Summary4 min read

The Daily Scoop Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: OPM Announces New Tech Force Partners
Date: June 9, 2026
Host: Billy Mitchell

Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast highlights two major stories impacting federal government leadership. First, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announces the addition of new industry partners to its TechForce hiring initiative, which seeks to modernize federal technology by bringing private sector expertise into public service. The second major story covers a developing controversy: Democratic Senators pressing the Social Security Administration (SSA) for answers after whistleblower allegations of a plan to mark millions of living individuals as deceased, a move purportedly aimed at undocumented immigrants.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. OPM Expands TechForce Industry Partnerships

Announcement & Purpose:
- On Monday, OPM added several new partners to its TechForce hiring effort, further embedding private sector capabilities within the federal workforce.
- New partners: Cisco Scale, AI Wiz, Arista Networks, Armada, Cognition, AI Cognizant, payword, and Moveworks.
- Existing cohort includes: OpenAI, Google Public Sector, XAI, Palantir.
Program Goals:
- The TechForce initiative intends to address federal tech needs by hiring 1,000 early-career technologists for two-year placements, potentially retaining them in government or returning them to industry.
- Companies will contribute:
  - Training, resources, and programming
  - Employees nominated for temporary federal service
  - Potential career pathways for TechForce alumni post-service
Leadership Comment:
- OPM Director Scott Cooper:
  
  “These partnerships bring world-class engineering expertise into public service and create a stronger pipeline between industry and government at a moment when modernizing federal technology has never been more important.” (01:07)
Recent Progress:
- Program has made ~200 hires, with about 10 onboarded.
- Also borrowing management-level workers from the private sector for temporary, unpaid federal service.
- First such hire was expected to start last week, specific company not yet disclosed.

2. Lawmakers Demand Answers Over SSA “Deceased” Database Allegations

Whistleblower Disclosure:
- Former SSA official Jeremiah Scofield claims DHS, via representatives from Doge, directed SSA to falsely mark 2.7 million living individuals as deceased, targeting undocumented immigrants.
Lawmakers’ Response:
- Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, referencing the whistleblower’s protected disclosure.
- The plan was allegedly tied to deportation efforts and referenced an explicit directive from DHS under then-Secretary Kristi Noem.
- Scofield described being asked to,
  
  “…develop a strategic approach to killing off individuals’ Social Security records,”
  noting “killing off” meant marking them as deceased. (02:54)
- According to Scofield, Doge’s John Covell candidly stated that the goal was deportation,
  
  “Mr. Covel could not have been more explicit about his unlawful purpose in asking to kill off these 2.7 million individuals.” (03:32)
Senator Warren’s Statement:
- “Scofield’s disclosure shows what looks like an illegal attempt by Doge to weaponize Social Security to carry out President Donald Trump’s cruel immigration agenda.” (03:51)
Senators Request:
- Full disclosure on:
  - Databases accessed by Doge representatives
  - Extent and duration of access
  - Whether SSA information was removed
  - Status and documentation of the plan’s implementation
  - Names and roles of any other involved parties

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Scott Cooper, OPM Director (01:07):
“These partnerships bring world-class engineering expertise into public service and create a stronger pipeline between industry and government at a moment when modernizing federal technology has never been more important.”
Jeremiah Scofield, as relayed by Billy Mitchell (02:54):
“…develop a strategic approach to killing off individuals’ Social Security records…”
(specific meaning: marking as deceased in the system)
Statement from Senator Elizabeth Warren (03:51):
“Scofield’s disclosure shows what looks like an illegal attempt by Doge to weaponize Social Security to carry out President Donald Trump’s cruel immigration agenda.”
Narration on TechForce plan (01:44):
“Those workers will serve two-year terms and will then have the decision to stay in government or rejoin the private sector.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00 – 01:44: OPM’s announcement of new TechForce partners and program details
01:44 – 02:42: Progress update on TechForce hiring and management-level participation
02:42 – 03:51: Overview of SSA whistleblower allegations and request for investigation
03:51 – 05:31: Lawmakers’ official response and summary of their demands to SSA

Podcast Language & Tone

The episode is presented in a direct, informative tone typical of daily government news briefings. Quotes maintain the formal language used in official government releases and press communications.

For further information and continued coverage at the intersection of federal government and technology, listeners are directed to fedscoop.com.

