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Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: We are pleased to be here today to discuss our observations on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) efforts to carry out its responsibilities to set policy and oversee the management of the executive branch. As you know, last month we issued a major new series of rep... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its observations on the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) efforts to carry out its responsibilities to set policy and oversee the management of the executive branch, focusing on: (1) OMB's wide-ranging management responsibilities and the question of whether to in... |
The Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act granted responsibility for managing marine resources to the Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary delegated this responsibility to NMFS, which is part of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The act also established eight region... | Because of concerns raised about the accuracy of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) stock assessments, GAO reviewed the assessments for five species of Pacific groundfish: Pacific hake and four types of rockfish--bocaccio, canary, darkblotched, and yelloweye. Specifically, for these five species GAO (1) assessed ... |
The Air Force’s Air Mobility Command (AMC) has 104 C-5, 199 C-141, and 16 C-17 strategic airlift aircraft in its fleet. It also has 54 KC-10 and 448 KC-135 tanker aircraft, which can carry cargo. The C-5 aircraft, the largest airlifter, can carry 73 troops and 36 standard cargo pallets or outsize cargo, such as tanks a... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the reliability and mission capability of C-5 aircraft and the Department of Defense's (DOD) plan for modifying C-5 aircraft. GAO found that: (1) DOD is relying on C-5 aircraft to deliver about half of the wartime cargo carried by military aircraft, but C-5 mission-capa... |
The 193 million acres of public land managed by the Forest Service as national forests and grasslands are collectively known as the National Forest System. These lands are located in 44 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and make up about 9 percent of the United States’ total land area (see fig. 1). Stewardshi... | The Forest Service manages more than 158,000 miles of recreational trails offering hikers, horseback riders, cyclists, off-highway-vehicle drivers, and others access to national forests. To remain safe and usable, these trails need regular maintenance, such as removal of downed trees or bridge repairs. GAO was asked to... |
The Overseas Presence Advisory Panel was formed to consider the future of our nation’s overseas representation, to appraise its condition, and to develop practical recommendations on how best to organize and manage our overseas posts. Last November, the Panel reported that the condition of U.S. posts and missions abroa... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of State's efforts to improve the foreign affairs community's information technology infrastructure, focusing on: (1) State's efforts to implement the Overseas Presence Advisory Panel's recommendations; and (2) the challenges and risks it will face as it... |
PPACA directed each state to establish and operate a health insurance marketplace by January 1, 2014. In states electing not to establish a marketplace, the law required HHS (which delegated this role to CMS) to do so. These marketplaces were intended to provide a seamless, single point of access for individuals to enr... | The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act required the establishment of health insurance exchanges—or marketplaces—to allow consumers to compare, select, and purchase health insurance plans. States can elect to establish a state-based marketplace, or cede this authority to CMS to establish a federally facilitated ... |
Most Medicare beneficiaries participate in Medicare Part B, which helps pay for certain DME and other equipment and supplies. This includes, for example, wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen, and hospital beds. In 2007, Medicare spent a total of $430.3 billion. Of that, $8.3 billion was spent on DME and other medical equipment... | In 2007, Medicare spent $8.3 billion for durable medical equipment (DME) and related supplies. To reduce spending, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) required that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) phase in, with several rounds of bidding, a large-scale com... |
DOD offers medical services to 8.3 million eligible people through the MHSS—1.7 million active duty members and another 6.6 million non-active duty members, such as dependents of active duty personnel and military retirees and their dependents. The bulk of the health care is provided at more than 600 military hospitals... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the potential effects of the Department of Defense's (DOD) new health care benefit and cost-sharing package, which is part of its TRICARE managed health care program, on the Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities (USTF). GAO found that: (1) the new cost-sharing arran... |
To encourage employers to establish and maintain retirement plans for their employees, the federal government provides preferential tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) for plans that meet certain requirements. In addition, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as amended, sets for... | Because about one-third of privatesector employees in the United States work for small employers, Congress and federal agencies have made efforts to encourage small employers to sponsor retirement plans for workers. However, federal data show workers access to plans remains limited, leaving many without a work-based p... |
FHWA plays a key role in funding and overseeing the completion of highway projects. In addition to providing financial assistance and establishing standards for state DOTs to build and improve highways and roads, FHWA—through its division office in each state—provides technical expertise and fulfills oversight function... | Projects to construct, improve, and repair roads and bridges are fundamental to meeting the nations mobility needs. However, completing highway projectswhich generally involves four phases consisting of (1) planning, (2) preliminary design and environmental review, (3) final design and right-of-way acquisition, and (... |
Selecting applicants based on their qualifications instead of patronage has been the foundation of the federal hiring system for more than 130 years. Congress passed the Pendleton Act in 1883, establishing that federal employment should be based on merit. The nine merit system principles were later codified as part of ... | Federal agencies face human capital challenges as a large percentage of employees become eligible to retire and agencies compete with the private sector for critical skills. To acquire needed talent, agencies need a hiring process that is applicant friendly, flexible, and meets policy requirements, such as hiring on th... |
This section includes information on the types of levee structures and potential levee failures, major levee-related programs of the Corps and FEMA, and selected legislation related to levee safety. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 defines a levee as a manmade barrier (e.g., as an embankment, floo... | Levees, which are man-made structures such as earthen embankments or concrete floodwalls, play a vital role in reducing the risk of flooding. Their failure can contribute to loss of lives or property, as shown by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It is estimated that there are over 100,000 miles of levees a... |
