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Lead contamination of drinking water is difficult and expensive to control. It seldom occurs naturally in source water supplies like rivers and lakes; therefore it cannot be treated at a centralized treatment facility. Rather, lead enters drinking water primarily from the corrosion of materials containing lead in the w... | The discovery in 2004 of lead contamination in the District of Columbia's drinking water resulted in an administrative order between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the District's Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), requiring WASA to take a number of corrective actions. WASA also took additional, longer-ter... |
The KCP facility, NNSA’s primary site for producing or procuring nonnuclear components, is the first site within the nuclear weapons complex scheduled for significant modernization. KCP does not possess weapons-grade nuclear materials, but it supplies approximately 85 percent of the nonnuclear components that compose a... | Built in 1943, the Kansas City Plant (KCP)--the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) primary production plant for manufacturing nonnuclear components of nuclear warheads and bombs--is to be modernized because of its age and the high cost of maintenance and operation. Among other changes, NNSA plans to relo... |
SBA, an independent agency within the executive branch, offers numerous programs and services to owners of small businesses in the United States and in U.S. territories. The programs and services are meant to help aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns and include a variety of loan g... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed events related to personnel reassignments, appointments, and activities at the Small Business Administration (SBA). GAO noted that: (1) SBA made hundreds of appointments during the 1990s using competitive procedures for career appointments, special noncompetitive hiring... |
In September 2003, we reported that the Army and Air Force did not comply with DOD’s force health protection and surveillance requirements for many servicemembers deploying in support of OEF in Central Asia and OJG in Kosovo at the installations we visited. Specifically, our review disclosed problems with the Army and ... | A lack of servicemember health and deployment data hampered investigations into the nature and causes of illnesses reported by many servicemembers following the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War. Public Law 105-85, enacted in November 1997, required the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a system to assess the medical con... |
Federal agencies and our nation’s critical infrastructures—such as power distribution, water supply, telecommunications, national defense, and emergency services—rely extensively on computerized information systems and electronic data to carry out their missions. The security of these systems and data is essential to p... | Federal agencies rely extensively on computerized information systems and electronic data to carry out their missions. The security of these systems and data is essential to prevent data tampering, disruptions in critical operations, fraud, and inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information. Concerned with accounts ... |
Ms. Chairwoman and Members of the Committee: We are pleased to be here today to discuss bank and thrift supervision and examination. Supervisory and examination procedures today show evidence of lessons learned from the bank and thrift crises of the 1980s and early 1990s. These procedures are the primary basis used by ... | GAO discussed bank and thrift supervision and examination. GAO noted that: (1) bank supervision and examination today show evidence of lessons learned from the bank and thrift crises of the 1980s and early 1990s; (2) these procedures are the primary basis for federal regulatory agencies to assess the risks that banks a... |
The sale or transfer of U.S. defense items to friendly nations and allies is an integral component of both U.S. national security and foreign policy. The U.S. government authorizes the sale or transfer of military equipment, including spare parts, to foreign countries either through government-to-government agreements ... | Under Department of Defense (DOD) policy, the export of classified and controlled spare parts must be managed to prevent their release to foreign countries that may use them against U.S. interests. GAO has issued a series of reports on the foreign military sales program in which weaknesses in the military services' int... |
For more than a decade, we have identified weak contract management and the lack of reliable financial and performance information as posing significant challenges to NASA’s ability to effectively run its largest and most costly programs. While NASA has made some progress in addressing its contract management weaknesse... | Since 1990, GAO has designated the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) contract management as an area of high risk in part because it lacked modern systems to provide accurate and reliable information on contract spending. In April 2000, NASA began a system modernization effort, known as the Integrat... |
Western Hemisphere countries have gone beyond their multilateral trade commitments during the past decade and pursued economic integration through numerous free trade and customs union agreements. The largest of these are Mercosur, signed in 1991, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which entered into ... | The negotiations to establish a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which would eliminate tariffs and create common trade and investment rules within the 34 democratic nations of the Western Hemisphere, are among the most significant ongoing multilateral trade negotiations for the United States. Two meetings held i... |
In response to concerns about the crash of TWA Flight 800, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security was established in July 1996 to look, first, at the changing security threat and how the United States can address it and then to examine safety and air traffic control issues in the aviation industry a... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the tracking, monitoring, and coordinating activities undertaken by the agencies responsible for implementing recommendations made by the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security and on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) progress in... |
This section provides general information on how federal agencies carry out BSA responsibilities, what their SAR reporting requirements are, the mechanisms they use to monitor suspicious activity, and law enforcement agencies that use SARs. The Secretary of the Treasury delegated overall authority for enforcement of, a... | To assist law enforcement agencies in their efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) requires financial institutions to file suspicious activity reports (SAR) to inform the federal government of transactions related to possible violations of law or ... |
The United States has made commitments related to its procurement market under the WTO’s GPA, in its various forms, and through FTAs negotiated with other countries. In both cases, suppliers compete through a procurement process that follows parameters agreed upon by the parties to the trade agreements. USTR negotiates... | The United States and other countries have made commitments under the WTO's GPA and FTAs that open their government procurement to foreign suppliers. Under these commitments, parties agree to a procedural framework for government procurement with provisions on issues such as transparency and nondiscrimination. These co... |
