The fight over spending for FY 2014, the debt ceiling, and the Affordable Care Act (aka, “Obamacare”), have devolved into a prolonged government shutdown. This week we’ll shine the spotlight on the impact the shutdown has on state IT and NASCIO’s priorities in Washington. Spoiler alert: this is not an upbeat post; I recommend you keep this adorable video of a baby goat getting a bath handy in case you get overwhelmed.
In some ways, state CIOs are better off than most of their colleagues in state government. The vast majority of state CIOs work on a chargeback model, providing services for compensation to other agencies of state government. Few receive substantial grants directly from the federal government. However, with one-quarter to one-third of state revenue coming from federal funds state CIOs’ clients in other agencies will certainly take a hit, inevitably impacting state IT functions.
It’s often difficult for those of us not wearing 'green eyeshades' to discern what programs will be impacted. Various programs that are authorized or unauthorized, considered ‘discretionary’ or ‘mandatory’ under federal law are all impacted differently. To save some space here, I’d suggest you check out the great blog piece and brief on the impact on these programs from Kathryn Vesey White at the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). White writes:
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With complicated automated IT systems, states are facing technical questions with respect to how to make necessary modifications to stop making benefit payments once program funds run out. States are also trying to determine what problems their systems may encounter in making retroactive payments once the shutdown ends. These problems are likely to worsen the longer the shutdown lasts. States may have to take action to stop program funding sooner than expected in order to have time to modify the IT systems.
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Beyond the effect on grants and projects, there are national IT priorities that are being severely impacted. Efforts to implement the President’s Executive Order and Information Sharing methodologies have reportedly stalled. Voluntary cybersecurity guidelines for critical infrastructure that are due to be released by October 12 will likely be delayed. To put it succinctly, the federal policy effort to address the lack of a cohesive national cybersecurity strategy has ground to a halt until government reopens.
But the policy efforts are perhaps the least worrying: existing national cybersecurity efforts may be facing true peril. On Wednesday, a panel of cybersecurity experts put together by Politico discussed how many of our workers on the first line of cyber defense have been furloughed. Steve VanRoekel, chief information officer for the federal government, also expressed his concern about our cyber defenses during the shutdown to the Wall Street Journal.
Fewer eyes on federal networks likely means less data being shared on threats. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s shutdown plan, almost half of the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), which lies at the heart of the department’s cybersecurity efforts, is furloughed. There are also questions about its impact on DHS’ continuous diagnostics monitoring (CDM) efforts, and a myriad of other projects. The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has shuttered its main website, including the Computer Security Resource Center (CSRC). Only eight percent of NIST’s workforce remains active.
In addition, there are a number of issues that could be exacerbated if the shutdown endures long-term. The FCC has halted its efforts to auction radio spectrum, which is slated to pay for the FirstNet Public Safety Broadband Network. While FirstNet is up and running, some of the support personnel at the Department of Commerce are furloughed. The Office of Management and Budget, in the midst of finalizing guidance that bring federal grant processes in line with 21st century business practices, is furloughing all but 118 of its over 500 employees. This--along with the distraction of a protracted budget negotiation--will likely keep us from final guidance for some time.
This brings me to my last point. As Congress and the Administration continue to bicker over the government shutdown, it distracts the federal government from articulating and negotiating new policies on a host of crucial issues for our country. There will be less time to hash out issues on cybersecurity legislation, substantive government reforms, and even oversight on key issues, prior to the upcoming election silly-season in 2014.
I warned you this was not going to be an uplifting post. As a reward, here’s a video of a baby lamb jumping on a bed.
Let’s hope our nation’s leaders find a solution as soon as possible.
Questions? Comments? Positive stories you can share in the midst of this political nightmare? Reach out through the NASCIO Community or e-mail me directly at mherckis@amrms.com; or reach out to our guru of news clips and research, Samantha Wenger (swenger@amrms.com)--and thanks for reading.
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