Since its establishment by the Treaty of Rome in 1957, the EU has tried to create a single market among its Member States to facilitate the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. As part of this effort, the Commission has attempted to consolidate and harmonize many of the pharmaceutical regulations that... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) the new European Union (EU) procedures for approving new drug applications (NDA); and (2) why the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) was established, how it operates, and how it is financed. GAO found that: (1) because member states did not always accept E... |
Planning for an influenza pandemic is a difficult and daunting task, particularly because so much is currently unknown about a potential pandemic. While some scientists and public health experts believe that the next influenza pandemic could be spawned by the H5N1 avian influenza strain, it is unknown when an influenza... | An influenza pandemic could impair the military's readiness, jeopardize ongoing military operations abroad, and threaten the day-to-day functioning of the Department of Defense (DOD) due to a large percentage of sick or absent personnel. GAO was asked to examine DOD's pandemic influenza planning and preparedness effort... |
The EZ/EC and RC programs target federal grant monies to public and private entities, tax benefits to businesses, or both in order to improve conditions in competitively selected, economically distressed communities. To be considered for these programs, areas must be nominated by one or more local governments and the s... | Congress established the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community (EZ/EC) program in 1993 and the Renewal Community (RC) program in 2000 to provide assistance to the nation's distressed communities. To date, Congress has authorized three rounds of EZs, two rounds of ECs, and one round of RCs. The Community Renewal Tax... |
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 (Stafford Act) generally defines the federal government’s role during the response and recovery after a major disaster. It establishes the programs and processes through which the federal government provides disaster assistance to state and loc... | Since fiscal year 2007 FEMA has obligated $33 billion in disaster assistance payments. FEMA relies heavily upon its cadre of DAEs, a reserve workforce who interact with disaster survivors. GAO was asked to review the management and training of DAEs. Specifically, this report addresses the extent to which (1) FEMA has p... |
Burma, with a population of over 56 million people, is located in Southeast Asia between Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand, and borders the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal (see fig. 1). The country consists of seven divisions, seven states, and one union territory. Burma is an ethnically diverse country wi... | U.S. policy toward Burma has been to promote the establishment of a democratically elected civilian government that respects the human rights of the Burmese people, according to State. Since 2011, Burma has been in transition from military, authoritarian rule toward parliamentary democracy. Congress included a provisio... |
VBA provides benefits to about 2.7 million veterans and about 579,000 surviving spouses, children, and parents. Some of these benefits and services include disability compensation and pension, education, loan guaranty, and insurance. VBA employs about 5,000 examiners, and they represent about 40 percent of the agency’s... | By the year 2006, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) projects it will lose a significant portion of its mission-critical workforce to retirement. Since fiscal year 1998, VBA has hired over 2,000 new employees to begin to fill this expected gap. GAO was asked to review, with particular attention for new employee... |
About a decade ago we implemented a campus recruitment program to increase GAO’s visibility on campuses and help us attract highly-qualified and diverse candidates. The key elements of this program are (1) ongoing relationships with many colleges and universities and (2) the use of senior executives and other staff to ... | This testimony discusses GAO's campus recruitment program. As an organization committed to having a high-performing, diverse workforce, GAO places great importance on attracting, hiring, training, and retaining employees with the skills needed to support GAO's mission to serve Congress and the American public. GAO has ... |
The C-17 military transport, which is being produced for the Air Force by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, is designed to airlift substantial payloads over long ranges without refueling. The Air Force intends the C-17 to be its core airlifter and the cornerstone of its future airlift force. The Congress had appropria... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Air Force's reliability, maintainability, and availability (RM&A) evaluation of the C-17 aircraft, focusing on: (1) RM&A planning, preparation, execution, and results; and (2) whether the evaluation demonstrated the aircraft's wartime surge rate. GAO found that: (1)... |
USPS’s financial condition has continued to deteriorate in the first 5 months of fiscal year 2009 and USPS expects its financial condition to continue deteriorating for the rest of the fiscal year, including: accelerating declines in mail volume after the first quarter, with a total decline of about 11 billion pieces; ... | When Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act in December 2006, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) had just completed fiscal year 2006 with its largest mail volume ever--213 billion pieces of mail and a net income of $900 million. Two years later, USPS's financial condition has deteriorated. Mail volum... |
The Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) was the largest construction project on the Capitol Grounds in over 140 years. It was built to provide greater security for all persons working in or visiting the U.S. Capitol and an enhanced educational experience for visitors to learn about the Congress and the Capitol Building. The c... | The AOC OIG was established by statute in 2007, in part because of congressional concerns about time delays and cost overruns during construction of the Capitol Visitor Center. GAO was asked to assess the AOC OIG's oversight of AOC. This report describes AOC areas subject to OIG oversight and examines the extent to whi... |
In our audit of the fiscal year 2004 financial statements for SEC, we found the financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2004, including the accompanying notes, are presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; SEC did not hav... | Pursuant to the Accountability for Tax Dollars Act of 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is required to prepare and submit to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget audited financial statements. GAO agreed, under its audit authority, to perform the initial audit of SEC's financial statements. ... |
The Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 includes tax incentives to assist recovery and economic revitalization for individuals and businesses in designated areas in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005. Some of the tax incentives in the act are extensio... | In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma devastated the Gulf Coast, destroying wide swaths of housing, key infrastructure, and numerous private businesses. In response, Congress granted the states a wide range of disaster relief, including billions of dollars of grants and tax incentives to revitalize the Gulf Coas... |
Multiple executive-branch agencies are responsible for different phases of the federal government’s personnel security clearance process. For example, in 2008, Executive Order 13467 designated the DNI as the Security Executive Agent. As such, the DNI is responsible for developing policies and procedures to help ensure ... | Recently the DNI reported that more than 5.1 million federal government and contractor employees held or were eligible to hold a security clearance. GAO has reported that the federal government spent over $1 billion to conduct background investigations (in support of security clearances and suitability determinations f... |