Over the last few decades, various political and economic factors have contributed to the advancement of commercial relations between the United States and China. Trade expanded rapidly after the United States and China signed a bilateral trade agreement in 1979. Total U.S.-China trade increased from about $8 billion i... | China is important to the global economy and a major U.S. trading partner. By joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China pledged to further liberalize its trade regime and follow global trade rules. While U.S.-Chinese commercial relations have expanded, controversies have emerged, including the size and ... |
In fiscal year 2010, DOD offered health care to almost 9.7 million eligible beneficiaries through its TRICARE program. TRICARE is organized into three regions, and within these regions, beneficiaries may obtain health care from either providers at military treatment facilities or civilian providers. TRICARE provides th... | The Department of Defense (DOD) provides health care through its TRICARE program, which is managed by the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA). TRICARE offers three basic options. Beneficiaries who choose TRICARE Prime, an option that uses civilian provider networks, must enroll. TRICARE beneficiaries who do not enroll in... |
A working capital fund relies on sales revenue rather than direct appropriations to finance its continuing operations. A working capital fund is intended to (1) generate sufficient resources to cover the full costs of its operations and (2) operate on a break-even basis over time—that is, neither make a gain nor incur ... | The five Army depot maintenance activities support combat readiness by providing services to keep Army units operating worldwide. From fiscal years 2004 through 2007, the amount of new orders received to perform work increased 100 percent from $2.6 billion to $5.2 billion. The number of new orders is a factor in the am... |
With the passage of ATSA in November 2001, TSA assumed from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responsibility for securing the nation’s civil aviation system. In accordance with ATSA, TSA is responsible for the procurement, installation, and maintenance of explosive detection systems, including EDS and ETD, used... | TSAs EBSP, one of DHSs largest acquisition programs, aims to improve security and lower program life cycle costs by optimizing checked baggage screening systems that best meet the needs of the nations airports. This includes, among other things, the integration of baggage screening equipment into baggage handling sy... |
Cable television emerged in the late 1940s to fill a need for television service in areas with poor over-the-air reception, such as in mountainous or remote areas. By the late 1970s, cable began to compete more directly with free over-the-air television by providing new networks—available only on cable systems—such as ... | Over 65 percent of American households currently subscribe to cable television service. There has been increasing concern that cable television rates have been rising aster than the rate of inflation for the last few years. As required, on a yearly basis, FCC prepares a report on cable rates in areas that face and thos... |
Medicare is the nation’s largest single payer for health care. In 1995, it spent an estimated $177 billion, or 12 percent of the federal budget, on behalf of more than 37 million elderly and disabled people. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that, under current program law, program spending will almost dou... | GAO discussed strategies to curb Medicare spending, which has grown by over 10 percent a year since 1989, twice the rate of the national economy. GAO noted that: (1) Medicare has not used tools used by private health care payers to manage and improve its utilization, reimbursement, and claims policies and procedures; (... |
As shown in figure 1, the CT Office has evolved over the last two decades. In December 2010, the QDDR recommended the creation of the CT Bureau to supersede the CT Office.numerous other offices, was attached to State’s Office of the Secretary, which provided management and administrative support to the CT Office. The C... | Terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose a global threat, and combating them remains a top priority for the U.S. government. State leads and coordinates U.S. efforts to counter terrorism abroad. State's Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism was elevated to bureau status in 2012 with the aim of enhancin... |
As computer technology has advanced, both government and private entities have become increasingly dependent on computerized information systems to carry out operations and to process, maintain, and report essential information. Public and private organizations rely on computer systems to transmit sensitive and proprie... | The threat of economic espionagethe theft of U.S. proprietary information, intellectual property (IP), or technology by foreign companies, governments, or other actorshas grown. Moreover, dependence on networked information technology (IT) systems has increased the reach and potential impact of this threat by making ... |
Nurse recruitment and retention is essential for VHA to carry out its mission to provide quality care that improves the health and well-being of veterans. In its 2014 Interim Workforce and Succession Strategic Plan, VHA identified nurses as the second most mission-critical occupation for recruitment and retention; only... | GAO and others have highlighted the need for an adequate and qualified nurse workforce to provide quality and timely care to veterans. VHA faces challenges such as increased competition for skilled clinicians in hard-to-fill occupations such as nurses. As GAO has previously reported, recruitment and retention is partic... |
Since January 2011, DHS has continued to update and strengthen its strategy for how the department plans to address our high-risk designation and resolve its management challenges. In January 2011, DHS provided us with its initial Integrated Strategy for High Risk Management, which summarized the department’s prelimina... | Since 2003, GAO has designated the implementation and transformation of DHS as high risk because, among other things, DHS had to combine 22 agencies, while ensuring no serious consequences for U.S. national and economic security. This high-risk area includes challenges in DHSs management functionsfinancial management... |
Through the impartial and independent investigation of citizens’ complaints, federal ombudsmen help agencies be more responsive to the public, including people who believe that their concerns have not been dealt with fully or fairly through normal channels. Ombudsmen may recommend ways to resolve individual complaints ... | The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) hazardous waste ombudsman was first established within the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response as a result of the 1984 amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Over time, EPA expanded the national ombudsman's jurisdiction to include Superfund and oth... |
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), enacted in 2003 as a modernized version of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940, provides protections for servicemembers to help them meet the unique circumstances they face when serving their country. SCRA provides protections to active-duty servicemembers in ... | SCRA helps servicemembers financially by capping interest rates on student loans during active duty. As of May 2016, about 1.3 million servicemembers were on active duty. The number of active duty servicemembers with student loans is unknown, as is the number eligible for the rate cap who may not have received it. GAO ... |
The federal government has provided health insurance benefits to its employees through FEHBP since 1960. The Congress established FEHBP primarily to help the government compete with private-sector employers in attracting and retaining talented and qualified workers. All active and retired federal workers and their depe... | Federal employees' health insurance premiums have increased at double-digit rates for 3 consecutive years. GAO was asked to examine how the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program's (FEHBP) premium trends compared to those of other large purchasers of employer-sponsored health insurance, factors contributing to FEHBP... |
