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Currently 104 commercial nuclear power plants operate in the United States, together generating, as of 2007, about 20 percent of our nation’s electricity. These reactors are located at 65 sites across the country (see fig. 1) and are operated by 26 different companies. Many reactors built in the late 1960s and early 19... | All U.S. nuclear power plant sites have had some groundwater contamination from radioactive leaks, and some of these leaks came from underground piping systems. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates nuclear power plants to protect public health and the environment from radiation hazards. GAO was asked to (1... |
DOD designed GPS to support military missions, such as military air, land, and sea navigation; missile guidance; search and rescue; mine placement; and precision surveying. GPS has space and ground components, as depicted in figure 1. The space component consists of a worldwide constellation of 24 satellites in six orb... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) augmentation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for use in civil aviation navigation, focusing on whether FAA: (1) will have sufficient time under its new milestones to augment GPS; and (2) has taken appropriate actions to... |
As authorized by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA issues and enforces workplace safety and health standards (OSHA standards). Some OSHA standards require that certain products used in the workplace, such as a variety of electrical equipment, be safety-tested and approved by OSHA-accredited laborator... | American workers interact with many types of products that could pose risks to their safety. The NRTL program, administered by OSHA, works to support employers and workers by establishing a process for safety-testing certain equipment and other products for use in the U.S. workplace. Under this program, which is suppor... |
Mercury enters the environment in various ways, such as through volcanic activity, coal combustion, and chemical manufacturing. As a toxic element, mercury poses ecological threats when it enters water bodies, where small aquatic organisms convert it into its highly toxic form— methylmercury. This form of mercury may t... | The 491 U.S. coal-fired power plants are the largest unregulated industrial source of mercury emissions nationwide, annually emitting about 48 tons of mercury--a toxic element that poses health threats, including neurological disorders in children. In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that merc... |
Our body of work on interagency collaboration has identified several key areas that are essential for collaboration among U.S. federal agencies in addressing security challenges. Three are particularly important for SOUTHCOM and AFRICOM: (1) developing and implementing overarching strategies, (2) creating collaborative... | Recognizing the limits of military power in today's security environment, the Department of Defense (DOD) is collaborating with other U.S. federal agencies to achieve its missions around the world. DOD's combatant commands, such as U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), play key roles in th... |
Human traffickers exploit individuals, and human trafficking often involves transnational criminal organizations, violations of labor and immigration codes, and government corruption. Many forms of trafficking—including sex trafficking and labor trafficking—can take place anywhere in the world and can occur without cro... | Human traffickers exploit men, women, and children for financial gain. Congress enacted the TVPA in 2000, which requires the Secretary of State to report annually on governments' efforts according to the act's minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Each year since 2001, State has published the Traffickin... |
Medicare’s 25 supplier standards were introduced to deter individuals intent on committing fraud from entering the program and to safeguard Medicare beneficiaries by ensuring that suppliers were qualified. The 25 standards apply to a variety of business practices and establish certain requirements and prohibitions (see... | According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), schemes to defraud the Medicare program have grown more elaborate in recent years. In particular, HHS has acknowledged Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service's (CMS) oversight of suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies... |
Several federal agencies and other entities have responsibility for the movement of inbound international mail and express cargo into the United States. The Universal Postal Union (UPU), a United Nations specialized agency with over 190 member countries, governs the international movement of mail amongst member countri... | Expanding international use of e-commerce has increased the volume of global trade, potentially increasing threats sent to the United States via international mail and express cargo. Some in Congress have called for additional measures to identify prohibited items, such as increased collection of EAD that may provide C... |
The Health Center Program is governed by section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. By law, grantees with community health center funding must operate health center sites that serve, in whole or in part, an MUA or MUP; provide comprehensive primary care services as well as enabling services, such as translation and ... | Health centers funded through grants under the Health Center Program--managed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)--provide comprehensive primary care services for the medically underserved. HRSA provides funding for training and... |
Ballistic missile defense is a challenging mission for DOD, requiring a unique combination of defensive components—space-based sensors, surveillance and tracking radars, advanced interceptors, command and control, and reliable communications—working together as an integrated system. A typical scenario to engage an ICBM... | Since 1985, the Department of Defense (DOD) has invested $85 billion in ballistic missile defense programs, with $66.5 billion more anticipated over the next 7 years through 2011. As a major result of this investment, the Department is on the verge of activating our nation's first missile defense system for protecting ... |
Registered nurses are responsible for a large portion of the health care provided in this country. RNs make up the largest group of health care providers, and are 77 percent of the nurse workforce. Historically, RNs have worked predominantly in hospitals; in 2000, 59.1 percent of RNs worked in hospitals. A smaller numb... | Health care providers' difficulties in recruiting and retaining nurses may worsen as the demand for nurses rises with the aging of the population. Demographic changes are widening the gap between the numbers of people needing care and available caregivers. Moreover, the current high levels of job dissatisfaction among ... |
Since our May 2002 report on nuclear smuggling, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported 481 additional confirmed cases of the smuggling of nuclear and/or radiological materials. One of these cases involved nuclear material suitable for use in a nuclear weapon. The majority of new cases IAEA reported ... | According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, between 1993 and 2004, there were 662 confirmed cases of illicit trafficking in nuclear and radiological materials. Three U.S. agencies, the Departments of Energy (DOE), Defense (DOD), and State (State), have programs that provide radiation detection equipment and tr... |
Parents who need child care services select from different types of child care providers: in-home care, in which a child is cared for by a provider such as an au pair or nanny in the child’s home; family child care or group home care, in which the child is cared for in a private residence other than the child’s home; a... | Very little is known about sexual abuse among children that are regularly cared for by more than 1.3 million child care providers every week in the United States. In this context, GAO was asked to (1) provide an overview of federal and state laws related to the employment of sex offenders at child care facilities and (... |