Advisory groups—both FACA and non-FACA—exist throughout the executive branch of the federal government, providing input and advice to agencies in a variety of ways, such as preparing reports and developing recommendations. Agencies are not required to implement the advice or recommendations of advisory groups because t... | Advisory groupsthose established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and other groups not subject to the actcan play an important role in the development of policy and government regulations. There are more than 1,000 FACA advisory groups and an unknown number of non-FACA advisory groups governmentwide. N... |
The collection of outstanding criminal debt has been a long-standing problem, with many of the issues that we have been reporting on since October 1985 still remaining. Since that time, as reported in the U.S. Attorneys’ statistical reports, the balance of outstanding criminal debt has grown from $260 million to over $... | The collection of outstanding criminal debt has been a long-standing problem for the federal government. Since October 1985, as reported in the U.S. Attorney's statistical reports, the balance of outstanding criminal debt has grown from $260 million to more than $13 billion. Currently, the receipting of collections and... |
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act is the principal federal program that provides regulatory protections for wetlands, which include bogs, swamps, and marshes. It generally prohibits the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, which include certain wetlands, without a permit from the Cor... | When a nonfederal public entity such as a city or county wants to build a public works project that could degrade or damage federally regulated waters and wetlands, it must obtain a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) before proceeding. To help expedite the permit process for these entities, the Congre... |
Since the early 1970s, we and others have reported on redundancies and excess capacity in DOD depots. The excess capacity problem has been exacerbated in recent years by reductions in military force structure and related weapon system procurement; changes in military operational requirements due to the end of the Cold ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) plans to privatize-in-place the Navy's Louisville, Kentucky, depot maintenance workload, focusing on the: (1) impact on excess depot capacity and operating costs at remaining industrial facilities; (2) cost-effectiveness of this planned... |
As the nation’s principal conservation agency, Interior has responsibility for managing most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, and preserving the environmental and cultural values of our n... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed efforts by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to reduce costs by consolidating their telecommunications services, focusing on whether Interior: (1) has consolidated and optimized telecommunications services to eliminate unnecessary services and maximi... |
In the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, as amended, Congress established various programmatic requirements for The Veterans Corporation to address perceived shortfalls in federally provided services for veterans. The Veterans Corporation is required to, among other things, (1) expan... | The Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999 (Act) created the National Veterans Business Development Corporation (The Veterans Corporation) to address perceived gaps in providing small business and entrepreneurship assistance to veterans. The Act requires GAO to review The Veterans Corporat... |
The Missile Defense Agency’s mission is to develop an integrated and layered BMDS to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends. In order to meet this mission, MDA is developing a highly complex system of systems—land, sea and space based sensors, interceptors and battle management. Since its in... | The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has spent about $56 billion and will spend about $50 billion more through 2013 to develop a Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). This testimony is based on two reviews GAO was directed to conduct in 2008. In addition to our annual review assessing the annual cost, testing, schedule,... |
Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that finances health care for certain categories of low-income individuals, including children, families, persons with disabilities, and persons who are elderly. The federal government matches state spending for Medicaid services according to a formula based on each state’s per... | This report responds to two ongoing GAO mandates under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). It is the latest in a series of reports on the uses of and accountability for Recovery Act funds in 16 selected states, certain localities in those jurisdictions, and the District of Columbia (Distr... |
Wildlife are valuable to society in many ways, providing a wide range of social, ecological, and economic benefits. For example, hunting and birdwatching are important as both recreational and income-generating activities. In 1996, according to the latest national survey by the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wil... | Birdwatching, hunting, and wildlife photography provide important recreational, aesthetic, and income-generating benefits to the American public. In addition, wildlife help maintain ecosystems, and the mere knowledge that wildlife exist is viewed as beneficial by many people. At the same time, however, some wildlife de... |
As we and others have reported, taxpayers often have problems obtaining the needed information from IRS to file their tax returns and resolve problems with their accounts. Not only do taxpayers have difficulty in reaching IRS by telephone, but once a taxpayer reaches a CSR, that CSR does not always have easy access to ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Integrated Case Processing (ICP) systems development effort, focusing on: (1) IRS' assessment of ICP costs and benefits and users' perceptions of the system's benefits; (2) IRS' testing of ICP; (3) IRS' ongoing efforts to redesign it... |
The SNRA is the largest of the 38 national recreation areas within the United States. National recreation areas are areas within the National Forest System that have outstanding combinations of outdoor recreation opportunities, scenery, and proximity to potential users. They may also have cultural, historic, and other ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area's (SNRA) funding, its accomplishments and unmet needs, and on agency actions that have adverse impacts on the area, focusing on: (1) the funds allocated to the SNRA for fiscal years 1993 through 1997; (2) spending for... |
In the past, to help reduce and restructure their workforces, federal agencies have paid buyouts to employees to voluntarily leave federal service. DOD has had buyout authority since January 1993. Most non- DOD executive branch agencies have had two buyout opportunities. The first, under the Federal Workforce Restructu... | Under the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Act of 2002, an agency may request authority from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer employees voluntary separation incentive payments (buyouts) and voluntary early retirement (early outs) to help reshape its workforce. GAO was asked to identify (1) how many ... |
The Buy Indian Act of 1910 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to employ Indian labor and to purchase the products of Indian-owned firms without using the normal competitive process. As implemented, Interior’s BIA may use the Buy Indian Act procurement authority. In addition, effective in 1955, Congress transferre... | The Buy Indian Act of 1910 and agencies' implementing regulations allow Interior's BIA and the Department of Health and Human Services' IHS to award federal contracts to Indian-owned businesses without using the standard competitive process. Among other requirements, eligible firms must be at least 51 percent Indian-ow... |