Although little is known about the emerging space support vehicle industry, the U.S. commercial space-launch industry generated $617 million in revenue in 2015 and has experienced significant growth in the past half-decade. FAA reported that its licensed launches have increased 60 percent and industry revenue has incre... | As the commercial space transportation industry has grown significantly in the last decade, a related industry has emerged that plans to complement the commercial space industry by using vehicles called space support vehicles to conduct space-related activities, but not launch into space. The U.S. Commercial Space Laun... |
VA deployed the first two of four releases of its long-term system solution by its planned dates, therefore providing improved claims-processing functionality to all regional processing offices, such as the ability to calculate original and amended benefit claims. In addition, the Agile process allowed the department t... | The Post-9/11 GI Bill was signed into law in June 2008 and provides educational assistance for veterans and members of the armed forces who served on or after September 11, 2001. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is responsible for processing claims for these new education benefits. VA concluded that its legacy s... |
Research has been a part of the Forest Service’s mission since the agency’s creation in 1905, and several Forest Service research facilities date back to the early 1900s. FS R&D’s research and development activities take place within seven research stations (see fig. 1). Five of the seven are focused regionally, with e... | In recent decades, managing the nation's public and private forests and rangelands has become increasingly complex, requiring a sound understanding of science and science-based tools to address these complexities. The Department of Agriculture's Forest Service maintains a research and development program (FS R&D) to he... |
FWS, operating through its headquarters and eight regional offices, is responsible for managing 1,586 of the listed species found in the United States (see fig.1). NMFS, operating through its headquarters and five regional offices, is responsible for managing 96 listed species. In addition, the Services have proposed a... | To receive protection under the ESA—enacted to conserve at risk species—a species must first be added to one of the federal lists of threatened or endangered species. FWS and NMFS jointly administer the ESA and have programs that encompass actions related to Section 4 of the ESA. Some of these actions—such as making fi... |
According to FDA, the goal of its regulatory science initiative is to develop and apply the best available scientific data, knowledge, methods, and tools to reduce uncertainty and make regulatory decisions more efficient and consistent. In doing so, the agency seeks to ensure public access to products that are manufact... | FDA has faced challenges regulating medical products, owing in part to rapid changes in science and technology. In 2010, FDA established a regulatory science initiative that identified eight priority areas for medical products where new research was needed to advance its mission. Legislation enacted in 2012 required FD... |
The Los Alamos National Laboratory, located in New Mexico, is charged with enhancing the security of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials worldwide. On Thursday, May 4, 2000, Bandelier National Monument workers in the Cerro Grande Mountain area set fire to a portion of the monument’s land to thin uncontrolled forest g... | The Department of Energy (DOE) received $13.2 million in supplemental funding to replace equipment lost at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the May 2000 Cerro Grande fire. GAO reviewed the practices used by the contractor that runs the laboratory--the University of California (UC)--to determine whether it can bene... |
In 1936, following the enactment of the Social Security Act of 1935, the newly-created Social Security Board (which later became SSA) created the 9-digit SSN to uniquely identify and determine Social Security benefit entitlement levels for U.S. workers. SSA uses a process known as “enumeration” to create and assign uni... | The federal government uses SSNs as unique identifiers for many purposes, including employment, taxation, law enforcement, and benefits. However, SSNs are also key pieces of identifying information that potentially may be used to perpetrate identity theft. GAO was asked to review federal government efforts to reduce th... |
Palau consists of 8 main islands and more than 250 smaller islands, with a total land area of roughly 190 square miles, located approximately 500 miles southeast of the Philippines. About 20,000 people live in Palau, concentrated largely in one urban center around the city of Koror, and more than one-quarter of the pop... | The Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Republic of Palau, which entered into force in 1994, provided for several types of assistance aimed at promoting Palaus self-sufficiency and economic advancement. Included were 15 years of direct assistance to the Palau government; contributions to a tr... |
Regulations generally start with an act of Congress and are the means by which statutes are implemented and specific requirements are established. The statutory basis for a regulation can vary in terms of its specificity, from (1) very broad grants of authority that state only the general intent of the legislation and ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal agencies' assertions that certain private-sector regulatory concerns were, at least in part, attributable to underlying statutes, focusing on: (1) the amount of discretion the underlying statutes gave the rulemaking agencies in developing the regulatory requirem... |
Long-term fiscal simulations by GAO, Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and others all show that despite a 3-year decline in the federal government’s unified budget deficit, we still face large and growing structural deficits driven primarily by rising health care costs and known demographic trends. In fact, our long-r... | GAO has for many years warned that our nation is on an imprudent and unsustainable fiscal path. During the past 2 years, the Comptroller General has traveled to 24 states as part of the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour. Members of this diverse group of policy experts agree that finding solutions to the nation's long-term fiscal cha... |
The use of wireless phone service has grown rapidly in recent years. By the end of 2008, about 82 percent of adults lived in households with wireless phone service, up from 54 percent at the end of 2005. Furthermore, by the end of 2008, about 35 percent of households used wireless phones as their primary or only means ... | Americans increasingly rely on wireless phones, with 35 percent of households now primarily or solely using them. Under federal law, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for fostering a competitive wireless marketplace while ensuring that consumers are protected from harm. States also have authori... |
The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 and is located on 17 acres along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The center houses numerous theater, exhibition, and rehearsal spaces; public halls; educational facilities; offices; and meeting rooms in about 1.1 million square feet of space. The plaza level is the primary focus ... | In April 2005, GAO recommended that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Kennedy Center) increase oversight of its management of federal funds, better comply with fire code, and conform to project management best practices. GAO was asked to evaluate (1) the progress the Kennedy Center has made in impleme... |
