Ajit Pai, a Federal Communications Commissioner, has been selected by President Donald Trump to lead the telecommunications regulatory agency, Space News reported Tuesday.

Caleb Henry writes Pai succeeded former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and his appointment did not require approval from the Senate because he was confirmed to work at FCC as a commissioner in 2012.

Pai vowed to help the commission address a digital divide between organizations that have access to next-generation communications services and groups without access to those services.

“I look forward to working with the new administration, my colleagues at the Commission, members of Congress, and the American public to bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans,” Pai added.

Pai previously served as a partner at law firm Jenner and Block and associate general counsel at Verizon.

His past work also includes stints at the Justice Department, Senate Judiciary Committee and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

As FCC chairman, Pai aims to focus on broadband connection, First Amendment freedoms, public safety, fiscal responsibility and getting results through innovation.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to develop a framework that seeks to speed up the environmental assessment and permitting process for electrical grids, ports, highways and other high-priority infrastructure projects.

Trump signed the executive order weeks after the Obama administration released new guidance that aims to streamline the environmental review and authorization process for federal infrastructure projects in compliance with Title 41 provisions of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.

The White House said in a news release published Tuesday that Trump also signed a presidential memorandum that would require the Commerce Department secretary to request public comments on how to expedite the federal permitting process for domestic manufacturers.

The president also signed memoranda that would facilitate the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Trump also directed the Commerce secretary under a separate memorandum to submit within 180 days a plan on how to advance the use of U.S.-made equipment and materials in the development, repair and expansion of pipelines.

Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-South Carolina), the White House’s nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, has said he plans to determine ways on how to reward “exemplary” federal employees and deal with those that fail to meet expectations once confirmed, GovExec reported Tuesday.

Kellie Lunney writes Mulvaney told lawmakers during his Senate confirmation hearing that he aims for a “high-morale, high-performance” workforce in the federal government.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) asked Mulvaney about his views on President Donald Trump’s governmentwide hiring freeze and its impact on the delivery of services to citizens.

“I don’t think you are wrong to be concerned about it, senator, [but] I don’t think it automatically follows that hiring more people will create more efficiency,” Mulvaney said in response to Kaine’s question.

Mulvaney also fielded questions from other members of the Senate Budget Committee about his perspective on regulatory reform, debt ceiling, entitlement reform and reduction in federal improper payments, the report added.

The Government Accountability Office has urged the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to create interim milestones and timeframes in order to monitor the implementation of recommended updates to an integrated federal health care center in North Chicago, Illinois.

DoD and VA should also perform a cost-effectiveness analysis for the Captain James A. Lovell FHCC that will serve as a basis to assess the center’s “future efficiency,” GAO said in a report published Monday.

GAO made the recommendations after it reviewed the agencies’ congressional report that seeks to evaluate whether to continue to operate the Lovel FHCC as an integrated facility or as a joint venture after five years of demonstration.

The congressional budget watchdog also found that DoD and VA’s evaluation report to Congress contained 17 recommended updates to the FHCC but failed to cite timeframes for the execution of those recommendations.

The Pentagon and VA decided to merge their medical facilities in North Chicago through the Lovell FHCC under a five-year demonstration authorized by the fiscal 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, according to the report.

As an integrated FHCC, the facility operates under a unified budget, workforce and governance structure, GAO noted.