A U.S. passport is not only a travel document but also an official verification of the bearer’s origin, identity, and nationality. Under U.S. law, the Secretary of State has the authority to issue passports. Only U.S. nationals may obtain a U.S. passport, and evidence of citizenship or nationality is required with ever... | Maintaining the integrity of the U.S. passport is essential to the State Department's efforts to protect U.S. citizens from terrorists, criminals, and others. State issued about 8.8 million passports in 2004. During the same year, State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security arrested about 500 individuals for passport fraud, ... |
Within broad federal requirements under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, each state administers and operates its Medicaid program in accordance with a state Medicaid plan, which must be approved by CMS. A state Medicaid plan (1) describes the groups of individuals to be covered and the methods for calculating paym... | Under Medicaid, a joint federal-state program, states pay health care providers and receive federal matching funds for their payments. States may have incentives to make excessive Medicaid payments to certain institutional providers such as hospitals operated by local governments. Medicaid payments are not limited to p... |
Taxpayers have been allowed to deduct mortgage interest payments on their federal tax returns since Congress enacted the federal income tax in 1913. At that time, the deduction for home mortgage interest was part of the deduction allowed for any interest paid. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 limited deductions for nonbusine... | The home mortgage interest deduction is the third most expensive federal income tax expenditure, with the government expected to forgo about $80 billion of revenue for the deduction in 2009.1 Subject to various limitations, taxpayers may deduct interest on home-secured loans, such as mortgages, mortgage refinancings, a... |
The estimated costs of planned airport capital development vary depending on which projects are included in the estimates. According to FAA’s estimate, which includes only projects that are eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants, the total cost of airport development will be about $46 billion, or about $... | Since Congress enacted the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21 Century (AIR-21) 3 years ago, much has changed. At that time, the focus was on reducing congestion and flight delays. Today, flights are being canceled for lack of business, two major air carriers are in bankruptcy, and attention h... |
In March 2002, we reported that SEC’s workload and staffing imbalances had challenged SEC’s ability to protect investors and maintain the integrity of securities markets. Appendix I graphically depicts SEC’s workload and staffing imbalance from 1990 through 2000 as reported in our 2002 report and appendix II updates th... | In February 2003, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) received the largest budget increase in the history of the agency. The increased funding was designed to better position SEC to address serious issues identified in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and to better enable SEC to address numerous operational and human ca... |
The federal government uses grants—forms of federal financial assistance to a state, a local government, or a nongovernmental recipient authorized to receive U.S. government assistance (e.g., charitable or educational institutions) for a specified public purpose—to achieve national objectives and respond to emerging tr... | In fiscal year 2013, the federal government obligated over $555 billion for grants. Effective oversight of internal controls is important for providing reasonable assurance that grants are awarded properly, recipients are eligible, and federal grant funds are used as intended. GAO was asked to review internal control i... |
AIS technology, which has been under development worldwide since the early 1990s to improve navigation safety, helps prevent collisions by enabling ships to electronically “see” and track the movements of similarly equipped ships and to receive pertinent navigational information from shore. Like other wireless technolo... | As part of international efforts to ensure maritime safety and security--and to carry out its mandates under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002--the U.S. Coast Guard is developing an automatic identification system (AIS) that should enable it to monitor ships traveling to and through U.S. waters. For AIS ... |
With the terrorist attacks of September 2001, the threat of terrorism rose to the top of the country’s national security and law enforcement agendas. As stated by the President in his National Strategy for Homeland Security in July 2002, our nation’s terrorist enemies are constantly seeking new tactics or unexpected wa... | The Homeland Security Act of 2002, which created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), brought together 22 diverse organizations to help prevent terrorist attacks in the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorist attacks, and minimize damage and assist in recovery from attacks that d... |
Congress, concerned about the burden on grantees of multiple, varying requirements imposed by different grant programs, passed P.L. 106-107 in 1999. The act’s objective is to improve the effectiveness and performance of federal financial assistance programs, simplify federal financial assistance application and reporti... | The federal government distributed about $400 billion in federal grants in fiscal year 2003 through about 1,000 different federal grant programs administered by several federal agencies with different administrative requirements. Congress, concerned that some of these requirements may be duplicative, burdensome, or con... |
The FBI is the primary investigative agency within the Department of Justice. Its missions include investigating serious federal crimes, protecting the nation from foreign intelligence and terrorist threats, and assisting other law enforcement agencies. Approximately 12,000 special agents and 16,000 mission support per... | The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investing more than a billion dollars over 3 years to modernize its information technology (IT) systems. The modernization is central to the bureau's ongoing efforts to transform the organization. GAO was asked to determine whether the FBI has (1) an integrated plan for mode... |
Beginning with tax year 2014, individuals are to report on their health care coverage, report exemptions to the coverage requirement, pay the shared responsibility tax penalty when they file their tax returns, or do some combination of the above.reporting process. In January 2015, IRS began processing tax year 2014 tax... | Tax year 2014 marked the first time individual taxpayers were required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to report health care coverage information on their tax returns. Taxpayers reported on whether they had health care coverage, had an exemption from the coverage requirement, or owed a tax pen... |
The Small Business Act created SBA to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns. The first version of Section 7(a) of the act empowered SBA to make loans to small businesses with the restriction that “no financial assistance shall be extended … unless the financial assistance applied fo... | The Small Business Administration's (SBA) 7(a) program is intended to provide loan guarantees to small business borrowers who cannot obtain conventional credit at reasonable terms and do not have the personal resources to provide financing themselves. In fiscal year 2008, SBA guaranteed over 69,000 loans valued at abou... |
FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service (Aircraft Certification) and Flight Standards Service (Flight Standards) issue certificates and approvals for the operators and aviation products used in the national airspace system based on standards set forth in federal aviation regulations. FAA inspectors and engineers working i... | Among the agency's responsibilities for aviation safety, FAA issues certificates for new aircraft and parts and grants approvals for changes to air operations and aircraft. In 2010, GAO made recommendations to improve FAA's certification and approval processes. Subsequently, the Act required FAA to work with industry t... |
VAMCs conduct an initial review of cases that are identified as possible adverse events to determine how best to respond and which process to use to determine the facts of the case, such as protected peer review, FPPE, or AIB. Because VAMCs generally have discretion in which of these processes they choose to use to res... | Adverse events--clinical incidents that may pose the risk of injury to a patient as the result of a medical intervention, rather than the patient's underlying health condition--can occur in all health care delivery settings. VAMCs can use one or more of the protected (confidential and nonpunitive) and nonprotected proc... |
Our past work has identified several major management challenges at EPA, including ensuring consistent environmental enforcement and compliance, addressing human capital issues, and improving the development and use of environmental information. Ensuring consistent environmental enforcement and compliance. EPA has auth... | The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) overarching mission is to protect human health and the environment by implementing and enforcing environmental laws intended to improve the quality of the nation's air and water and to protect its land. EPA's policies and programs affect virtually all segments of the economy,... |
The TANF block grant was created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and was designed to give states the flexibility to provide both traditional welfare cash assistance benefits as well as a variety of other benefits and services to meet the needs of low-income famili... | This hearing is on combating poverty and understanding new challenges for families. The testimony focuses on the role of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant in helping low-income families with children. As you know, the federal government significantly changed federal welfare policy in 1996 w... |
With certain exceptions, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires all entities receiving any form of federal financial assistance to prohibit sex discrimination in their education programs or activities, which are defined broadly under Title IX to include all the operations of the entity. Because most post... | Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 extended protections against sex discrimination to students and employees at institutions receiving federal assistance for educational programs or activities. In the 32 years since Title IX was enacted, women have made significant gains in many fields, but much attention has... |
DOD is a massive and complex organization. The department reported that its fiscal year 2007 operations involved approximately $1.5 trillion in assets and $2.1 trillion in liabilities; more than 2.9 million military and civilian personnel; and $544 billion in net cost of operations. For fiscal year 2008, the department... | In 1995, GAO first designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) business systems modernization program as "high risk," and GAO continues to do so today. To assist in addressing this high-risk area, the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 contains provisions that are consistent with ... |
DOD’s primary medical mission is to maintain the health of 1.6 million active duty service personnel and to provide health care during military operations. Also, DOD offers health care to 6.6 million non-active duty beneficiaries, including dependents of active duty personnel, military retirees, and dependents of retir... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO examined: (1) whether the Department of Defense's (DOD) methodology for setting the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) maximum allowable charge (CMAC) rates complies with statutory requirements and how current CMAC rates compare with Medica... |
When the WTC buildings collapsed on September 11, 2001, an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people were immediately exposed to a noxious mixture of dust, debris, smoke, and potentially toxic contaminants in the air and on the ground, such as pulverized concrete, fibrous glass, particulate matter, and asbestos. Those affect... | After the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center (WTC), nearly 3,000 people died and an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people in the vicinity were affected. An estimated 40,000 people who responded to the disaster--including New York City Fire Department (FDNY) personnel and other government and private-sector workers and... |
In the United States, responsibility for spectrum management is shared between two federal agencies: FCC, an independent agency, and NTIA, an administration within the Department of Commerce. FCC manages spectrum use for nonfederal users, including commercial, private, and state and local government users. NTIA manages... | The growth of commercial wirelessbroadband services and government missions, including public safety and defense, has increased demand for radio-frequency spectrum. FCC and NTIA attempt to meet this demand while protecting existing users from harmful interference that can arise as new services and users come on line. T... |
Admitted insurers can be licensed to sell several lines or types of coverage to individuals or families, including personal lines—e.g., homeowners, renters, and automobile insurance—and commercial lines—e.g., general liability, commercial property, and product liability insurance. Admitted insurers can sell insurance i... | Surplus lines insurers are critical to ensuring that businesses and individuals with difficult-to-insure risks can manage those risks. These insurers provide coverage for risks that the traditional, or admitted, insurance market is unwilling or unable to cover. Historically, insurance brokers who sell such coverage hav... |
The loss of lives and property resulting from commercial motor vehicle accidents has been a focus of public concern for several years. In 2006, about 5,300 people died as a result of crashes involving large commercial trucks or buses, and about 126,000 more were injured. A recent study performed by DOT showed that a si... | Millions of drivers hold commercial driver licenses (CDL), allowing them to operate commercial vehicles. The Department of Transportation (DOT) established regulations requiring medical examiners to certify that these drivers are medically fit to operate their vehicles and provides oversight of their implementation. Li... |
With the agreement between Congress and the administration to balance the federal budget and the widespread demands by the American people for a less costly government, agencies are being challenged as never before to ensure that their operations are as efficient as possible. Efforts by Congress and the administration ... | GAO discussed: (1) the purpose and usefulness of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Circular A-76 in the current federal environment; (2) why A-76 is not being used extensively by civilian agencies; (3) the effectiveness of OMB's efforts to lead the implementation of A-76, which, in GAO's view, could be enhanc... |
The use of IT to electronically collect, store, retrieve, and transfer clinical, administrative, and financial health information has great potential to help improve the quality and efficiency of health care and is critical to improving the performance of the U.S. health care system. Historically, patient health inform... | For over a decade, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have been engaged in efforts to improve their ability to share electronic health information. These efforts are vital for making patient information readily available to health care providers in both departments, reducing med... |