In the post–Cold War era, the proliferation of chemical and biological weapon technologies in developing countries presents DOD with a national security challenge. The 1997, 2001, and 2006 Quadrennial Defense Reviews as well as other DOD publications have emphasized the need to address the increasing threat posed by th... | The possibility that an adversary may use chemical or biological weapons against U.S. forces makes it important for a weapon system to be able to survive such attacks. In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense submit a plan to address weapon system ... |
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is a joint, multinational acquisition intended to develop and field an affordable, highly common family of next generation strike fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight international partners. The F-35 is a single-seat, single-engine aircraf... | The F-35 Lightning II, the Joint Strike Fighter, is DOD's most costly and ambitious aircraft acquisition. The program is developing and fielding three aircraft variants for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight international partners. The F-35 is critical to long-term recapitalization plans as it is intended to ... |
Emerging infectious diseases pose a growing health threat to people in this country and around the world. The causes of this increase are complex and often difficult to anticipate. For example, increased development, deforestation, and other environmental changes have brought people into contact with animals or insects... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the nation's infectious diseases surveillance network, focusing on the: (1) extent to which states conduct public health surveillance and laboratory testing of selected emerging infectious diseases; (2) problems state public health officials face in gathering and using ... |
Federal laws authorize both state and federal entities to protect the Medicaid program from fraud, waste, and abuse. Specifically, various provisions of federal law give CMS the authority to oversee Medicaid program integrity and to set requirements with which state Medicaid programs must comply. As a result, program i... | In fiscal year 2013, the Medicaid program covered about 71.7 million individuals at a cost of $431.1 billion, of which CMS estimated that $14.4 billion (5.8 percent) were improper payments. Multiple state and federal entities are involved in program integrity efforts, such as payment review, auditing, and investigating... |
Although more than 70 federal agencies have foreign language needs, some of the largest programs are concentrated in the Army, the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) records indicate that the government employs just under a th... | Federal agencies' foreign language needs have increased during the past decade because of increasing globalization and the changing security environment. At the same time, agencies have seen significant reductions-in-force and no-growth or limited-growth environments during the last decade. As a result, some agencies n... |
The VA loan program is an entitlement program for eligible veterans, service members, reservists, and surviving spouses. The program provides single-family, residential mortgage loan guarantees for purchasing, constructing, repairing, or refinancing homes. The loan guaranty provides private-sector mortgage lenders, suc... | The Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) Loan Guaranty Program, which guarantees mortgage loans for qualified lenders, provides additional assistance to those who face financial hardship and possible foreclosure. This report discusses VA's supplemental loan servicing program. GAO (1) assesses VA's implementation of its... |
CBSX provides worldwide asset visibility over the Army’s reportable equipment items, including the Army’s most critical war fighting equipment. The objective of CBSX is to provide accurate, timely, and auditable equipment balances for major items necessary for the direct support of troops, such as armored personnel car... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Army's Continuing Balancing System-Expanded (CBSX) logistics system, focusing on: (1) the primary causes for the numerous adjustments to correct discrepancies between the Army's CBSX system and its primary property book system; (2) whether the Army's ongoing impro... |
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, drastically changed the way the insurance industry viewed the risk of terrorism. Before September 11, 2001, insurers generally did not exclude or separately charge for coverage of terrorism risks for commercial property and casualty policies. After September 11, 2001, howeve... | A number of countries have established national terrorism risk insurance programs to respond to market shortages for such insurance resulting from attacks either in their own or other countries. Many programs were created following the events of September 11, 2001, but some existed earlier. In 2002, the Terrorism Risk ... |
CMS has undertaken steps to educate beneficiaries about the Part D benefit using written documents, a toll-free help line, and the Medicare Web site. To explain the Part D benefit to beneficiaries, CMS had produced more than 70 written documents as of December 2005. Medicare & You—the beneficiary handbook—is the most w... | Today's hearing focuses on Medicare Part D, the program's new outpatient prescription drug benefit. On January 1, 2006, Medicare began providing this benefit, and beneficiaries have until May 15, 2006, to enroll without the risk of penalties. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers the Par... |
BEP, a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, buys currency paper from a private company and prints the nation’s currency at production facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas. According to BEP data, the currency paper contract amounts to about $115 million per year. Currency paper is a highly speciali... | For over 125 years, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), within the Department of the Treasury, has relied on a single contractor to supply the paper for U.S. currency. Such a long-term contracting relationship could contribute to higher costs and other risks. Another federal agency that relied on a single contr... |
State child welfare systems consist of a complicated network of policies and programs designed to protect children. With growing caseloads over the past decade, the systems’ ability to keep pace with the needs of troubled children and their families has been greatly taxed. From fiscal year 1984 through 1995, the foster... | GAO discussed: (1) state efforts to reduce the time frames within which hearings must be held to determine permanent placements for foster children; (2) state initiatives designed to expedite permanent placements for foster children and the effectiveness of these initiatives; and (3) key factors that facilitate changes... |
Grants and cooperative agreements are assistance instruments used to transfer money, property, or services to accomplish a public purpose. The difference between the two instruments relates to the amount of involvement between the agency and the recipient during performance: when substantial involvement is not anticipa... | Grants are key tools that State uses to conduct foreign assistance. In fiscal year 2012, State obligated over $1.6 billion worldwide for around 14,000 grants to individuals and organizations for a variety of purposes, such as fostering cultural exchange and facilitating refugee resettlement. However, recent GAO and Ins... |
ATF’s mission is to protect communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, and illegal use and trafficking of firearms, among other things. To fulfill this mission, ATF has 25 field divisions located throughout the United States. To efficiently and effectively carry out its criminal enforcement responsibil... | ATF is responsible for enforcing certain criminal statutes related to firearms, and must balance its role in combatting the illegal use of firearms with protecting the privacy rights of law-abiding gun owners. As part of this balance, FFLs are required to maintain firearms transaction records, while ATF has the statuto... |
