OMB Requests $46B for IT Upgrades Amid Outbreak

The Office of Management and Budget has requested $45.8B in emergency funding to support the government's efforts against the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, acting Director Russell Vought said the funds will be used for agency information technology upgrades to improve telework capacities and cybersecurity. He said the request is not intended to be a broad solution to the problem and added that broader solutions may be in store in the future, MeriTalk reported. Other agencies seeking IT upgrades include the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration and the departments of Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, the Interior, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.