Sanitary and phytosanitary measures encompass many complex technical and scientific issues. Typically applied to both domestically produced and imported goods, SPS measures may be designed to protect human or animal life or health from food-borne risks, humans from animal- and plant-carried diseases, plants and animals... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the: (1) extent to which foreign sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures may unfairly restrict U.S. agricultural exports; and (2) federal structure and approach for addressing such measures. GAO noted that: (1) despite growing concerns that certain fore... |
TEA-21 authorized the Job Access program, through which DOT’s FTA provides grants to “qualified entities”—local agencies, nonprofit organizations, transit authorities, and others—to improve the mobility of welfare recipients and low-income individuals seeking employment.DOT’s two major goals for the program are to (1) ... | In 1998, three-fourths of welfare recipients lived in central cities or rural areas, but two-thirds of new, entry-level jobs were in the suburbs. Public transportation, such as buses or subways, often offer little or no access to these jobs, and many welfare recipients do not have cars. To address this mismatch, the Tr... |
U.S. military forces are engaged in a number of missions that are different from most of those of the Cold War period. The U.S. defense strategy calls for the maintenance of military forces that are flexible enough to accomplish diverse missions. Peace operations are among these missions.Within the last 5 years, U.S. c... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined: (1) how the services incorporate peace operations into their various training programs; (2) what effect peace operations have on maintaining combat readiness; and (3) whether the services have the weapons systems and equipment they need for these operations. GAO found ... |
The GAO Act contains several distinct and critical components. A number of provisions are designed to benefit our employees and to provide a means to continue to attract, retain, and reward a top-flight workforce, while other provisions are aimed at helping us improve our operations and increase administrative efficien... | Today's testimony discusses several important topics: (1) provisions of H.R. 3268, the GAO Act, that would bolster our ability to attract and retain a highly skilled and diverse workforce needed to serve the Congress and provide for operational improvements and administrative efficiencies; (2) steps we are taking to es... |
Money laundering is the process used to transform monetary proceeds derived from criminal activities into funds and assets that appear to have come from legitimate sources. Terrorist financing is generally characterized by different motives than money laundering and the funds involved often originate from legitimate so... | Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, passed after the September 11 terrorist attacks, amended U.S. anti-money laundering laws and imposed new requirements on financial institutions. Section 326 of the act required the development of minimum standards for verifying the identity of financial institution customers. S... |
Since the first public 2-year college opened more than 100 years ago, community colleges have experienced considerable change in their purpose and mission. They have expanded beyond their original academic or vocational focus to meet a wide variety of educational, economic, and social needs. Community colleges have kep... | The goal of most American workers--a well-paying job--will be increasingly linked to adequate training in the coming years. Such training will be key to competing for the 21 million new jobs the Department of Labor projects will be created in the 2002 to 2012 period. People already in, or seeking to enter, the workforc... |
The Children’s Advocacy Center model was developed in the 1980s to improve the response to child abuse. CACs are designed to coordinate a multidisciplinary response to child abuse and reduce the additional stress on child abuse victims and families created by the investigation process. CACs provide a centralized child-... | The Department of Justice's (DOJ) OJJDP, housed within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), awarded about $74 million in VOCA grants from fiscal years 2010 through 2013. VOCA grants are designed to help improve the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. Senate Report 113-78 included a provision for GAO to... |
Almost all Americans have sought the services of SSA at some point in their lives, and for many, their first experience is applying for a Social Security number (SSN). SSA offers a range of services, which includes providing financial assistance to eligible individuals through the following three major benefit programs... | Millions of people rely on the services of Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices. In fiscal year 2007, SSA's approximately 1,300 field offices provided service to about 42 million customers. People use these offices to apply for Social Security cards, apply for retirement and disability benefits, establish... |
SSA conducts periodic reviews called work continuing disability reviews (work CDRs) to determine if beneficiaries are still eligible or are working above the SGA level. While work CDRs can be prompted by several events, most are generated by SSA’s Continuing Disability Review Enforcement Operation (enforcement operatio... | The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Disability Insurance (DI) program paid almost $123 billion in benefits in fiscal year 2010 to more than 10 million workers and dependents. The program has grown rapidly in recent years and is poised to grow further as the baby boom generation ages. GAO examined (1) what is kno... |
IRS’s mission is to provide America’s taxpayers top-quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and by applying the tax law with integrity and fairness to all. To fulfill this mission, IRS has more than 100,000 employees deployed among more than 600 offices nationwide and in select in... | The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collects the revenues that fund the federal government and issues billions of dollars in refunds. Consequently, IRS's ability to demonstrate agility and speed in restoring its functions after a disruption is vital to the government and the economy. GAO (1) identified the definition an... |
A considerable amount of federally owned or managed land lies adjacent to the international borders with Mexico and Canada. As shown in figure 1, of the total 1,900-mile United States-Mexico border, about 43 percent, or 820 linear miles, are federally owned or managed lands. Of that, the National Park Service has the l... | Since the mid-1990s--and especially since September 11--the government has focused attention and resources on preventing illegal aliens, drug smugglers, and potential terrorists from entering the United States across its land borders with Mexico and Canada. The Border Patrol is responsible for protecting the nation's b... |
The widespread use of U.S. currency abroad, together with the outdated security features of the currency, makes it a particularly vulnerable target for international counterfeiters. According to the Federal Reserve, the proportion of U.S. currency in circulation abroad has increased from 40 percent in 1970 to over 60 p... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on counterfeiting of U.S. currency abroad and U.S. efforts to deter these activities. GAO found that: (1) counterfeit U.S. currency is used for economic gain and illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, arms sales, and terrorist activity; (2) there are ... |