The U.S. commercial aviation industry, with less than one fatal accident per 5 million flights from 2002 through 2005 has an extraordinary safety record. However, when passenger airlines have accidents or serious incidents, regardless of their rarity, the consequences can be tragic. In addition, according to Bureau of ... | The U.S. commercial aviation industry has had an extraordinary safety record in recent years. However, expected increases in air-traffic--including the introduction of new vehicles into the national airspace, such as unmanned vehicles and very light jets--and human resource issues, present challenges that have the pote... |
The DFC Support Program’s two major goals are to: 1. establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private non-profit agencies, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community “coalitions” to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth; and 2. reduce substance abuse ... | In 2015, approximately 2.2 million adolescents aged 12 to17 were current users of illicit drugs. The Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 established the DFC Support Program—a federal grant program supporting drug abuse prevention efforts that engage schools, law enforcement, and other sectors of a community. The program ... |
CMS monitoring and oversight activities of MA organizations’ compliance with marketing requirements, include maintaining regular communication with and providing technical assistance to MA organizations. In addition, CMS conducts surveillance activities and audits of MA organizations to collect information about potent... | Members of Congress and state agencies have raised questions about complaints that some Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations and their agents inappropriately marketed their health plans to Medicare beneficiaries. Inappropriate marketing may include activities such as providing inaccurate information about covered bene... |
This section provides an overview of USPTO’s patent examination process, patent infringement litigation and challenges, and USPTO’s Enhanced Patent Quality Initiative. A list of our prior work related to patents and intellectual property is included at the end of this report. When USPTO receives a patent application, t... | Resolving disputes over patent infringement and validity in court often costs millions of dollars. Legal scholars and economists have raised concerns about an increase in the numbers of low quality patents—such as those that are unclear and overly broad—which may lead to an increase in patent infringement suits and can... |
The same speed and accessibility that create the enormous benefits of the computer age can, if not properly controlled, allow individuals and organizations to inexpensively eavesdrop on or interfere with computer operations from remote locations for mischievous or malicious purposes, including fraud or sabotage. In rec... | Recent cyber attacks demonstrate the potentially devastating impact these pose to our nation's computer systems and to the federal operations and critical infrastructures that they support. They also highlight that we need to be vigilant against individuals and groups with malicious intent, such as criminals, terrorist... |
The United States essentially relies on a two-step process to prevent inadmissible people from entering the country. The Bureau of Consular Affairs in the State Department is responsible for issuing international travel documents, such as passports to United States citizens and visas to citizens of other countries. On ... | One of the primary missions of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) focuses on border control--preventing the illegal entry of people and goods into the United States. Part of this mission is controlling the passage of travelers through official ports of entry into the United States. Facilitating the flow of p... |
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. No. 104-193) (PRWORA) made sweeping changes to national welfare policy. Principally, these reforms gave states the flexibility to design their own programs and the strategies necessary for achieving program goals, including how to move we... | This testimony discusses states' plans for operating their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs in the event of an economic downturn. GAO found that the data available on the levels and adequacy of states' reserves is insufficient and misleading. Furthermore, most states have done little planning for... |
In April 2017, we issued our latest report on NNSA’s 25-year plans to modernize the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and its supporting infrastructure. In this report, we identified two areas of misalignment between NNSA’s modernization plans and the estimated budgetary resources needed to carry out those plans, whic... | DOE's NNSA is responsible for managing the nuclear weapons stockpile and supporting nuclear nonproliferation efforts. DOE's Office of Environmental Management's mission includes decontaminating and decommissioning facilities that are contaminated from decades of nuclear weapons production. Over the last few years, GAO ... |
NATO was formed in 1949 to promote stability in the North Atlantic area (see app. I for NATO’s North Atlantic Treaty) by uniting member nations’ efforts for collective defense and the preservation of peace and security. After expanding three times over the years, NATO currently has 16 members. With the collapse of the ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) future enlargement and plans to include the newly democratic states of the former communist bloc, focusing on: (1) actions NATO plans to take to enlarge itself; (2) U.S. bilateral assistance programs that enhance the milit... |
DOD has increasingly emphasized joint military operations where, to the extent possible, service components are closely aligned and employed as a single joint force. To function effectively as a joint force, DOD has come to recognize the vital role of achieving information superiority over its adversaries by having bet... | Department of Defense (DOD) officials currently estimate that the department will spend approximately $34 billion through 2011 to develop the core network of the Global Information Grid (GIG), a large and complex undertaking intended to provide on-demand and real-time data and information to the warfighter. DOD views t... |
In 1997, before the establishment of the M+C program, about 5.2 million (14 percent) of Medicare’s 38 million beneficiaries were enrolled in HMOs that contracted with HCFA to serve Medicare beneficiaries. At that time, PPOs and other health insurance arrangements that had become common in the private sector were not pe... | The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) established the Medicare+Choice (M+C) program to expand health plan choices. BBA permitted Medicare participation by preferred provider organizations, provider-sponsored organizations, and insurers offering private fee-for-service plans or medical savings accounts. It also encourag... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: We are pleased to be here today to participate in the Subcommittee’s oversight hearing on the U.S. Postal Service. My testimony will (1) focus on the performance of the Postal Service and the need for improving internal controls and protecting revenue in an organization tha... | GAO discussed: (1) the performance of the Postal Service (USPS) and the need for improving internal controls and protecting revenue in an organization that takes in and spends billions of dollars each year; (2) key reform and oversight issues that continue to challenge USPS and Congress as they consider how U.S. mail s... |
The National Park Service Organic Act of 1916 established the Park Service within the Department of the Interior to promote and regulate the use of the National Park System with the purpose of conserving the scenery, natural and historic objects, and wildlife therein and to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of fu... | The Park Service manages 409 park units that cover 84 million acres. Park Service funding is generally composed of annual appropriations along with revenues from recreation fees, commercial service fees, and philanthropic donations. GAO was asked to review the Park Service's collection of these fees and donations. This... |
