government groups seem likely to challenge the decision in court, given the apparent violation of federal law.

"The fiscal 2022 wrapup spending package, signed in March 2022, initially established the requirement for public posting of apportionments, which are how the OMB parcels out available funding to federal agencies to ensure they do not burn through the money too quickly."

"Lawmakers introduce bill to break FEMA out of DHS," Federal News Network

"The FEMA Independence Act, introduced today by Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), would make FEMA an independent, Cabinet-level agency that reports directly to the president. Moskowitz, a former Florida director of emergency management, has long argued FEMA should be an independent agency."

"Under the bill, FEMA would be led by a Senate-confirmed director. The director would be required to have 'a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security' across the public and private sectors.

"The agency would also have up to four deputy directors, subject to Senate confirmation, along with 10 regional directors chosen by the top director."

"Pentagon’s use of commercial telecoms draw scrutiny after Chinese breaches," Defense One

"The IG would first look at the Pentagon’s Spiral 4 contract vehicle for buying mobile communications devices and services—specifically, its security requirements, how well they are enforced, and vulnerabilities in the SS7 telephony protocol. After that report is completed later this year, the office will turn to the encryption of unclassified data and voice communications in collaboration tools. Finally, the office will look into the 'use of end-to-end encryption for unclassified voice communications using the desktop Plain Old Telephone System,' which has been replaced by VOIP services in many but not all DOD organizations."

"'The Department of Defense knew every major wireless carrier was vulnerable to foreign hacks before it agreed to spend billions with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. It is disgraceful that DOD failed to even require the companies to adopt minimum cybersecurity defenses or turn over copies of their 3rd party audits,' [Sen. Wyden, D-OR] said."

"GSA names new deputy administrator," Government Executive

"[Michael] Lynch, formerly the Chief Executive Officer at UK-based tech firm Zedsen, had been serving as a senior advisor within GSA under Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian for the first two months of President Trump’s second administration."

"Per his LinkedIn, Lynch has held executive roles in various companies including Zedsen, Rocket Lab, WaveOptics, SpaceX and Eli Lilly & Company. From 2013 to 2014, he served as a senior advisor to Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind."

"President Trump’s DEI Executive Orders Are Back On: What Contractors Need To Know," PileroMazza blog

"On March 14, the Fourth Circuit stayed a preliminary injunction that had prohibited President Trump’s administration and federal agencies from implementing Executive Orders 14151 and 14173 (DEI Executive Orders). This means the Trump administration can proceed with implementing the DEI Executive Orders pending ongoing litigation."

"Executive Orders 14173 and 14151 are the primary mechanisms President Trump has used to wind down certain Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI or DEIA) programs within the federal government and related to its work. Notably, these Executive Orders led to the termination of DEI contracts with agencies and prohibited federal contractors and grant recipients from engaging in 'illegal DEI'."

"Senate confirms Phelan as next Navy Secretary," Defense News

"The Senate on Monday confirmed John Phelan to serve as the next secretary of the Navy, making him only the seventh non-veteran to serve in the role in the last 70 years.

"Phelan, founder of the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC, was confirmed by a 62-30 vote with nearly all of his support coming from Republicans. He is expected to be sworn into the military leadership role in the next few days."

"He ... argued that his lack of military experience was an asset to his role leading the Navy, because of his ability to reject 'traditional' military thinking."

"Boeing, Northrop Grumman await US Navy next-generation fighter contract this week, sources say," Reuters

"Boeing, hit hard by a recent labor strike, engineering layoffs, problems with its Starliner capsule and the troubled KC-46 tanker program, got a recent shot in the arm when it won the Air Force's F-47 contract. ... Taking on two fighter jet programs may offer economies of scale if the company can make larger purchases of raw materials and share technology between the aircraft.

"Northrop Grumman has a strong track record of producing innovative aircraft, including the B-2 and B-21 stealth bombers.

"Lockheed Martin was initially seen as a strong contender, but the company struggled to meet the Navy's specific requirements, including the need for a more advanced radar system and improved carrier landing capabilities."

"Vanished earmarks in stopgap law pose challenge to local projects’ return," Roll Call

"House Republican leaders say earmarks are coming back in the fiscal 2026 spending bills they plan to write starting this spring, after nixing billions of dollars in home-state projects in the final spending package for the current fiscal year that President Donald Trump signed last weekend."

"GOP leaders cut nearly $11 billion in funding that went to earmarks in the fiscal 2024 spending bills, instead of leaving that money with the agencies to distribute in other ways. That contributed the bulk of the cuts that GOP leaders cited in claiming the law reduced nondefense spending below the previous year. ... [This makes] any move to restore earmarks in next year’s bills look like hefty increases to domestic spending."