The Navy has 690,000 men and women in the Ready Reserve, the Standby Reserve, and the Retired Reserve. The Ready Reserve, which at the time of the zero-based review, consisted of 85,900 members in the Selected Reserve and 65,066 in the Individual Ready Reserve, is the primary manpower pool for the Navy Reserve. The Sel... | In 2004, the Navy completed a study of how many selected reserve personnel are needed to support the active force in meeting current and future mission requirements. The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for 2005 mandated that GAO assess several aspects of the Navy's study. This report addresses (1) t... |
The six selected federal programs have varying purposes and are designed to target different segments of the low-income population, according to information confirmed by the administering agencies (see table 1). For example, EITC targets working families, whereas SSI targets the elderly, blind, and disabled. Because po... | Various federal programs provide cash assistance, food, housing, and health care to millions of individuals, families, and households whose income falls below defined levels and who meet other eligibility requirements. As GAO previously reported, the numerous financial and nonfinancial rules for determining eligibility... |
As has been the case for the previous 10 fiscal years, the federal government did not maintain adequate systems or have sufficient and reliable evidence to support certain material information reported in the U.S. government’s accrual basis consolidated financial statements. The underlying material weaknesses in intern... | The Congress and the President need to have reliable, useful and timely financial and performance information to make sound decisions on the current and future direction of vital federal government programs and policies. Unfortunately, except for the 2007 Statement of Social Insurance, GAO was again unable to provide a... |
Experts agree that chemical facilities present an attractive target for terrorists intent on causing massive damage. Terrorist attacks involving the theft or release of certain chemicals could significantly impact the health and safety of millions of Americans; disrupt local or regional economies; or impact other criti... | Terrorist attacks on U.S. chemical facilities could damage public health and the economy. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formerly led federal efforts to ensure chemical facility security, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now the lead federal agency coordinating efforts to protect these faci... |
When we refer to consumer advocacy groups, we are referring to groups that advocate on behalf of consumers and patients. its safety and effectiveness. Class I includes devices with the lowest risk (e.g., tongue depressors, reading glasses, forceps), while class III includes devices with the highest risk (e.g., breast i... | The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for overseeing the safety and effectiveness of medical devices sold in the United States. New devices are generally subject to FDA review via the 510(k) process, which determines if a device is substantially e... |
The SSN was created in 1936 as a means of tracking workers’ earnings and eligibility for Social Security benefits. SSNs are issued to most U.S. citizens, and to some noncitizens lawfully admitted to the United States. Through a process known as enumeration, a unique nine-digit number is created. The number is divided i... | GAO previously reported on how large information resellers like consumer reporting agencies obtain and use Social Security numbers (SSNs). Less is known about information resellers that offer services to the general public over the Internet. Because these resellers provide access to personal information, SSNs could be ... |
Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 authorizes a federal-state VR program to provide services to persons with disabilities so that they may prepare for and engage in gainful employment. Education provided an estimated $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2005 in grants to the states and territories based on a formula that... | The Department of Education (Education) provides more than $2.5 billion annually to the states for a federal-state vocational rehabilitation (VR) program to help individuals with disabilities become employed. This program is among a large number of federal programs intended to assist people with disabilities. In 2003 G... |
Three main types of pipelines carry hazardous liquid and natural gas from producing wells to end users (residences and businesses) and are managed by about 2,500 operators: Gathering pipelines collect hazardous liquid and natural gas from production areas and transport the products to processing facilities, which in tu... | The nation's 2.5 million mile network of hazardous liquid and natural gas pipelines includes more than 400,000 miles of "transmission" pipelines, which transport products from processing facilities to communities and large-volume users. To minimize the risk of leaks and ruptures, PHMSA requires pipeline operators to de... |
MA plans are required to cover benefits that are covered under the Medicare FFS program. Medicare FFS consists of Part A; hospital insurance—which covers inpatient stays, care in skilled nursing facilities, hospice care, and some home health care, and Part B, which covers certain physician, outpatient hospital, and lab... | In 2006, the federal government spent about $59 billion on Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, an alternative to the original Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) program. Although health plans were originally envisioned in the 1980s as a potential source of Medicare savings, such plans have generally increased program spending. ... |
The long-term fiscal pressures created by the impending retirement of the baby boom generation, rising health care costs and increased homeland security and defense commitments sharpen the need to look at competing claims on existing federal budgetary resources and emerging new priorities. As we look ahead, our nation ... | The structure of the budget process can help ensure that budget decision makers are presented with the information and choices for timely and informed decisionmaking. GAO's long-term budget simulations show that, absent substantive entitlement reform and/or dramatic changes in tax and spending policies, we will face la... |
Following the stock market crash of 1929, Congress passed the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which established the SEC to enforce securities laws, to regulate the securities markets, and to protect investors. In enforcing these laws, the SEC issues rules and regulations to provide protection for investors and to help... | The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relies extensively on computerized systems to support its financial and mission-related operations. As part of the audit of SEC's fiscal year 2004 financial statements, GAO assessed the effectiveness of the commission's information system controls in protecting the integrity... |
In recent years, significant improvements in data management and presentation technologies have made it possible for governments to report performance information in new ways. Prior to the development of these technologies, performance information was generally reported in static reports, such as printed annual reports... | Congress took steps to improve federal performance reporting through GPRAMA by requiring that OMB provide performance information via a publicly-available central website, Performance.gov. GAO is mandated to review GPRAMA's implementation at several junctures; this report is part of a series doing so. The report examin... |