The Comanche helicopter program began in 1983 to provide a family of high technology, low-cost aircraft that would replace the Army’s light helicopter fleet, which includes the AH-1 Cobra, OH-58 Kiowa, OH-6 Cayuse, and the UH-1 Iroquois (Huey). The Army subsequently decided to develop only a single Comanche aircraft ca... | As of August 1, 1999, the Army's Comanche helicopter program faced significant risks related to cost overruns, scheduling delays, and degraded performance. GAO concluded that proceeding to the next development phase with high levels of uncertainty was not in accordance with best practices followed by successful commerc... |
In an effort to promote and achieve various U.S. foreign policy objectives, trade preference programs have expanded in number and scope over the past 3 decades. The purpose of these programs is to foster economic development through increased trade with qualified beneficiary countries while not harming U.S. domestic pr... | U.S. trade preference programs promote economic development in poorer nations by providing duty-free export opportunities in the United States. The Generalized System of Preferences, Caribbean Basin Initiative, Andean Trade Preference Act, and African Growth and Opportunity Act unilaterally reduce U.S. tariffs for many... |
In reaction to allegations of widespread misconduct and abusive practices involving mutual funds, regulators have responded with various proposals. In early September 2003, the Attorney General of the State of New York filed charges against a hedge fund manager for arranging with several mutual fund companies to improp... | Since September 2003, widespread allegations of abusive practices involving mutual funds have come to light. An abuse called late trading allowed some investors, at times in collusion with pension plan intermediary, broker-dealer, or fund adviser staff, to profit at other investors' expense by submitting orders for fun... |
SSA provides benefits to individuals with disabilities through two main programs: DI and SSI. Individuals are generally considered disabled if they are unable to do their previous work and, considering age, education, and work experience, are unable to engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work and their disa... | SSA's Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs provide cash benefits to millions of Americans with disabilities who are unable to work. Collectively, payments from DI and SSI were about $200 billion in fiscal year 2015. Although the extent of fraud in these programs is unknown, recent h... |
The 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, is the primary body of law governing immigration and visa operations. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 generally grants DHS exclusive authority to issue regulations on, administer, and enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act and all other immigration and nation... | In adjudicating a visa application, Department of State (State) consular officers are on the front line of defense against those whose entry would likely be harmful to U.S. national interests. In October 2002, we identified shortcomings and made recommendations on the role of national security in the visa process. This... |
ASR, a disease caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, requires living host cells to survive. It can infect over 90 host species of legumes, such as kidney beans, chickpeas, and kudzu. When ASR infects soybeans, it causes the plants to lose their leaves prematurely, which reduces the size and number of the beans. I... | In 2005, U.S. agriculture faced potentially devastating losses from Asian Soybean Rust (ASR), a fungal disease that spreads airborne spores. Fungicides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can protect against ASR. In 2005, growers in 31 states planted about 72.2 million soybean acres worth about $17 bi... |
As part of our audit of the fiscal years 2005 and 2004 CFS, we evaluated Treasury’s financial reporting procedures and related internal control, and we followed up on the status of Treasury and OMB corrective actions to address open recommendations regarding the process for preparing the CFS that were in our prior year... | For the past 9 years, since our first audit of the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS), certain material weaknesses in internal control and in selected accounting and financial reporting practices have resulted in conditions that prevented GAO from expressing an opinion on the CFS. Specifical... |
Dual-eligible beneficiaries are a particularly vulnerable population. These individuals are typically poorer, tend to have far more extensive health care needs, have higher rates of cognitive impairments, and are more likely to be disabled than other Medicare beneficiaries. About three out of four dual-eligible benefic... | Under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), dual-eligible beneficiaries--individuals with both Medicare and Medicaid coverage--have their drug costs covered under Medicare Part D rather than under state Medicaid programs. The MMA requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid S... |
The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers three federal cash payment programs: the Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) program, the Disability Insurance (DI) program, and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. OASI and DI are social insurance programs authorized under title II of the Social Secur... | GAO provided information on the management problems associated with the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program. GAO noted that: (1) to a great extent, SSA's inability to address its most significant long-standing SSI problems is attributable to two underlying causes: (a) an or... |
The United States has assisted the Mexican government in its counternarcotics efforts since 1973, providing about $350 million in aid. Since the later 1980s, U.S. assistance has centered on developing and supporting Mexican law enforcement efforts to stop the flow of cocaine from Colombia, the world’s largest supplier,... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its work on the counternarcotics efforts of the United States in Mexico, focusing on the: (1) nature of the drug threat from Mexico and results of efforts to address this threat; (2) planning and coordination of U.S. counternarcotics assistance to the Mexican military;... |
To help federal agencies manage their respective travel programs and achieve travel cost savings, GSA issues and revises the FTR. According to the FTR website, GSA promulgates the FTR to: (1) interpret statutory and other policy requirements in a manner that balances the need to ensure that official travel is conducted... | Federal agencies rely on travel to achieve a broad range of missions. GSA helps agencies develop travel policy by providing guidance to agencies, including issuing and revising the FTR. The administration and GSA have encouraged agencies to take steps to adopt cost-savings efforts and promote efficient travel spending.... |
According to DHS’s 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), biological threats and hazards—ranging from bioterrorism to naturally occurring pandemics—are a top homeland security risk. The QHSR acknowledges that numerous departments and agencies at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels, as w... | The potential threat of a naturally occurring pandemic or a terrorist attack with a biological weapon of mass destruction underscores the importance of a national biosurveillance capability—that is, the ability to detect biological events of national significance to provide early warning and information to guide public... |