The three major programs that SSA administers—OASI, DI, and SSI—provide cash income support to diverse populations. The Social Security Act established the OASI program to protect workers and their dependents and survivors from wages lost due to retirement. DI, enacted in 1956, provides monthly cash benefits to disable... | GAO reviewed the challenges facing the new Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA). GAO found that: (1) SSA is ahead of many federal agencies in developing strategic plans, measuring its service to the public, and producing complete, accurate, and timely financial statements; (2) this gives SSA a sound... |
The two main areas of fraud, waste, and abuse involve (1) overpayment of food stamp benefits and (2) trafficking. Concerning the first area, overpayments occur when ineligible persons are provided food stamps and when eligible persons are provided more than they are entitled to receive. In 1996, for example, the states... | GAO discussed fraud, waste, and abuse in the Food Stamp Program, focusing on: (1) the nature and extent of the problem; (2) the roles and responsibilities of the major federal agencies involved in minimizing it; and (3) the potential of electronic benefits transfer (EBT), a system of benefit delivery that replaces the ... |
Active and reserve Marine Corps artillery units use the M198 howitzer for all direct support, general support, and reinforcing artillery missions. Army light cavalry units use the M198 for direct support, whereas airborne and airmobile infantry units use the M198 only for general support and reinforcing missions. The M... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined whether the Marine Corps' and Army's reported maintenance problems with the M198 howitzer justify the rapid development of a replacement weapon. GAO found that: (1) by themselves, the maintenance problems with the M198 howitzer do not justify accelerating the developmen... |
The Census Bureau conducted A.C.E. on a sample of areas across the country to estimate the number of people and housing units missed or counted more than once in the census and to evaluate the final census counts. The statistical methodology underpinning A.C.E. assumes that the chance that a person is counted by the ce... | As part of its Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation (ACE), the U.S. Census Bureau interviewed people across the country to develop an estimate of the number of persons missed, counted more than once, or otherwise improperly counted in the 2000 census. In conducting the interviews, which took place in person or over the pho... |
The UI system is a federal-state partnership. Within overall federal guidelines, states operate their own UI programs, levy and collect their own payroll tax, and determine the level and duration of benefits and the conditions for benefit eligibility. However, the federal government, through the UI Service, a part of E... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO determined the amount of unemployment insurance (UI) paid to military reservists, focusing on: (1) why UI claimants do not report reserve income; (2) the administrative and legislative options available to prevent future trust fund losses; and (3) how these options will affect r... |
Historically, most farm programs have been implemented at the county office level. The current county-based delivery structure originated in the 1930s, when the first agricultural acts established farm support programs. At that time, more than one-fourth of all Americans engaged in farming, and the lack of an extensive... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the impact of actual and proposed staff reductions and office closings by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) on the quality of service to farmers. GAO noted that: (1) FSA's staff reductions and office closures to date do not appear to have affected the quality of service pro... |
Most individuals diagnosed with ESRD are eligible to receive Medicare benefits under both Medicare Parts A and B. Medicare covers over 80 percent of all individuals with the disease. ESRD treatment options include kidney transplantation and maintenance dialysis. The latter removes substances that would otherwise be fil... | Medicare covers dialysis--a process that removes excess fluids and toxins from the bloodstream--for most individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a condition of permanent kidney failure. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays for certain dialysis services under a type of bundled rate, called a ... |
Construction of the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, began in 1943 as part of the World War II Manhattan Project. The plant’s early mission included the processing of enriched uranium necessary for building nuclear weapons. Today, the Y-12 plant continues its mission as NNSA’s primary facility in the nuclear weapons... | Built in the 1940s and 1950s, the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) primary site for enriched uranium activities. Because Y-12 facilities are outdated and deteriorating, NNSA is building a more modern facility--known as the Uranium ... |
On November 7, 2000, more than 100 million Americans cast their votes for various candidates and ballot issues across the country. This hallmark of American democracy unfolded in more than 10,000 local election jurisdictions, which used several different types of voting equipment, ranging from hand-counted paper ballot... | As a result of events surrounding the November 2000 presidential election, public officials and various interest groups have proposed reforms to address perceived shortcomings of various election systems. The complexity and intricacy of the American electoral system suggests that the success of an election system depen... |
Backup aircraft account for about 35 percent of the Air Force’s and Navy/Marine Corps’ fighter/attack aircraft inventory. Operations and maintenance funds appropriated to support these aircraft are allocated based on the number of combat-designated aircraft, and the test and evaluation, and training aircraft in the bac... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the trend in the number of backup aircraft maintained by the Air Force and Navy, focusing on the: (1) actions that the Department of Defense (DOD) and the services have taken in response to prior recommendations to validate backup aircraft requirements; and (2) opportun... |
FMS is the government’s financial manager, central disburser, and collections agency as well as its accountant and reporter of financial information. For fiscal year 2000, the U.S. government disbursed over $1.9 trillion primarily for Social Security and veterans’ benefit payments, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax re... | The Financial Management Service's (FMS) overall security control environment continues to be ineffective in identifying, deterring, and responding to computer control weaknesses promptly. Consequently, billions of dollars of payments and collections are at significant risk of loss or fraud, sensitive data are at risk ... |
Title XIX of the Social Security Act establishes Medicaid as a joint federal- state program to finance health care for certain low-income children, families, and individuals who are aged or disabled. Medicaid is an open- ended entitlement program, under which the federal government is obligated to pay its share of expe... | Medicaid, a joint federal-state program, financed the health care for about 60 million low-income people in fiscal year 2005. States have considerable flexibility in deciding what medical services and individuals to cover and the amount to pay providers, and the federal government reimburses a proportion of states' exp... |