The purpose of screening mammography is to detect breast cancer before there are apparent symptoms. Screening mammography usually consists of two X-ray views of each breast. A physician need not be on site to interpret a screening mammogram immediately, but may read a group of mammograms at a later time. Diagnostic mam... | Mammography, an X-ray procedure that can detect small breast tumors, is an important tool for detecting breast cancer at an early stage and, when coupled with appropriate treatment, can reduce breast cancer deaths. In 2002, GAO reported in Mammography: Capacity Generally Exists to Deliver Services (GAO-02-532) that the... |
For the last 3 fiscal years, we have been unable to express an opinion on IRS’ financial statements because of the pervasive nature of its financial management problems. We were unable to express an opinion on IRS’ financial statements for fiscal year 1994 for the following five primary reasons. One, the amount of tota... | GAO discussed its: (1) fiscal year 1994 financial audit of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and (2) evaluation of the IRS Tax System Modernization (TSM) effort. GAO noted that: (1) IRS did not use its revenue general ledger accounting system or its master files for its revenue reports, but relied on alternative sour... |
As part of its mission of providing federal agencies with acquisition services and solutions at best value, GSA’s technology programs offer agencies options to acquire needed telecommunications services. An option chosen by more than 135 agencies is the FTS2001 program, which consists of two large governmentwide teleco... | The General Services Administration (GSA) and its customer agencies are preparing to transition new governmentwide telecommunications contracts known as the Networx program. GSA estimated the costs for which it is responsible to be $151.5 million. This report addresses (1) the soundness of the analysis GSA used to deri... |
GSCF allows State and DOD to address emergent challenges and opportunities by pooling funds from existing departmental accounts and sharing expertise to provide equipment, supplies, and training to enhance a partner nation’s security forces. State and DOD can use the GSCF authority to support partner nations’ border an... | As instability abroad threatens U.S. and foreign partners' interests, the United States has emphasized the importance of building partner capacity to address emerging threats. Congress established GSCF in fiscal year 2012, and this pilot authority allows State and DOD to pool funds and expertise to address near- to mid... |
The TAA program was designed to assist workers who have lost their jobs as a result of international trade. The program provides two primary benefits to these workers—training and extended income support. In addition, as a result of the TAA Reform Act of 2002, workers also have access to wage insurance and health cover... | The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, administered by the Department of Labor (Labor), is the nation's primary program providing income support, job training, and other benefits to manufacturing workers who lose their jobs as a result of international trade. In fiscal year 2006, Congress appropriated about $90... |
DI and SSI—the two largest federal programs providing cash to people with disabilities—grew rapidly between 1988 and 1998, with the size of the working-age beneficiary population increasing from about 4.4 million to 7.6 million. Administered by SSA and state disability determination service (DDS) offices, DI and SSI pa... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed return-to-work issues facing the Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, focusing on: (1) structural and operational weaknesses in the current DI and SSI programs that impede return to work; (2) factors that working beneficiaries beli... |
Under authority first provided by Congress in 1940, VA reimburses eligible veterans for travel expenses associated with medical appointments through VHA’s Beneficiary Travel Program.travel expenses eligible for reimbursement include mileage, tolls, meals, and lodging. Through the program, VA may also pay for special mo... | VHA's Beneficiary Travel Program is designed to encourage eligible veterans to seek medical care by reducing travel costs to medical appointments. Veterans are eligible to receive reimbursement for some travel expenses, such as mileage, through the program that is administered by VA medical centers. In February 2013, t... |
The maturation of the baby boom generation (persons born between 1946 and 1964) has progressed to the point where boomers will soon begin moving from the traditional working ages to the ages when many people start to retire. The first wave of the baby boom generation will start to turn age 65 in 2011 and the last of th... | The impending retirement of the "baby boom" generation is receiving considerable attention. The number of older workers will grow substantially during the next two decades, and they will become an increasingly significant share of the U.S. workforce. Although older workers are less likely than younger workers to lose a... |
In using baseline budget projections, we need to understand what assumptions they incorporate and how realistic these assumptions may be. Intended as a neutral reference point for comparing alternative policies, baseline projections make no assumptions about future policy change. The overarching assumption is that curr... | In this statement, the Comptroller General discusses the fiscal policy challenges facing Congress and the nation. The focus of tax administration and budgeting are shifting because of current and projected budget surpluses. The Comptroller General speaks of the need for fiscal responsibility when using surplus projecti... |
The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary, measuring nearly 200 miles long and 35 miles wide at its widest point. The bay’s watershed covers 64,000 square miles and, as shown in figure 1, spans parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia—and the District of Colum... | The Chesapeake Bay, with its watershed in parts of six states and the District of Columbia (watershed states), is an important economic and natural resource that has been in decline. Over decades, federal agencies and watershed states have entered into several agreements to restore the bay, but its health remains impai... |
Dual-eligible beneficiaries are a particularly vulnerable group. In general, these individuals are among the poorest and sickest beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. For example, compared to other Medicare beneficiaries, they are more likely to be disabled; report poor health status and limitations in their... | The Medicare and Medicaid programs spent an estimated $300 billion on dual-eligible beneficiaries—those individuals who qualify for both programs—in 2010. These beneficiaries often have complex health needs, increasing the need for care coordination across the two programs. In 2013, CMS began the Financial Alignment De... |
The Section 521 Rental Assistance Program, started in 1978, is administered by RHS’s Multifamily Housing Division of Portfolio Management. The program provides rental assistance for tenants living in units created through RHS’s Multifamily Direct Rural Rental Housing Loans and Multifamily Housing Farm Labor Loans progr... | The Rural Housing Service's (RHS) Section 521 Rental Assistance Program provides rental subsidies to about 250,000 rural tenants. With an annual budget of over $700 million, the program is RHS's largest line-item appropriation, accounting for approximately 70 percent of the agency's budget. In early 2003, RHS reported ... |
Several agencies in the executive branch have key roles and responsibilities in the federal government’s personnel security clearance process. In a 2008 memorandum, the President called for a reform of the security clearance and suitability determination processes and subsequently issued Executive Order 13467, which de... | In 2012, the DNI reported that more than 4.9 million federal government and contractor employees held or were eligible to hold a personnel security clearance. Furthermore, GAO has reported that the federal government spent over $1 billion to conduct more than 2 million background investigations in fiscal year 2011. A h... |
