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The HUBZone Act of 1997 (which established the HUBZone program) identified HUBZones as (1) qualified census tracts, which are determined by area poverty rate or household income; (2) qualified nonmetropolitan counties, which are determined by area unemployment rate or median household income; and (3) lands meeting cert... | The purpose of the HUBZone program is to stimulate economic development in economically distressed areas. SBA certified HUBZone firms are eligible for federal contracting benefits, including limited competition awards such as sole-source and set-aside contracts. Small firms in SBA's HUBZone program had almost $6.6 bill... |
An assessment is a formal bookkeeping entry in which IRS records the amount of tax, penalty, or interest charged to a taxpayer’s account each tax year. An assessment establishes the taxpayer’s liability and IRS’ right to collect. Taxpayers essentially assess themselves when they report these taxes on their tax returns.... | About one million taxpayers per year, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), incur costs to abate tax assessments created due to tax exemption errors. Avoiding the errors, or correcting them earlier, could reduce the burden on taxpayers of complying with tax laws. IRS has taken one step intended to help taxpaye... |
Defined benefit pension plans are intended to pay retirement benefits that are generally based on an employee’s years of service and other factors. The financial condition of these plans—and hence their ability to pay retirement benefits when due—depends on adequate contributions from employers and sometimes employees,... | Millions of Americans rely on defined benefit pension plans for their financial well-being in retirement. Plan representatives are increasingly investing in a wide range of assets, including hedge funds and private equity funds. In recent years, GAO has noted that plans may face significant challenges and risks when in... |
The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 requires agencies to obtain full and open competition through the use of competitive procedures in their procurement activities unless otherwise authorized by law. Using competitive procedures to award contracts means that all responsible contractors are permitted to submit of... | Competition is the cornerstone of a sound acquisition process. In fiscal year 2013, DOD obligated over $300 billion through contracts and orders, of which 57 percent was competed. DOD also obligates billions of dollars annually on contracts that are awarded using competitive procedures, but for which the government rec... |
In 2004, the President issued Executive Order 13327 establishing the FRPC, composed of senior federal real property managers, and representatives from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA), among others. The executive order required FRPC to work with GSA to establish an... | The federal government's real property portfolio includes land, buildings, and structures. GAO has designated the management of federal real property as high-risk based largely on the management of federal buildings. However, over half of the assets are structures, such as roads, dams, and radio towers. GAO was asked t... |
Congress and the Administration have advocated the use of covert or red team testing in all modes of transportation. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, on November 19, 2001, the President signed ATSA into law, with the primary goal of strengthening the security of the nation’s commercial aviation sy... | The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) uses undercover, or covert, testing to approximate techniques that terrorists may use to identify vulnerabilities in and measure the performance of airport security systems. During these tests, undercover inspectors attempt to pass threat objects through passenger and ba... |
When providers at VAMCs determine that a veteran needs outpatient specialty care, they request and manage consults using VHA’s clinical consult process. Clinical consults include requests by physicians or other providers for both clinical consultations and procedures. A clinical consultation is a request seeking an opi... | Access to timely medical appointments is critical to ensuring that veterans obtain needed medical care. Over the past few years there have been numerous reports of VAMCs failing to provide timely care to patients, including specialty care, and in some cases, these delays have resulted in harm to patients. In December 2... |
Before I discuss these issues in detail, let me sketch the background of the EAS and SCASDP programs. Mr. Chairman, as you know, Congress established EAS as part of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 to help areas that face limited service. The act guaranteed that for 10 years communities served by air carriers befor... | Congress established two key programs to help support air service to small communities--the Essential Air Service (EAS) providing about $100 million in subsidies per year and the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) that provides about $20 million per year in grants. As part of its reauthorization o... |
Changing national security needs and DOD’s recognition that its base structure was larger than required led to a decision to close numerous military bases around the country. Consequently, the Congress enacted base realignment and closure (BRAC) legislation that instituted base closure rounds in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Defense's (DOD) base realignment and closure (BRAC) process, focusing on: (1) the status and extent of land sales at closing bases; (2) whether private parties are excluded from purchasing surplus property; and (3) the amount of federal ... |
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, DOD realized the need for a more integrated civilian and military response capability for any future attack on the United States. In response, DOD established NORTHCOM in October 2002 to provide command and control in homeland defense efforts and to coordinate defens... | In 2002, the Department of Defense (DOD) established U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to conduct homeland defense and civil support missions on U.S. soil. It is particularly important that NORTHCOM coordinate with the National Guard Bureau (NGB), because NGB has experience dealing with state and local authorities durin... |
GPOs are organizations that act as purchasing intermediaries that negotiate contracts between health care providers and vendors of medical products and services, including manufacturers, distributors, and other suppliers. The intent of GPOs is to save their customers money by pooling their purchases in order to obtain ... | GPOs are purchasing intermediaries that negotiate contracts for medical products and services. GPOs contract with vendors and receive a fee from them when providers purchase from the vendor. These fees are a source of operating revenue for GPOs, and they are allowed to collect them if they meet the requirements of a sa... |