As part of our audit of the fiscal years 2013 and 2012 CFS, we considered the federal government’s financial reporting procedures and related internal control. Also, we determined the status of corrective actions taken by Treasury and OMB to address open recommendations relating to the processes used by them to prepare... | Treasury, in coordination with OMB, prepares the Financial Report of the United States Government , which contains the CFS. Since GAO's first audit of the fiscal year 1997 CFS, certain material weaknesses and other limitations on the scope of its work have prevented GAO from expressing an opinion on the accrual-based C... |
The federal Food Stamp Program is intended to help low-income individuals and families obtain a better diet by supplementing their income with benefits to purchase food. FNS pays the full cost of food stamp benefits and shares the states’ administrative cost—with FNS paying about 50 percent of the administrative cost. ... | Many individuals familiar with the Food Stamp Program view its rules as unnecessarily complex, creating an administrative burden for participants and caseworkers. In addition many participants receive benefits from other programs that have different program rules, adding to the complexity of accurately determining prog... |
Five ESE sites collectively contain substantial quantities of Category I special nuclear material. These include the following: the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, and the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, which are managed by the Office of Environmental Management; the Idaho National Engineering an... | A successful terrorist attack on a Department of Energy (DOE) site containing nuclear weapons material could have devastating effects for the site and nearby communities. DOE's Office of the Under Secretary for Energy, Science and Environment (ESE), which is responsible for DOE operations in areas such as energy resear... |
CCRCs are one of a number of options older Americans may choose to meet housing and other daily needs and especially to receive long-term care, which Medicare and private health insurance typically do not cover and which can be extremely costly. Older Americans may use a number of options to pay for their short- and lo... | A growing number of older Americans are choosing continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) to help ensure that their finances in retirement will cover the cost of housing and care they may require. However, recent economic conditions have placed financial stress on some CCRCs. GAO was asked to (1) describe how CCRC... |
Illegal immigration has long been an important issue in California, which historically has been estimated to be the state of residence for nearly half of this country’s illegal aliens. Illegal aliens are a concern not only because they are breaking immigration laws, but also because their presence affects a wide range ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the fiscal impact of illegal aliens residing in California, focusing on: (1) the Governor of California's 1994 and 1995 budget estimates for elementary and secondary education, Medicaid benefits, and adult incarceration; (2) the estimates of revenues attributable to ill... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: We are pleased to be here today to discuss the implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. As you requested, we have reviewed selected aspects of the act’s implementation by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and three agencies—the Internal Revenue Service (I... | GAO discussed governmentwide implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and three federal agencies' actions to implement the act. GAO noted that: (1) between 1980 and 1995, reported governmentwide paperwork burden hours increased from about 1.5 billion to 6.9 billion; (2) the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ... |
the rulemaking record before publication of any proposed or final rule a document clearly identifying the changes made to the draft submitted to OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), including and separately identifying the changes made at the suggestion or recommendation of OIRA. These requirement... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO addressed issues in regulatory management as part of consideration of S. 981, the proposed Regulatory Improvement Act of 1997. GAO noted that: (1) S. 981 represents a continuation of efforts that have been made by both the legislative and executive branches to improve the rulema... |
The Coast Guard has updated policies and processes for major acquisition programs to better reflect best practices and respond to our prior recommendations. The Coast Guard also continues to make progress in reducing its acquisition workforce vacancies, and to some extent is leveraging DOD contracts and expertise to su... | The U.S. Coast Guard manages a broad major acquisition portfolio. GAO has reported extensively on the Coast Guard's significant challenges with its major acquisition programs, including its Deepwater Program. GAO has also recognized steps the Coast Guard has taken to improve acquisition management. Additionally, GAO ha... |
BSA, enacted by Congress in 1970, authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue regulations requiring financial institutions to retain records and file reports useful in criminal, tax, and regulatory investigations. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act, which, amon... | In 2005, over 16 million Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) reports were filed by more than 200,000 U.S. financial institutions. Enacted in 1970, BSA is the centerpiece of the nation's efforts to detect and deter criminal financial activities. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Internal Revenue Servic... |
In 1991, Congress enacted TCPA to address a growing number of telephone marketing calls and certain telemarketing practices thought to be an invasion of consumer privacy and, in some cases, costly to consumers. Provisions of this law generally prohibit anyone from faxing unsolicited advertisements, or “junk faxes,” to ... | The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 prohibited invasive telemarketing practices, including the faxing of unsolicited advertisements, known as "junk faxes," to individual consumers and businesses. Junk faxes create costs for consumers (paper and toner) and disrupt their fax operations. The Junk Fax Prevention ... |
Drinking water systems vary by size and other factors, but as illustrated in figure 1, they most typically include a supply source, treatment facility, and distribution system. A water system’s supply source may be a reservoir, aquifer, or well, or a combination of these sources. Some systems may also include a dam to ... | After the events of September 11, 2001, Congress appropriated over $140 million to help drinking water systems assess their vulnerabilities to terrorist threats and to develop response plans. Utilities are asking for additional funding, however, not only to plan security upgrades but also to support their implementatio... |
The key objectives of U.S. public diplomacy are to engage, inform, and influence overseas audiences. Public diplomacy is carried out through a wide range of programs that employ person-to-person contacts; print, broadcast, and electronic media; and other means. Traditionally, U.S. public diplomacy focused on foreign el... | Polls taken in Islamic countries after 9/11 suggested that many or most people had a favorable view of the United States and its fight against terrorism. By 2003, opinion research indicated that foreign publics, especially in countries with large Muslim populations, viewed the United States unfavorably. GAO issued two ... |
Scientists have discovered that changes in the earth’s climate are induced by the increasing concentrations of certain gases in the earth’s atmosphere—some naturally occurring, others human-induced—that have the potential to significantly alter the planet’s heat and radiation balance. These so-called “greenhouse gases”... | In 1992, the United States and other parties, including both developed and developing nations, agreed to try to limit dangerous human interference with the climate by participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties agreed, among other things, to report on their emissions of carbo... |
