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Biden Taps Richard Verma for State Department Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources
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Biden Taps Richard Verma for State Department Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources

President Joe Biden has nominated Richard Verma, an experienced federal leader, for the Department of State’s deputy secretary for management and resources, the White House announced last week.

During the Obama administration, Verma served as the U.S. Ambassador to India, a role in which he facilitated nine meetings between both nations’ leaders, effectively bringing about over 100 new initiatives and over 40 dialogues between the two governments. He also served as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs.

Prior to these roles, Verma was national security advisor to U.S. Senator Harry Reid during his time as democratic whip minority leader and later majority leader of the Senate.

He was previously appointed to the president’s Intelligence Advisory Board and has served as a member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission.

Verma is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a judge advocate. He has received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal for his military achievements.

Other recognitions Verma has received throughout his career include the Distinguished Service Medal from the State Department and the International Affairs Fellowship from the Council of Foreign Relations.

Within the private sector, he has worked in numerous law firms and business organizations. He currently serves as chief legal officer and head of global public policy at Mastercard, where he leads the company’s law and policy work at both the domestic and international levels.

Verma has previously held attorney, partner and senior counselor roles at Steptoe & Johnson. He has also served as a senior counselor for Albright Stonebridge group and as vice chairman of The Asia Group.

The executive is currently a trustee of the Ford Foundation and serves on multiple other boards, including the National Endowment for Democracy and Lehigh University.

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Spending Package Includes TikTok Government Ban, Merger Fee Structure Reform
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Spending Package Includes TikTok Government Ban, Merger Fee Structure Reform

Congress has approved a bipartisan spending package that includes a bill that would prohibit the use of social media platform TikTok on government devices and a measure that would reform the fee structure for merger filings, CNBC reported Friday.

The bill banning the video-sharing application on federal devices includes an exception for national security, law enforcement and research purposes, according to the report.

Brendan Carr, a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a statement welcoming the passage of the measure in Congress.

“Today’s action only highlights the need for Administration officials to wrap up their ongoing review of TikTok with the speed and urgency that this national security threat demands,” he said in a statement.

The Department of the Treasury’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. is conducting a review of TikTok over national security issues as the app — which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance — negotiates to continue its operations in the U.S.

The spending package, which has yet to be signed by the president, also includes the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in the upper chamber.

The legislation would update the 2001 fee structure by implementing higher fees for companies advancing large mergers and lowering the cost for smaller acquisitions as part of efforts to generate additional revenue to fund antitrust agencies that review such transactions.

“By restructuring outdated merger filing fees, our bipartisan legislation will enable Congress to get much-needed resources to our antitrust enforcers so they can protect competition,” Klobuchar said in a statement published Friday.

The package also includes a measure that would direct the Federal Trade Commission to submit to Congress a report that offers detailed information on foreign ransomware attacks and other cyberthreat complaints it receives.

Franklin Parker Confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Navy for Manpower, Reserve Affairs
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Franklin Parker Confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Navy for Manpower, Reserve Affairs

The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Franklin Parker, former senior counsel for intelligence solutions at BAE Systems’ intelligence and security segment, to be assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs. 

Senate lawmakers voted 70-22 in favor of Parker’s nomination to the role he also served during the Obama administration from 2016 to 2017.

President Biden announced his intent to nominate Parker to oversee military and civilian personnel policy matters within the Department of the Navy in December 2021.

Parker’s government experience included roles as chief counsel for the maritime administration at the Department of Transportation and attorney adviser in the Office of the General Counsel of the Navy.

He previously served as an associate at law firms Winston & Strawn, Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro and Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison.

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Sen. Rob Portman Urges OMB to Issue Guidance on Federal Use of AI Systems
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Sen. Rob Portman Urges OMB to Issue Guidance on Federal Use of AI Systems

Senator Rob Portman has asked the Office of Management and Budget for an update on the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence in Government Act, which was passed in 2020 and directs OMB to issue guidance to federal agencies with regard to the use of artificial intelligence technologies.

Portman, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, made the request through a letter addressed to OMB Director Shalanda Young, the committee said Thursday.

“In the absence of OMB guidance, the value of those systems remain in doubt. To that end, as we approach the two year anniversary of passage of the AI in Government Act, I urge OMB to swiftly issue this guidance to ensure that the use of AI across the federal government is effective, ethical, and accountable,” Portman stated.

The AI in Government Act, which became law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 in December 2020, requires OMB to coordinate with the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the General Services Administration to provide a memorandum to the head of each agency to inform the development of policies concerning federal procurement and use of AI systems and identify best practices to safeguard civil liberties and national security while mitigating discrimination or bias associated with AI adoption.

According to Portman’s letter, OMB has not yet issued its guidance or delivered the required template for agencies to submit their plans.

“As the federal government continues to deploy and operate AI systems, it is incumbent on agencies to ensure those systems comply with the minimum requirements in law for the safety and integrity of such systems,” the senator emphasized.

POC - 4th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

The Potomac Officers Club will hold the 4th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on February 16. Click here to register for this upcoming in-person event at Hilton McLean.

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NASA Ends InSight Mission in Mars; Thomas Zurbuchen Quoted
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NASA Ends InSight Mission in Mars; Thomas Zurbuchen Quoted

NASA has halted the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport robotic lander mission after the system failed to respond to two communication attempts.

The mission took its final self-photograph on April 24 and sent its last signal to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California on December 15, the space agency said Wednesday.