In accordance with the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994, as amended, BBG manages and oversees all U.S. civilian international broadcasting, including the federal entities VOA and OCB and the grantees MBN, RFA, and RFE/RL. Collectively, these entities include 69 language services that produce content... | U.S. international broadcasting is intended to communicate directly with audiences in countries with limited journalism alternatives and to inform, engage, and connect people around the world. BBG oversees two U.S. government entities--Voice of America and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting-- and three nonprofit grantees ... |
One of the functions of the Reserve Banks is to fulfill the coin demand of the nation’s depository institutions—which include commercial banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions—by distributing coin inventories stored in the Reserve Banks’ vaults and at coin terminals, including circulated coins and new ... | Federal Reserve Banks fulfill the coin demand of the nation's depository institutions--which include commercial banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions--by ordering new coins from the U.S. Mint and managing coins held in inventory at the Reserve Banks and in coin terminals. Reliably estimating the deman... |
Immigration enforcement includes, among other things, patrolling 8,000 miles of international boundaries to prevent illegal entry into the United States; inspecting over 500 million travelers each year to determine their admissibility; apprehending, detaining, and removing criminal and illegal aliens; disrupting and di... | The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assumed responsibility for the immigration programs of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in 2003. The three DHS bureaus with primary responsibility for immigration functions are U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce... |
U.S. critical infrastructure is made of systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on national security, economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of these mat... | U.S. critical infrastructures, such as financial institutions and communications networks, are systems and assets vital to national security, economic stability, and public health and safety. Systems supporting critical infrastructures face an evolving array of cyber-based threats. To better address cyber-related risks... |
Federal agencies are generally required to use full and open competition to award contracts, with certain exceptions. This requirement was established through CICA, which required agencies to obtain full and open competition through the use of competitive procedures in their procurement activities unless otherwise auth... | Competition is a critical tool for achieving the best return on investment for taxpayers. In fiscal year 2011, the Department of Defense (DOD) obligated about $375 billion through contracts; more than half that amount was for services. Agencies are required to award contracts on the basis of full and open competition, ... |
As you know, technology plays an important role in helping the federal government provide security for its many physical and information assets. Today, federal employees are issued a wide variety of identification (ID) cards, which are used to access federal buildings and facilities, sometimes solely on the basis of vi... | The federal government is increasingly interested in the use of smart cards--credit-card-like devices that use integrated circuit chips to store and process data--for improving the security of its many physical and information assets. Besides better authentication of the identities of people accessing buildings and com... |
Congress built into the Recovery Act numerous provisions to increase transparency and accountability, including requiring recipients of funds to report quarterly on a number of measures. To implement these requirements, OMB worked with the Recovery Board to deploy a nationwide system at FederalReporting.gov for collect... | A hallmark of efforts to implement the $862 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) is to be transparent and accountable about what the money is being spent on and what is being achieved. To help achieve these goals, recipients are to report every 3 months on their award activities and exp... |
The Air Force’s manpower requirements are determined by individual major commands, using a number of methodologies, including manpower standards, logistical models, and crew ratios. Once approved by Air Force leadership, the results serve as the basis for authorizing military, civilian, and contractor positions in the ... | The Air Force began to test the force requirements in its manpower requirements-determination process in May 2000. The defense strategy envisions simultaneously fighting two major theater wars and conducting multiple contingency operations in peacetime. The Total Force Assessment was the Air Force's first evaluation of... |
IRCA provided for sanctions against employers who do not follow the employment verification (Form I-9) process. Employers who fail to properly complete, retain, or present for inspection a Form I-9 may face civil or administrative fines ranging from $110 to $1,100 for each employee for whom the form was not properly co... | The opportunity for employment is one of the most important magnets attracting illegal immigrants to the United States. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 established an employment eligibility verification process and a sanctions program for fining employers for noncompliance. Few modifications have ... |
The private sector is an important partner with the government in responding to and recovering from natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As we recently noted, such partnerships increasingly underlie critical government operations. With hundreds of billions of tax dollars spent each year on goods and s... | The devastation experienced throughout the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has called into question the government's ability to effectively respond to such disasters. The government needs to understand what went right and what went wrong, and to apply these lessons to strengthen its disaste... |
The Criminal Justice Act of 1964 required the federal judiciary to provide for the legal representation of eligible federal criminal defendants who were financially unable to afford their own attorneys. In response, the federal judiciary created the Federal Defender Services program. In August 1993, AOUSC reported that... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Defender Services program, focusing on: (1) the causes of the program's increased workload and costs; and (2) whether death penalty resource centers (DPRC) have reduced the federal costs of representing indigent defendants in death penalty cases. GAO found that: (1)... |
Prepositioning is an important part of DOD’s overall strategic mobility framework. It allows DOD to field combat-ready forces in days rather than the weeks it would take if the forces and all necessary equipment and supplies had to be brought from the United States to the location of the conflict. The U.S. military can... | Prepositioned military equipment and supplies on ships and overseas on land have become an integral part of the U.S. defense strategy. However, the Army's program has faced long-standing management challenges, including equipment excesses and shortfalls, invalid or poorly defined requirements, and maintenance problems.... |
Tantalum is a hard, gray metal with a high melting point that is highly resistant to corrosion. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity. These attributes make it a valuable material for use in numerous military applications such as capacitors used in electronics equipment including computers, turbine engines for... | The United States relies on foreign mine production of tantalum, a corrosion-resistant metal that is used in commercial and defense applications. Having reliable information on the global supply of tantalum is important for defense planning, particularly in determining if it is necessary to stockpile in case of future ... |