To respond to the Gulf Coast devastation, the federal government has committed an historically high level of resources—over $110 billion— through an array of grants, loan subsidies, and tax relief and incentives. The bulk of this assistance was provided between September 2005 and June 2006 through four emergency supple... | The size and scope of the devastation caused by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes presents unprecedented rebuilding challenges. Today, more than a year and a half since the hurricanes made landfall, rebuilding efforts are at a critical turning point. The Gulf Coast must face the daunting challenge of rebuilding its commun... |
DOT provides billions of dollars to states and other grantees annually to improve the nation’s highway and transit infrastructure and safety. Most of this federal funding is provided by FHWA, FTA, and NHTSA. FHWA provides the vast majority of federal surface transportation funds—about $40 billion each year to states to... | Since 2008, GAO has highlighted the need to demonstrate the outcomes of the billions of dollars the Department of Transportation (DOT) provides to states and other grantees for surface transportation programs. MAP-21 included provisions for DOT and its grantees to move toward a performance-based approach, transforming ... |
TEA-21 authorized a total of $36 billion in “guaranteed” funding for a variety of transit programs, including financial assistance to states and localities to develop, operate, and maintain transit systems. Under one of these programs, New Starts, FTA identifies and funds worthy fixed- guideway transit projects, includ... | The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and subsequent legislation authorized about $8.3 billion in guaranteed funding for the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) New Starts program, which funds fixed guideway transit projects, such as rail and trolley projects, through FFGAs. GAO assessed the Ne... |
In April 2003, we reported that watch lists were maintained by numerous federal agencies and that the agencies did not have a consistent and uniform approach to sharing information on individuals with possible links to terrorism. Our report recommended that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in... | The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) maintains a consolidated watch list of known or appropriately suspected terrorists and sends records from the list to agencies to support terrorism-related screening. Because the list is an important tool for combating terrorism, GAO examined ... |
Under Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 39 (U.S. Policy on Counterterrorism, June 1995), the National Security Council (NSC) is to coordinate interagency terrorism policy issues and review ongoing crisis operations and activities concerning foreign terrorism and domestic terrorism with significant foreign involveme... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed interagency processes intended to ensure the efficient allocation of funding and resources for the federal government's efforts to combat terrorism, focusing on: (1) federal funding for unclassified programs and activities to combat terrorism; (2) whether any agency or ... |
NNSA carries out its nuclear weapons research missions at research laboratories located in two states—California and New Mexico. NNSA and DOE have traditionally relied on contractors to carry out the department’s missions. However, the department’s history of inadequate management and oversight and failure to hold its ... | The University of California (University) operates the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The two research laboratories, with a combined fiscal year 2003 budget of $2.3 billion, have had problems in such mission support... |
According to the Financial Literacy Act, the purpose of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission is to improve financial literacy and education through the development of a national strategy to promote them. The act defines the composition of the Commission—the Secretary of the Treasury and the heads of 19 other... | The Financial Literacy and Education Improvement Act created, in December 2003, the Financial Literacy and Education Commission. This statement is based on a report issued in December 2006, which responded to the act's mandate that GAO assess the Commission's progress in (1) developing a national strategy; (2) developi... |
The Spallation Neutron Source Project is, according to DOE and its scientific advisers, vitally important to the nation’s scientific community. DOE estimates that as many as 2,000 scientists from universities, industries, and federal laboratories will use this facility, which is scheduled to be completed in December 20... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Energy's (DOE) management of the Spallation Neutron Source Project, focusing on the: (1) project's cost and schedule; and (2) effectiveness of the collaborating laboratories' coordination. GAO noted that: (1) the project is not currently in trouble, b... |
The Department of Defense (DOD) refers to the amount of secondary inventory that it needs to have on hand or on order to support current operations as the requirements objective. The requirements objective includes inventory requirements for a reorder point and an economic order quantity. The reorder point is the point... | Changes in the Department of Defense's (DOD) mission can lead to changes in inventory requirements, which, in turn, determine the size of DOD's inventory. Since 1990, GAO has identified DOD's management of inventory as a high-risk area because levels of inventory were too high and management systems and procedures were... |
This section presents information on (1) the ways in which pharmaceuticals may enter drinking water, (2) pharmaceuticals in drinking water as a contaminant of emerging concern, (3) the degree to which relevant environmental statutes regulate pharmaceuticals, and (4) the establishment of the PiE workgroup. Scientists ha... | Drinking water in some metropolitan areas contains concentrations of pharmaceuticals, raising concerns about their potential impact on human health. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, in public drinking water syste... |
ATSA was enacted on November 19, 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ATSA established the TSA and charged it with responsibility for strengthening security in all modes of transportation, including aviation. One of the most significant changes mandated by ATSA was the shift from the use of p... | In November 2004, as required by law, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began allowing all commercial airports to apply to use private screeners in lieu of federal screeners as part of its Screening Partnership Program (SPP). GAO's prior work found that airports and potential private screening contractor... |
Business incentives are inducements that state and local governments can offer to attract or retain businesses and jobs. Incentives offered by state and local governments may be in the form of a direct payment to a business to locate or remain in a certain area. Or incentives may be less direct; for example, they can b... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the economic development activities of eight federal programs, focusing on: (1) the economic development activities that major federal programs fund for the benefit of states and communities; (2) restrictions for using program funds to relocate existing businesses and j... |
Several legislative initiatives enacted during the past decade have emphasized the potential of IT to improve the federal government’s performance. For example, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to “promote the use of information technology to i... | Federal and state agencies are making extensive use of information technology (IT) to address traditional regulatory management. For example, the Department of Labor has a system of electronic "advisors" imitating the interaction that an individual might have with an employment law expert, and the Environmental Protect... |