The UI program was established by Title III of the Social Security Act in 1935 and is a key component in ensuring the financial security of America’s workforce. The program, which is administered by the states with oversight from Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), provides temporary cash benefits to ... | With unemployed workers at a greater risk of long-term unemployment than in the past, it is increasingly important to quickly connect Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants with reemployment activities. However, the shift to remote claims filing in many states has raised concerns about maintaining a connection between t... |
From World War II to the end of the Cold War, the United States and the former Soviet Union produced large quantities of plutonium to build nuclear weapons. With the lessening of tensions between the United States and Russia, efforts began to reduce the inventory of both countries’ excess plutonium. In early 1994, Pres... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on: (1) the goals of the Department of Energy's (DOE) plutonium disposition program and the impediments facing its implementation; (2) U.S. government officials' views on the importance of a U.S.-Russian agreement on plutonium disposition and the status of e... |
Within the past 6 months, millions of Medicare beneficiaries have been making important decisions about their prescription drug coverage and have needed access to information about the new Part D benefit to make appropriate choices. CMS faced a tremendous challenge in responding to this need and, within short time fram... | On January 1, 2006, Medicare began providing coverage for outpatient prescription drugs through its new Part D benefit. Beneficiaries who enroll in Part D may choose a drug plan from those offered by private plan sponsors under contract to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers the Part D... |
FFRDCs were first established during World War II to meet specialized or unique research and development needs that could not be readily satisfied by government personnel or private contractors. Additional and expanded requirements for specialized services led to increases not only in the size of the FFRDCs but also th... | GAO discussed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to improve the management of its federally funded research and development centers (FFRDC), focusing on the: (1) guidelines to ensure that management fees paid to FFRDC are justified; (2) core work appropriate for FFRDC; (3) criteria for the acceptance of work out... |
The Coast Guard has a wide variety of missions, related both to homeland security and its other responsibilities. Table 1 shows a breakout of these missions—both security and non-security related—as delineated under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Coast Guard has overall federal responsibility for many aspects o... | The Coast Guard is one of 22 agencies being placed in the new Department of Homeland Security. With its key roles in the nation's ports, waterways, and coastlines, the Coast Guard is an important part of enhanced homeland security efforts. But it also has non-security missions, such as search and rescue, fisheries and ... |
The U.S. railroad industry consists mostly of freight railroads but also serves passengers. Freight railroads are divided into classes based on revenue. Class I freight railroads earn the most revenue and generally provide long-haul freight service. Freight railroads operate over approximately 160,000 miles of track an... | In the wake of a 2008 commuter train collision that resulted in 25 fatalities, RSIA was enacted. It requires major freight railroads, Amtrak, and commuter railroads to install PTC on many major routes by the end of 2015. PTC implementation, overseen by FRA, is a complex endeavor that touches almost every aspect of trai... |
For the purposes of this report, foreign assistance is any tangible or intangible item provided by the U.S. government to a foreign country or international organization, including but not limited to any training, service, or technical advice; any item of real, personal, or mixed property; any agricultural commodity, U... | The negative perceptions of the United States associated with U.S. foreign policy initiatives have underscored the importance of the United States presenting a complete portrayal of the benefits that many in the world derive from U.S. foreign assistance efforts. Congress has expressed concerns that the United States ha... |
U.S. relations with the FAS began when American forces liberated the islands near the end of World War II. In 1947, the United Nations assigned the United States administering authority over the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which included what are now the Republic of Palau, the FSM, and the RMI. Interior’s O... | U.S. compacts with the FSM and the RMI entered into force in 1986 and were amended in 2003. A compact with Palau entered into force in 1994. Legislation pending before the Senate would approve, provide funding for, and make modifications to a 2010 agreement between the U.S. and Palau governments regarding their compact... |
The Davis-Bacon Act requires workers on federal construction projects valued in excess of $2,000 to be paid, at a minimum, wages and fringe benefits that the Secretary of Labor determines to be prevailing for corresponding classes of workers in the locality where the contract is to be performed. The act covers every co... | GAO discussed the vulnerabilities in the Department of Labor's prevailing wage determination process under the Davis-Bacon Act. GAO noted that: (1) Labor sets prevailing wage rates for numerous job classifications in about 3,000 geographic areas; (2) Labor's wage determination process depends on employers' and third pa... |
Four major sources of student aid are currently available: the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), the Pell Grant Program, the Federal Direct Loan Program, and Campus-Based Programs. Before the recent 5-year phase-in of the direct loan program, FFELP and the Pell Grant programs were the largest sources of fe... | GAO discussed its review of the Department of Education's progress in integrating its National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) with other student financial aid systems, as required by law. GAO noted that: (1) the Department of Education has made only limited progress in integrating NSLDS with the other student financi... |