The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 created NFIP. According to FEMA, NFIP was designed to address a number of policy objectives, including offering affordable insurance premiums to encourage program participation and community-based floodplain management and reducing the reliance on federal disaster assistance. Th... | Private insurers (WYO companies) sell and service flood policies and adjust claims for NFIP under an arrangement with FEMA. In GAO-09-455 , GAO made recommendations on FEMA's WYO compensation methodology and data quality. The Biggert-Waters Act built on these recommendations and required FEMA to develop a methodology f... |
Federal agency collection or use of personal information is governed primarily by two laws: the Privacy Act of 1974 and the privacy provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002. The Privacy Act places limitations on agencies’ collection, disclosure, and use of personal information maintained in systems of records. The ac... | The federal government collects and uses personal information on individuals in increasingly sophisticated ways, and its reliance on information technology (IT) to collect, store, and transmit this information has also grown. While this enables federal agencies to carry out many of the governments critical functions, ... |
MTSA was landmark legislation that mandated a quantum leap in security preparedness for America’s maritime ports. Prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, federal attention at ports tended to focus on navigation and safety issues, such as dredging channels and environmental protection. While the terrorist ... | After the events of September 11, 2001, concerns were raised over the security of U.S. ports and waterways. In response to the concerns over port security, Congress passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act in November 2002. The act created a broad range of programs to improve the security conditions at the ports... |
Medicare Part D coverage is provided through private sponsors that offer a choice of PDPs with different costs and coverage. The largest sponsors offer PDPs to beneficiaries throughout the United States and generally have experience in providing Medicare coverage and with call center operations. Under Part D, each PDP ... | The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) established a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit, known as Medicare Part D. Private sponsors have contracted with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide this benefit and are offering over 1,400 stand-alon... |
Of the 36 countries with alternative filing systems, only Denmark and Sweden have tax agency reconciliation systems. The remaining 34 countries have final withholding filing systems. There are several potential barriers to adopting a final withholding system in the United States. Specifically, before a final withholdin... | GAO reviewed the possible benefits, impediments, and costs of establishing a tax agency reconciliation filing system, focusing on: (1) the estimated number of taxpayers that would not have to prepare returns in such a system; (2) the system's operational characteristics; (3) potential advantages and disadvantages to ta... |
Congressional oversight is the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs and policy implementation. This oversight provides the legislative branch with an opportunity to inspect, examine, review and check the executive branch and its agencies. Congressional oversight includes two different featu... | Pursuant to various statutes, federal agencies develop an abundance of performance, budget, and financial information that could be useful for Congress' review and monitoring of agencies. However, agencies' understanding of Congress' information needs is often limited and agencies may not be providing timely informatio... |
In 1995, the Congress passed the ICC Termination Act, which abolished the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and created the Board. The act transferred many of ICC’s core rail functions to the Board, including the responsibility to review and approve railroad mergers. The Board has exclusive jurisdiction to review pr... | Railroads have been a primary mode of freight transportation for many years, especially for bulk commodities such as coal and grain. Over the last 25 years, the freight railroad industry has undergone substantial consolidation largely to reduce costs and increase efficiency and competitiveness. Some companies that rely... |
This section discusses the federal oversight of food safety, past reviews of the federal food safety oversight system, and the status of federal efforts to address criteria for removing oversight of food safety from our High-Risk List. Of the 16 federal agencies that collectively administer at least 30 federal laws gov... | Although the U.S. food supply is generally considered safe, foodborne illness remains a common, costly, yet largely preventable public health problem. The safety and quality of food involves 16 federal agencies. For more than 4 decades, GAO has reported on the fragmented federal food safety oversight system. Because of... |
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the solvency of the federal depository insurance funds was threatened when hundreds of thrifts and banks failed. Taxpayers were forced to bailout the insurance fund for thrifts, and the insurance fund for banks had a negative balance for the first time in its history. This situation prompt... | GAO reviewed the Federal Reserve System's (FRS) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's (OCC) efforts to implement the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (FDICIA) prompt regulatory action provisions and the impact of those provisions on federal oversight of depository institutions... |
Ex-Im, the official ECA of the United States, is an independent agency operating under the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945, as amended. Its mission is to support the export of U.S. goods and services overseas, thereby supporting U.S. jobs. Official ECAs are organizations that provide export credits with explicit governm... | Ex-Im helps U.S. firms export goods and services by providing a range of financial products. The Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 increased the statutory ceiling on the agency's total exposure to $140 billion in 2014. The act also requires GAO to evaluate Ex-Im's growth and the effectiveness of its risk m... |
To assist workers who are laid off as a result of international trade, Congress passed the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and created the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. Historically, the main benefits available through the program have been extended income support and training. Participants are generally entitled to... | In the current tight budgetary environment, program performance is likely to be an increasingly significant factor used to help policymakers assess programs and determine funding levels. Given concerns over the quality of performance data for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and the importance of having me... |
Operation Desert Storm marked the first time that the Navy’s Tomahawk Land Attack Missile and the Air Force’s Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) were used in combat. A total of 323 cruise missiles were fired against a variety of Iraqi targets in the conflict’s early stages. The missile attacks were part o... | GAO reviewed the performance of two cruise missiles during Operation Desert Storm, focusing on the missiles': (1) advantages over tactical aircraft; and (2) potential impact on future tactical weapons system requirements. GAO found that: (1) both the Navy's Tomahawk land attack missile and the Air Force's Conventional ... |
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.