IHS oversees the CHS program through 12 area offices. The federally and tribally operated facilities in each of these areas use CHS program funds to purchase health care services from external hospitals, physicians, and other providers. Medicare-participating hospitals are required to accept CHS program patients at rat... | Indians and Alaska Natives. When care at an IHS-funded facility is unavailable, IHS's CHS program pays for care from external providers. Hospitals are required to accept Medicare rates from federal and tribal CHS programs, while physicians and other nonhospital providers are paid at either billed charges or negotiated,... |
FSIS and FDA are the two primary food safety agencies. FSIS is responsible for the safety of meat, poultry, and processed egg products, and, pursuant to the Farm Bill, is given authority to inspect catfish as soon as it issues final regulations to carry out a catfish inspection program. FDA is responsible for virtually... | Since 2007, federal oversight of food safety has been on GAOs list of highrisk areas, largely because of fragmentation that has caused inconsistent oversight, ineffective coordination, and inefficient use of resources. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) further fragmented the food safety system... |
Our work has repeatedly shown that mission fragmentation and program overlap are widespread in the federal government. In 1998 and 1999, we found that this situation existed in 12 federal mission areas, ranging from agriculture to natural resources and environment. We also identified, in 1998 and 1999, 8 new areas of p... | GAO's work has repeatedly shown that mission fragmentation and program overlap are widespread in the federal government. Implementation of federal crosscutting programs is often characterized by numerous individual agency efforts that are implemented with little apparent regard for the presence and efforts of related a... |
Our work on patent examination issues, which was performed at this Committee’s request, is discussed in detail in our July 15, 1996, report entitled Intellectual Property: Enhancements Needed in Computing and Reporting Patent Examination Statistics (GAO/RCED-96-190). This section of our statement discusses the followin... | GAO discussed: (1) patent examination issues at the Department of Commerce's Patent and Trademark Office (PTO); and (2) examined the fees that PTO and the Library of Congress's Copyright Office charge for their services. GAO noted that: (1) PTO patent pendency statistics do not provide inventors and decisionmakers with... |
The fiscal year 1989 Department of Justice Appropriation Act established the IEFA, which was to be used to reimburse any appropriation for expenses incurred in providing immigration adjudication and naturalization services. In 1990, Congress added a provision allowing the fees for providing adjudication and naturalizat... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) fee increase proposal, focusing on: (1) the extent to which INS' methodology for computing the proposed application fees complied with federal user fee requirements and used generally accepted statistical sampling proce... |
PPACA required the establishment of individual health insurance exchanges, as well as small business exchanges, within each state by 2014. PPACA does not require issuers to offer plans through these exchanges, but instead generally relies on market incentives to encourage issuer participation. Issuers seeking to offer ... | PPACA contained provisions, many of which took effect in 2014, that could affect how issuers determine health insurance coverage and premiums and how they market their plans. For example, PPACA prohibits issuers from denying coverage or varying premiums based on consumer health status or gender. PPACA also requires hea... |
According to the U.S. Census, 4.5 million people, or 2 percent of the total U.S. population, reported that they were at least part Indian in 2007. During the 2000 Census, about 36 percent of Indians lived on reservations. The largest federal Indian reservation covers roughly 15 million acres and the smallest reservatio... | Indians lag behind other Americans on many key economic indicators, such as median household income. To improve such conditions, Congress in 1993 created Indian reservation depreciation (IRD), a tax expenditure offering accelerated depreciation for property invested on Indian reservations. GAO was asked to (1) describe... |
AOC and its major construction contractors have made progress since the Subcommittee’s May 17 hearing. As of May 31, the construction management contractor reported that the CVC project’s construction was about 65 percent complete. The sequence 1 contractor, Centex Construction Company, which was responsible for the pr... | This testimony discusses the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) progress in achieving selected project milestones and in managing the project's schedule since Congress's May 17 hearing on the project. We will also discuss the project's costs and funding, including the potential impact of schedule-related issues on the pr... |
This section describes the public’s longstanding opposition to siting nuclear waste repositories, DOE’s efforts to develop a repository under the NWPA and its amendments, and DOE’s efforts since terminating the Yucca Mountain repository to develop other strategies to manage and store nuclear waste. Public opposition ha... | DOE had long planned to store defense and commercial nuclear waste in a single repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, funded largely from commercial power fees. In 2010, DOE terminated this plan, and then considered developing separate defense and commercial repositories. This approach requires a Presidential finding un... |
Under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), employers are permitted to sponsor two broad types of retirement plans, defined benefit—plans that promise to provide a benefit that is generally based on an employee’s years of service and frequently salary, regardless of the investment port... | Studies have been conducted to better understand the fees 401(k) plan sponsors and their participants pay. However, these studies focus on larger plans. Thus, uncertainty remains about the amounts paid by small and medium-sized plans and the level of knowledge and expertise these sponsors have to assess the fees charge... |
Agencies should have sufficient staff with the technical expertise to oversee the activities under their authority. Oil and gas production methods on federal lands and waters have become increasingly sophisticated over the past decade. Additionally, oil and gas companies now rely on information technology to manage and... | The catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has drawn national attention to the exploration and production of oil and gas from leases on federal lands and waters. The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees onshore oil and gas activities, the Minerals Management Service's (MMS) Offsho... |
With WIA, the Congress sought to replace the fragmented employment and training system that existed under the previous workforce system. Among other things, WIA sought to streamline program services at one-stop centers; offer job seekers the ability to make informed choices about training, and provide private-sector le... | The Workforce Investment Act was passed in 1998 to unify a fragmented employment and training system. The act sought to change the workforce development system by streamlining the delivery of employment and training services, enabling job seekers to make informed choices among training providers and course offerings an... |