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Transcript2 lines

[00:00]
A
Today on the Daily Scoop Podcast from the Scoop News Group, OPM announces new techforce partners and DOGE planned to kill off living individuals in an SSA database and now lawmakers want ANSWERS. It's Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Welcome to the Daily Scoop Podcast where you'll hear the latest news and trends facing government leaders. I'm the host of the Daily Scoop Podcast, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining me. And with that, let's dive into the day's top headlines. The federal government's human capital arm added several new industry partners to its techforce hiring effort on Monday as the program begins to take root in agencies. The new batch of companies are Cisco Scale, AI, Wiz, Arista Networks, Armada, Cognition, AI Cognizant, payword and Moveworks, per a release from the Office of Personnel Management. They join a cohort of a couple dozen companies that are already part of the program's industry support, including OpenAI, Google, Public Sector, XAI and Palantir, OPM Director Scott Cooper said in a written statement on Monday. Quote, these partnerships bring world class engineering expertise into public service and create a stronger pipeline between industry and government at a moment when modernizing federal technology has never been more important, according to the release. The companies will provide training, resources and programming as well as their own employees who they'll nominate for temporary federal service. Eventually, the companies will also create paths for TechForce alumni into the private sector, the release explained. The addition of new partners comes as the technologist focused hiring program finally shared last month that has made about 200 hires and onboarded around 10 workers. The program, which was announced nearly six months ago, aims to solve federal tech needs by hiring an initial group of 1,000 early career workers. Those workers will serve two year terms and will then have the decision to stay in government or rejoin the private sector. Techforce also plans to borrow management level workers from the private sector who will take unpaid leaves of absence to join the program, per recent comments from Tech Force Director Kevin Henneken. The the first such industry hire was expected to start at OPM last week. The agency has not yet shared which company that worker hails from. And now moving on to other news, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal want answers from the Social Security Administration chief following a whistleblower complaint that revealed a DOGE plan to target undocumented immigrants by moving 2.7 million living people to the agency's DeathMaster file. In a letter sent Friday to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano and three DOGE alums, Antonio Gracias, John Covell and Peyton Railing. The lawmakers shared the protected disclosure of a former career SSA official, Jeremiah Schofield, who spent more than 25 years at the agency. Scofield, an expert in the process by which the SSA assigned Social Security numbers and cards, was called to meetings with three Doge representatives and other career agency staff to discuss potential fraud and the numident system, which includes all information applicants must disclose for a Social Security card. Following a pair of Department of Homeland Security orders from then Secretary Kristi Noem involving Numident and the death Master file, Scofield said he was asked to develop a strategic approach to killing off individuals Social Security records, adding that he understood that this directive had come from DHS and killing off meant marking these individuals as deceased in the numident system. Scofield shared his concerns with Steven Evangelista, then the SSA's Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Retirement and Disability policy, who called Doge's Koval and asked why DHS wanted to eliminate 2.7 million people from the list. Scofield said that Koval explained DHS's goal with the changes in the new bident system was to lead to the deportation of the 2.7 million people, adding that Mr. Covel could not have been more explicit about his unlawful purpose in asking to kill off these 2.7 million individuals. In a press release from Warren's office, the Massachusetts Democrat said Scofield's disclosure shows what looks like an illegal attempt by Doge to weaponize Social Security to carry out President Donald Trump's cruel immigration agenda. The lawmakers letter to Bizignano requests full and prompt compliance with their questions. Specifically, Warren and Blumenthal want the SSA head to detail the specific agency databases that the Doge trio had access to, as well as their levels of access to those systems and how long they maintained that access. The Senate Democrats also want to know if gracias Koval and Railing removed any SSA information from agency run systems. How much, if any, of the plan to eliminate 2.7 million individuals from the numident system was implemented? If there is any additional documentation that notes plans to mark individuals as dead in SSA records and the names and titles of anyone else involved in the plan. For more news at the intersection of the federal government and technology, make sure to visit fedscoop.com
[05:32]
B
thanks so much for tuning in to another episode of the Daily Scoop podcast, available on all podcast platforms. If you've already rated the podcast on your platform of choice, thanks so much. High ratings and good reviews views of the show help more people to find it. The Daily Scoop Podcast is a production of the Scoop News Group in Washington, D.C. adam Butler and Carlin Fisher help put the show together, and the entire Scoop News Group team contributes. We'll be back tomorrow with more top headlines. Until then, I'm your host. As always, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for listening.