The GovNavigators Show

The oracle is back, and he's not holding back. This week on The GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome the return of Charles Cooper, Founder and Managing Partner at Brumidi Group, for a deep dive into the state of play on Capitol Hill with just weeks to go before the midterms. Will there be a government shutdown? What does a lame duck Congress actually get done? And is divided government secretly good? Charles breaks it all down with the kind of context only a seasoned congressional insider can provide, from redistricting math to the seats nobody's watching... yet.
Thank you to Allocore for sponsoring this episode.
Show Notes:
Source: GSA, HHS Uncover $1.2 Billion in Suspected COVID-Related Contract Fraud
Source: Trump Administration to Remove 760,000 ACA Enrollees Over Fraud Claims
Source: OPM Gives Agencies Authority to Give Bonuses Up to $25,000
Source: Public Trust in Government Falls to 27% — Partnership for Public Service
Events on the GovNavigators' Radar:
September 27th – 30th: NASCIO 2026 Annual Conference, San Diego
October 8th: MeriTalk Tech Tonic
October 19th: FAR Revolutionary Overhaul Public Comment Deadline

Who knew Jaws could come up in a conversation on data? This week, Robert and Adam sit down with Nick Hart, President and CEO of the Data Foundation to debrief their GovDATAx conference and discuss the many factors at play in the national data ecosystem. Learn what progress Nick believes has been made in the federal data sphere and hear what he thinks is still left to be done. Plus, insights on the challenges of balancing representation and data privacy, and how data is the key to fighting fraud.  
Thank you Allocore for sponsoring! 
Show Notes 
Allocore.com 
Data Foundation: Website 
OPM: SF-86 
PBS News: Patel testifies in Senate hearing, defending changes to FBI hiring standards on prostitution, bestiality 
PBS News: WATCH: Patel explains why FBI no longer considers bestiality an automatic hiring disqualifier 
America’s Pulse: Website 
Congress.gov: H.R.2069 - Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 
White House: Congressional Bills H.R. 1276, H.R. 2069, H.R. 2196 and H.R. 5366 Signed into Law 
Congress: Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) 
Data Foundation: GovDATAx Conference 
Congress.gov: H.R.4174 - Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
FedScoop: A government data policy deadline is nearing. Data leaders are looking to help 
HHS: HHS Cracks Down on Years of Unchecked Audit Findings 
BFS: Do Not Pay 
Congress.gov: H.R.8463 - Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act 
Data Foundation: Data Foundation Welcomes House Passage of Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act 
Congress.gov: The Privacy Act of 1974: Overview and Issues for Congress 
ACF: Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking (CEP) 
Census.gov: Robert M. Groves 
Grants.gov: Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 
Data Foundation: Datum Awards 
NCSES: The National Secure Data Service Demonstration 
Congress.gov: H.R.150 - GREAT Act 
Data Foundation: Data Foundation Launches Community-Led Strategy to Define a Shared Vision for America’s Data Future 
Data Foundation: The People’s Data 100 
What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar? 
September 21st – 25th  
Defense Scoop’s Defense Tech Week 
September 22nd  
ACT-IAC's Digital Transformation Summit, Reston, VA 
September 22nd and 23rd 
AGA’s Internal Control & Fraud Prevention Training, Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, D.C. 
September 25th  
POGO and Arnold Ventures's Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act 20th Anniversary Celebration 
September 30th 
FedRAMP Day, Arlington, VA

From inside the House, it’s Christian Hoehner!  
This week on the GovNavigators Show, Robert and Adam welcome their good friend Christian Hoehner, Policy Director for the Majority staff at the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Christian walks us through the committee’s expansive work, including their new legislation addressing the “dire problem” of fraud and improper payments. Plus, an inside look at the Prepayment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act, and the payoff of bipartisan cooperation. 
Special thanks to our friends at Allocore for sponsoring this episode! 
Show Notes 
Allocore.com 
AP: US marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks 
GovExec: What does 9/11 mean for young public servants who hardly remember it? 
PBS: Anthropic researcher's resignation sends warning about the dangers of AI development 
WSJ: Congress Is Suddenly Waking Up to the AI Doomsday Threat 
GSA: GSA Expands OneGov AI Offerings with Discounted, Consumption-Based Access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT 
Politico: Viral AI researcher’s warning ‘scary as hell,’ Cruz says 
The British Museum: The Bayeux Tapestry 
GAO: Payment Integrity 
GAO: Fraud Risk Management 
House Oversight: Chairman Comer: Congress Must Stop Fraud to Protect Taxpayers 
House Oversight: House Passes 11 Oversight Committee Bills to Stop Fraud in Federal Programs 
Congress.gov: Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 
Congress.gov: Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act 
Bureau of the Fiscal Service: Do Not Pay 
DOJ: Privacy Act 
Data Foundation: Data Foundation Endorses Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act Ahead of Markup 
Data Foundation: Data Foundation Welcomes House Passage of Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act 
Congress.gov: Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act 
Congress.gov: Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act 
What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar? 
September 14th 
Socure Fraud Briefing on Capitol Hill 
September 15th  
The Data Foundation’s govDATAx, George Washington University 
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Lunch for John Bernard, America’s Pulse 
Senator Lankford and Senator Hassan’s Roundtable on Executive-Legislative Relations

Happy Labor Day!  
On this pop-up episode, Robert and Adam wish a happy holiday to all, with a special shoutout to our federal workforce. Plus, some quick updates from Congress and upcoming events to tie you over through the long weekend. 
Show Notes: 
Allocore.com 
Federal News Network: House passes short-term funding bill to avoid a shutdown before the election 
Bloomberg Government: House Cancels Two September Session Weeks Ahead of Midterms  
What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar? 
September 9th  
GovNavigators Policy Wonk Happy Hour, benefiting the Senior Executives Association, The Exchange, Washington D.C., 5-7 PM 
September 15th  
The Data Foundation’s govDATAx Conference, George Washington University

Christina Ho knows some people would describe audit as “painful,” so what if there was a way to make it “faster, better, and cheaper?” 
In this episode, Robert and Adam sit down with Christina Ho, former PCAOB Board Member and Chief Assurance Officer at Oath to discuss her new project using AI to improve the auditing process by testing 100% of transactions. Plus, learn about her vision for a “whole new category” of independent verification, and how the current view of audit as a compliance exercise is not producing the value it is intended to. 
Thanks to our sponsors at Allocore! 
Show Notes: 
Allocore.com 
Variety: Dolly Parton, Queen of Country Music, Dies at 80 
The Washington Post: Red Tape Newsletter Piece 
Treasury: Treasury Announces the Quantum-Readiness Task Force 
DOJ: Department of Justice Announces Launch of National Fraud Detection Center to Combat Fraud Against Taxpayer-Funded Programs 
FedScoop: Draft OMB memo mandates agency use of Login.gov on government websites 
Federal CDO Council: DCAT-US v3.0 Schema Implementation Guide 
WSJ: Former Audit Regulator Helps Set Up Accounting Firm Targeting 80% Automation 
PCAOB: Christina Ho 
Oath Verified: oathverified.com 
HHS: HHS Cracks Down on Years of Unchecked Audit Findings 
OMB: M-25-30 
OMB: Accelerating Federal Use of AI through Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust 
OMB: Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government  
What’s on the GovNavigators’ radar? 
August 31st  
The House is back in session 
September 9th  
GovNavigators and Senior Executives Association Policy Wonk Happy Hour, The Exchange, Washington D.C., 5-7 PM 
September 14th  
The Senate is back in session 
September 15th  
The Data Foundation’s govDATAx, George Washington University