Many federal and state agencies oversee the regulation of California manufacturing firms. Laws relating to the workplace and employment are overseen at the federal level by the Department of Labor (governing unemployment insurance, employee benefits such as pensions, compensation issues such as minimum wage and overtim... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO compiled a list of the federal and state laws that apply to California businesses of different sizes, and selected two industries within that state to illustrate compliance with selected laws, focusing on the: (1) requirements of federal and state laws affecting the workplace, t... |
As a result of their historical development, four distinct land management agencies, each operating under unique authorities, today oversee more than 630 million acres of federal land. Established in 1849, Interior was given authority for managing public lands, including those acquired by the federal government during ... | The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service, which manages almost a quarter of the nation's lands, is the only major land management agency outside the Department of the Interior (Interior). Four federal land management agencies--the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Se... |
NIST serves as the focal point for conducting scientific research and developing measurements, standards, and related technologies in the federal government. NIST carries out its mission through 12 research and development laboratories (also known as Operating Units). See figure 1 for NIST’s organizational chart. In 19... | GAO previously found that a significant portion of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) working capital fund contained a growing carryover balance. Almost all of the fund's resources come from appropriations advanced from federal clients for NIST's technical services through interagency agreement... |
The DTV transition will require citizens to understand the transition and the actions that some might have to take to maintain television service. For those households with subscription video service on all televisions or with all televisions capable of processing a digital signal, no action is required. However, house... | The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires all full-power television stations in the United States to cease analog broadcasting after February 17, 2009, known as the digital television (DTV) transition. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible fo... |
We have identified three fundamental principles that can serve as a framework for considering large-scale federal assistance efforts. These principles are (1) identifying and defining the problem, (2) determining the national interests and setting clear goals and objectives that address the problem, and (3) protecting ... | The current economic downturn has brought significant financial stress to the auto manufacturing industry. Recent deteriorating financial, real estate, and labor markets have reduced consumer confidence and available credit, and automobile purchases have declined. While auto manufacturers broadly have experienced decli... |
In our 2010 assessment of weapon programs, we made several observations concerning DOD’s management of its major defense acquisition portfolio. First, in DOD’s fiscal year 2010 budget, the Secretary of Defense proposed canceling or significantly curtailing programs with projected total costs of at least $126 billion th... | The past two years have seen the Congress and DOD take meaningful steps towards addressing long-standing weapon acquisition issues--an area that has been on GAO's high risk list since 1990. This testimony focuses on the progress DOD has made in improving the planning and execution of its weapon acquisition programs and... |
Mercury enters the environment in various ways, such as through volcanic activity, coal combustion, and chemical manufacturing. As a toxic element, mercury poses ecological threats when it enters water bodies, where small aquatic organisms convert it into its highly toxic form— methylmercury. This form of mercury may t... | The 491 U.S. coal-fired power plants are the largest unregulated industrial source of mercury emissions nationwide, annually emitting about 48 tons of mercury--a toxic element that poses health threats, including neurological disorders in children. In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that merc... |
SSA funds a DDS in each state to determine whether disability applicants meet DI and/or SSI disability criteria. For both DI and SSI, the law defines disability in adults as the inability to engage in substantial gainful activity because of a severe physical or mental impairment that is medically determinable and has l... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on whether: (1) the Social Security Administration's (SSA) plan to process 8.1 million continuing disability reviews (CDR) during fiscal years 1998 through 2002 will result in CDRs being done for all beneficiaries for whom CDRs are required by law; and (2) d... |
Experts believe that the deliberate introduction of animal and plant diseases at the farm level would cause severe economic disruption given that agriculture accounts for 13 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and 18 percent of domestic employment. In the event of agroterrorism, losses to farmers could result fr... | U.S. agriculture generates more than $1 trillion per year in economic activity and provides an abundant food supply for Americans and others. Since the September 11, 2001, attacks, there are new concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. agriculture to the deliberate introduction of animal and plant diseases (agroterrori... |
During this time, we reported preliminary observations on opportunities to reduce the costs to the federal government related to major disaster declarations. See GAO-12-342SP. 321-328. governments, tribes, and certain nonprofit organizations and individuals. In addition to its central role in recommending to the Presid... | The growing number of disaster declarations--a record 98 in fiscal year 2011 compared with 65 in 2004--has contributed to increased federal disaster costs. FEMA leads federal efforts to respond to and recover from disasters and makes recommendations to the President, who decides whether to declare a disaster and increa... |
The DRC’s size, location, and wealth of natural resources contribute to its importance to U.S. interests in the region. With an area of more than 900,000 square miles, the DRC is roughly the size of the United States east of the Mississippi River. Located in the center of Africa, the DRC borders nine nations. Its abund... | During the last decade, conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)--one of the world's poorest countries--led directly or indirectly to the deaths of an estimated 5.4 million Congolese. A U.S.-supported peace process began in 2001, and the country's first democratically elected president in 40 years was ina... |
Each year, State issues A-3 and G-5 visas to individuals whose employers are foreign diplomats on official purposes in the United States. Most of these individuals are hired to work for foreign diplomats in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, or Virginia. For fiscal years 2000 through 2007, 207 U.S. embassies... | In 2007, the Department of State (State) reported that some foreign diplomats may be abusing the household workers they brought to the United States on A-3 or G-5 visas. GAO was asked to (1) determine the number of A-3 or G-5 visa holders who have alleged abuse by foreign diplomats with immunity since 2000, (2) review ... |
The United States highlights the denial of safe haven to terrorists as a key national security concern in several U.S. government strategic documents. For example, National Security Strategies released in 2002, 2006, and 2010 emphasize the importance of denying safe haven to terrorists. The current National Strategy fo... | This testimony discusses GAO's report on U.S. efforts to address terrorist safe havens. Terrorist safe havens provide security for terrorists, allowing them to train recruits and plan operations. U.S. officials have concluded that various terrorist incidents demonstrate the dangers emanating from terrorist safe havens,... |
