Gov News Today — August 19, 2026
Social Security expands electronic health record sharing to speed up disability claims adjudication and more — today's gov signal.
The federal government is working to improve its operations and services, but some of its actions are drawing scrutiny. In an effort to streamline its processes, the Social Security Administration is expanding its electronic health record sharing capabilities to help speed up disability claims adjudication. This move aims to make it easier for the agency to access necessary medical information and make more informed decisions.
However, not all government actions are being well-received. A nonprofit organization has accused the attorney general of violating the Hatch Act, which governs the political activities of federal employees. Meanwhile, the US Department of Agriculture is facing questions about its plans to relocate staff, with concerns about the potential impact on employee morale and retention. The agency says it hasn't studied the potential effects of staff attrition, but is downplaying any potential disruption. These developments highlight the ongoing efforts to balance operational efficiency with accountability and transparency in the federal government.
Today's signal:
• Social Security expands electronic health record sharing to speed up disability claims adjudication (govexec.com)
• Attorney general violated Hatch Act ethics rules, nonprofit says (govexec.com)
• USDA hasn’t looked at staff attrition ahead of relocations, but downplays its impact (govexec.com)