Under the AFDC program, many states received waivers from federal rules to strengthen work requirements for adults. In addition, some states began experiments with time limits on receiving cash assistance. Under TANF, states generally must impose work and other program requirements on most adults receiving aid and, whe... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on families no longer receiving welfare, focusing on: (1) the extent to which states have reported information on the condition of families who have left welfare in the following key areas: (a) economic status; (b) family composition; and (c) family and chil... |
On January 1, 2000, computer systems worldwide could malfunction or produce inaccurate information simply because the century has changed. Unless corrected, such failures could have a costly, widespread impact. The problem is rooted in how dates are recorded and computed. For the past several decades, systems have typi... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed workforce issues associated with the year 2000 computing crisis, focusing on: (1) the nature and extent of year 2000 personnel issues being reported by federal agencies; and (2) what is being done by the government to address reported federal personnel shortages related... |
As a result of the rapid growth in computer technology, the Department of Defense, like the rest of government and the private sector, has become extremely dependent on automated information systems. These systems have also become increasingly interconnected worldwide to form virtual communities in cyberspace. The Depa... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the extent to which Department of Defense (DOD) computer systems are attacked, focusing on the: (1) potential for further damage to DOD computer systems; and (2) challenges DOD faces in securing sensitive information on its computer systems. GAO found that: (1) DOD reli... |
The use of federal procurement to promote environmental goals has gained increasing emphasis since the 1976 RCRA legislation. Under RCRA section 6002, each procuring agency purchasing more than $10,000 of an item (in a fiscal year) that EPA has designated as available with recycled content must have an affirmative proc... | The federal government buys about $200 billion worth of goods and services each year. Through its purchasing decisions, the federal government can signal its commitment to preventing pollution, reducing solid waste, increasing recycling, and stimulating markets for environmentally friendly products. The Resource Conser... |
As you know, Mr. Chairman, for over two decades, we have reported on problems with DOD’s personnel security clearance program as well as the financial costs and risks to national security resulting from these problems (see Related GAO Reports at the end of this statement). For example, at the turn of the century, we do... | The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for about 2 million active personnel security clearances. About one-third of the clearances are for industry personnel working on contracts for DOD and more than 20 other executive agencies. Delays in determining eligibility for a clearance can heighten the risk that class... |
Since 1955, federal agencies have been encouraged to obtain commercially available goods and services from the private sector if doing so is cost-effective. In 1966, OMB issued Circular A-76, which established federal policy for the government’s performance of commercial activities and set forth the procedures for stud... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on whether the Air Force complied with relevant policy and congressional notification requirements in reaching a decision to deactivate the 38th Engineering Installation Wing (EIW) at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma, focusing on: (1) the scope of the... |
As the nation’s largest health care payer, Medicare provides health insurance coverage to over 36 million elderly and disabled Americans. Medicare part A covers inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility and home health or hospice care. The care in skilled nursing facilities that part A covers—for which M... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed allegations of fraud and abuse related to services and supplies provided to nursing facility patients, focusing on: (1) the nature and extent of such fraud and abuse exist; (2) why nursing facility patients are an attractive target for miscreants; and (3) options for re... |
States. We disagree. As discussed in this report, a core element of the CSI program, specifically the extent to which U.S.-bound containers carrying high-risk cargo are examined at CSI seaports, is not addressed through CBP’s performance measures. Seaports are critical gateways for the movement of commerce through the ... | Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Container Security Initiative (CSI) aims to identify and examine high-risk U.S.-bound cargo at foreign seaports. GAO reported in 2003 and 2005 that CSI helped to enhance homeland security, and recommended actions to strengthen the program. This report updates information and assess... |
At least 18 different federal agencies, from DOE to HHS, conduct at least 158 energy-related program activities. These programs address eight major categories of activities, ranging from energy supply to energy conservation. In fiscal year 2003, for the energy program activities we identified, the federal government pr... | The lives of most Americans are affected by energy. Increased energy demand and higher energy prices has led to concerns about dependable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy. The federal government has adopted energy policies and implemented programs over the years that have focused on the appropriate role of... |
NIJ is the principal research development, and evaluation agency within OJP. It was created under the 1968 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, and is authorized to enter into grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts with public or private agencies to carry out evaluations of the effectiveness of criminal ju... | Policy makers need valid, reliable, and timely information on the outcomes of criminal justice programs to help them decide how to set criminal justice funding priorities. In view of previously reported problems with selected outcome evaluations managed by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), GAO assessed the metho... |
Closing out contracts involves a number of tasks, such as verifying that goods or services were provided, making final payment to the contractor, and deobligating excess funds. A contract is generally eligible to be closed once all option provisions have expired, the contractor has completed performance, and the govern... | DOD has a large volume of contracts that have not been closed on time. Closing a contract includes tasks such as verifying that the goods and services were provided and making final payment to the contractor. Closing contracts within required time frames can limit the governments exposure to certain financial risks. O... |
Water pollution comes from two types of sources: (1) specific, single locations, such as industrial waste pipes or sewage treatment plants, known as point sources, or (2) multiple dispersed sources over large areas, such as runoff from farms, ranches, logging operations, and urban areas, known as nonpoint sources. Fede... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the effects of agricultural production on water pollution, focusing on lessons learned from nine innovative, successful watershed projects that reduced such pollution. GAO found that: (1) the watershed projects ranged from 5 acres to 150 million acres and involved both ... |
Subsets and Splits
Short Government Reports Sample
Retrieves short reports or summaries from the training dataset, which helps identify potentially incomplete or truncated entries that might need data quality improvement.
Short Government Reports Filtering
Retrieves short reports from the training dataset, providing basic filtering but offering limited analytical value beyond simple length constraints.