Congress established FHA in 1934 under the National Housing Act (P.L. 73- 479) to broaden homeownership, protect and sustain lending institutions, and stimulate employment in the building industry. Over time, FHA came to play a major role in extending mortgage credit to first-time homebuyers and historically underserve... | The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) historically has been an important participant in the mortgage market, which includes loans that carry government insurance or guarantees (such as FHA-insured mortgages) and those that do not (conventional mortgages). The conventional market comprises prime loans for the most cr... |
FPS—located within the National Protection and Programs Directorate of DHS—protects the over 9,000 federal facilities that are under the control and custody of GSA, as well as the persons on those properties. FPS headquarters is located in Washington, D.C.; regional offices are located in New York, Boston, Philadelphia... | The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Protective Service (FPS) protects over 9,000 federal facilities under the custody and control of the General Services Administration (GSA). In 2007, FPS adopted an inspector-based workforce approach and indicated it would increase its reliance on state and local law e... |
SSA’s mission is to deliver Social Security services that meet the changing needs of the public. The Social Security Act and amendments established the programs that SSA administers. Among these, the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program—commonly referred to as Social Security—is one of the nation’s larg... | SSA relies on IT for delivering Social Security services to virtually every American. The agency reportedly spent about $1.5 billion for IT in fiscal year 2013, and it plans to continue modernizing its aging systems. Management controls and human capital are critical in helping ensure effective and efficient IT project... |
Investment banks play an important role in maintaining the smooth functioning of the U.S. economy. In that role, they provide many different services to their clients. In addition to more traditional services such as securities underwriting, investment banks provide advice on and assistance in creating different types ... | In the wake of a series of recent corporate scandals and bankruptcies, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act mandated that GAO study the involvement of investment banks with two companies, Enron and Global Crossing. In this report, the term "investment bank" includes not only securities firms but also those bank holding companies wit... |
Tracing its inception to 1828, the U.S. Capitol Police is responsible for protecting the Congress, its members, Capitol buildings and grounds, staff, and visitors from threats of disruption and crime. The Capitol Police carries out its responsibilities to protect what has been referred to as the Capitol complex by, amo... | The Board is charged with overseeing and supporting the Capitol Police. GAO was asked to review the Board's operations, including the Board's accountability and level of communication. This report examines (1) the roles and responsibilities of the Board and the Police Chief and the comparability of the Board's scope to... |
OSHA is the federal agency responsible for administering the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended (OSH Act), which was enacted to assure safe and healthful working conditions for the nation’s workers. As authorized by the act, OSHA sets and enforces occupational safety and health standards, which are ... | In fiscal year 2016, approximately 900,000 workers were trained through OSHA's Outreach Training Program, the agency's primary mechanism for training workers on the basics of occupational safety and health. OSHA offers this training through OSHA-authorized in-person and online training providers. GAO was asked to revie... |
NTIA and RUS face scheduling, staffing, and data challenges in evaluating applications and awarding funds. The agencies have taken steps to meet these challenges, such as adopting a two-step evaluation process, utilizing nongovernmental personnel, and publishing information on the applicant’s proposed service area. Whi... | Access to broadband service is seen as vital to economic, social, and educational development, yet many areas of the country lack access to, or their residents do not use, broadband. To expand broadband deployment and adoption, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Recovery Act) provided $7.2 billion to the D... |
In response to growing concern about the harmful consequences that computerized data systems could have on the privacy of personal information, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare commissioned an advisory committee in 1972 to examine to what extent limitations should be placed on the application of computer... | The centerpiece of the federal government's legal framework for privacy protection, the Privacy Act of 1974, provides safeguards for information maintained by federal agencies. In addition, the E-Government Act of 2002 requires federal agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments for systems or collections containing... |
Within Labor, the Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation in the OWCP administers the FECA program, which provides wage replacement and medical benefits to federal employees who suffer partial or total disabilities resulting from work-related injuries and occupational diseases. OWCP is the central point where FECA ... | In fiscal year 2012, the FECA program made more than $2.1 billion in wageloss compensation payments to claimants. FECA provides benefits to federal employees who sustained injuries or illnesses at work. GAO was asked to examine whether examples of improper payments, potential fraud, or overlapping benefits could be fou... |
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) mission is to promote the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic in the United States through what is commonly referred to as the National Airspace System (NAS). FAA’s ability to fulfill its mission depends on the adequacy and reliability of the nation’s air traff... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) modernization investment management approach as carried out through the Acquisition Management System (AMS), focusing on the extent to which FAA, through AMS: (1) has established a structured approach for selecting and control... |
Purchase cards first came into use as part of the government’s effort to cut the cost of buying goods and services. In March 1982, the President issued an executive order directing executive agencies to reduce administrative procurement costs. Under that order, in 1986, several agencies pilot tested use of a government... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed federal agencies' progress in using purchase cards, focusing: (1) the extent to which card use has led to administrative savings or other benefits; (2) the potential for growth in card use; (3) agencies' management controls; and (4) opportunities to improve agencies' ... |
In general, freedom-to-farm proposals allow farmers who have participated in the commodity payment programs to plant whatever crops they wish. The proposals in H.R. 2195 and the Balanced Budget Act of 1995 would have ended the 60-year-old requirement for farmers to idle farmland in order to qualify for federal support ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the personnel reductions that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) could have achieved if Congress had implemented the freedom-to-farm provisions of H.R. 2195 and the proposed Balanced Budget Act. GAO noted that: (1) under H.R. 2195, the freedom-to-farm provisions would... |
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.