“I watched the launch and landing of this mission, and while saying goodbye to a spacecraft is always sad, the fascinating science InSight conducted is cause for celebration,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

“The seismic data alone from this Discovery Program mission offers tremendous insights not just into Mars but other rocky bodies, including Earth,” he added.

InSight was built by Lockheed Martin Space. It was launched in May 2018 to explore the inner layers of Mars. In its nearly five-year expedition, the lander delivered valuable data on weather as well as magnetic and quake activity, enabling scientists to date the age of the planet’s surface and the makeup of its crust, mantle and core.

The accumulation of dust on InSight’s solar panels impeded the lander’s power generation, causing its batteries to run out of energy.

Commerce Department Launches $93.5M Grant Program to Support Underserved Businesses; Donald Cravins Jr. Quoted
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Commerce Department Launches $93.5M Grant Program to Support Underserved Businesses; Donald Cravins Jr. Quoted

The Department of Commerce is giving away $93.5 million in grants to support services for minority and other underserved businesses as part of its new Capital Readiness Program.

DOC announced Wednesday that its Minority Business Development Agency launched the grant competition in search of business incubators and accelerators who can aid women, minority and disadvantaged entrepreneurs in launching or growing their business.

The awardees will provide technical assistance, training, tools and resources to the target business owners in sectors such as health care, climate resilient technology, asset management and infrastructure. Incentives will be given to proposals that address socioeconomic challenges, including child care for women in the workplace.

The program will also help the entrepreneurs get capital and financing through the Department of Treasury, as well as connections to subject matter experts, vendors and networks, said MBDA Undersecretary Donald Cravins, Jr.

The agency will hold pre-application webinars on Jan. 10, 17 and 24 for eligible private sector entities, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and consortia.

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Report: China’s Imports of Chip Manufacturing Equipment Fell 40%
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Report: China’s Imports of Chip Manufacturing Equipment Fell 40%

China’s imports of semiconductor-making machinery dropped 40 percent from November last year to $2.3 billion following the October release of U.S. restrictions on the export of advanced chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to the nation, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

In October, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security implemented new export controls on advanced computing chips and semiconductor production items as part of efforts to safeguard U.S. national security by restricting China’s access to such technologies that could advance its military modernization efforts and surveillance activities.

China’s purchase of American-made chip-making equipment plunged to $349 million in November, reflecting a nearly 50 percent drop from a year earlier and a decline of nearly 30 percent from September, according to data supplied by Beijing.

Shipments of chip manufacturing machines from Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands to China also dropped in November following the issuance of the new U.S. rules, according to the report.

The data showed that the November figure was the lowest since May 2020 and reflected a sharp drop from China’s chip equipment imports of $4 billion in June 2021.

The new export restrictions have resulted in some chip-manufacturing equipment organizations’ withdrawing their personnel and pausing work at Chinese facilities.

Policy Think Tank Founder Richard Revesz Confirmed as Head of Federal Regulatory Office
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Policy Think Tank Founder Richard Revesz Confirmed as Head of Federal Regulatory Office

Richard Revesz, a New York University law professor who founded the Institute for Policy Integrity, was confirmed by the Senate to serve as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, through a voice vote Wednesday.

His confirmation follows an announcement from President Joe Biden in September, in which Revesz was nominated to lead the office responsible for conducting reviews of agencies’ proposed and finalized regulations and collections of information from the public.

OIRA operates within the Office of Management and Budget.

Revesz most recently served as Dean Emeritus at the New York University School of Law and director of the Institute for Policy and Integrity think tank focused on promoting policies related to the environment, consumers and public health.

He has authored more than 80 articles about environmental policies and the institutional conditions influencing the creation of regulatory policy.

Born in Argentina, Revesz immigrated to the U.S. when he was 17 and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University.

He holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.

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Jay Bonci: Air Force Looks at 5G Tech for Military Utility
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Jay Bonci: Air Force Looks at 5G Tech for Military Utility

Jay Bonci, chief technology officer of the Department of the Air Force, thinks fifth generation communication networks could be a valuable, but not exclusive, means of connectivity in future military operations, C4ISRNET reported Thursday.

He said at a recent livestreamed event that DAF is responding to the Department of Defense’s “special emphasis” on 5G capabilities and likened it to the significance of fiber optics and WIFI in battlefields.

“It’s got some interesting technologies, in future tranches, that we’re looking at for military utility,” the former Akamai Technologies executive was quoted as saying by C4ISRNET.

The Pentagon’s fiscal 2023 budget request includes $250 million for 5G-related projects, according to the report.

Bonci noted the DOD’s work with wireless service and infrastructure providers to facilitate military adoption of 5G applications.

Amazon Web Services, Cisco, Dell Technologies, General Dynamics Information Technology, Splunk and T-Mobile formed a coalition in November with the goal of helping government customers and other sectors deploy wireless and edge technology platforms.

OSTP Seeks Input on National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative
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OSTP Seeks Input on National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is inviting public input on the potential benefits of biotechnology and biomanufacturing advancements to the U.S. government’s sustainability targets.

The request for information notice posted on Federal Register is part of the Biden administration’s National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, which aims to stimulate innovations in multiple sectors from agriculture to national security.

The federal government intends to explore the use of biotech and bioprocessing to advance technologies in health, food and agriculture, supply chain, climate change, energy, and national and economic security.

To that end, OSTP is seeking expert opinion from the industry, scientific community and academia on matters such as the creation of a data ecosystem to support U.S. bioeconomy breakthroughs.

OSTP issued the RFI on Tuesday and will accept feedback until Jan. 20.

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