The C-130 and KC-135 aircraft are important parts of DOD’s air mobility force. The C-130’s primary role is to provide airlift for theater cargo and personnel. The KC-135 aircraft is the Air Force’s core refueler. The majority of these aircraft are in the reserve component, as shown in table 1. Reserve component C-130 f... | GAO assessed the cost-effectiveness of organizing the Air Force's airlift and refueling force into fewer, larger-sized squadrons and wings, focusing on: (1) the effect that reorganization may have on mission accomplishment; (2) whether costs could be reduced through redistributing aircraft among fewer wings; and (3) fi... |
Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act, the federal government has established requirements setting limits on emissions and discharges from municipal and private industrial facilities that might pollute the land, air, or water. EPA shares responsibility for administ... | Industrial facilities that operate under permits regulating some emissions and discharges have been the subject of complaints from community groups and environmental activists who charge that the facilities expose the surrounding communities to greater environmental risk than the general population. In response, the fa... |
Airline travel is one of the safest modes of public transportation in the United States. The current level of airline safety has been achieved, in part, because the airline industry and government regulatory agencies have implemented rigorous pilot training and evaluation programs. The major airlines have training prog... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the role of airline pilots' performance in accidents and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) efforts to address any inadequate performance, focusing on the: (1) types and frequency of accidents in which an airline pilot's performance was cited as a contributing ... |
Over the past two decades, extensive research and development have led to new prescription drug therapies and improvements over existing therapies, and the number of prescription drugs on the market has increased dramatically. Some of these therapies can at times replace other health care interventions, and as a result... | Ten years ago, Congress passed the Prescription Drug User Fee Act to speed up the review process used to ensure that new drugs and biological products are safe and effective. GAO found that the act has provided the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the funding needed to hire more drug reviewers, which has led to ... |
The vermiculite ore mined at Libby, Montana, between 1923 and the early 1990s contained high concentrations of naturally occurring asbestos minerals, including tremolite, winchite, richterite, and others (see fig. 1). As the ore was mined and processed, dust containing asbestos fibers was released into the air, which w... | Between 1923 and the early 1990s, a mine near Libby, Montana, shipped millions of tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite ore to sites throughout the United States. In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to clean up asbestos contamination at the Libby mine and evaluate those sites that received the ... |
WIA authorizes the National Emergency Grant program and funds the program through its dislocated worker funding stream. This funding stream is one of three specified by WIA to fund services for its client groups—dislocated workers, youth, and adults. Dislocated workers include individuals who have been terminated or la... | Between January 2004 and December 2005, more than 30,000 mass layoffs involving 50 or more workers occurred in the United States, causing more than 3.4 million workers to lose their jobs. National emergency grants expand services to laid-off workers when other state and federal programs are insufficient to meet their n... |
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey provides navigational services intended to ensure the safe and efficient passage of maritime commerce through oceans and coastal waters within U.S. jurisdiction, and in the Great Lakes. In this capacity, the Office of Coast Survey develops, updates, and maintains more than 1,000 nautical c... | NOAA is responsible for collecting hydrographic data—that is, data on the depth and bottom configuration of water bodies—to help create nautical charts. NOAA collects data using its fleet and also procures data from the private sector. The Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 requires NOAA to acquire such data... |
In 1978, Congress deregulated the airline industry, phasing out the federal government’s control over domestic fares and routes served and allowing market forces to determine the price, quantity, and quality of service. Free to determine which communities they would serve, as well as what fares they would charge, most ... | Since 1978, the Essential Air Service (EAS) program has subsidized air service to eligible communities that would otherwise not have scheduled service. The cost of this program has risen as the number of communities being served and subsidies to air carriers have increased. At the same time, the number of carriers prov... |
Inhaling excessive amounts of coal mine dust can cause CWP and other debilitating lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which encompasses chronic bronchitis and emphysema. According to NIOSH, it usually takes about 10 to 15 years of exposure to coal mine dust to develop CWP, although cases inv... | Underground coal miners face the threat of being overexposed to coal mine dust, which can cause CWP and other lung diseases, collectively referred to as black lung disease. In October 2010, MSHA—the federal agency responsible for setting and enforcing mine safety and health standards—proposed lowering the exposure limi... |
The U.S. military has long used contractors to provide supplies and services to deployed U.S. forces, and more recently contractors have been involved in every major military operation since the 1991 Gulf War. However, the scale of contractor support DOD relies on today in Iraq and elsewhere throughout Southwest Asia h... | The Department of Defense (DOD) relies extensively on contractors to support deployed forces for services that range from food and housing services to intelligence analysis. Since 1997, GAO has reported on DOD's shortcomings in managing and overseeing its use of contractor support. Part of the difficulty attributed to ... |
Treasury is authorized to use financial agents under several statutes, including the National Bank Acts of 1863 and 1864. Treasury is authorized to employ financial institutions as financial agents of the government to perform all reasonable duties as may be required of them. Treasury may designate various types of fin... | Under the National Bank Act and other statutes, Treasury is authorized to designate certain financial institutions as depositaries of public money and financial agents of the federal government. Treasury uses financial agency agreements to designate financial agents. In 2004, Congress provided Treasury with a permanent... |
The Ford class features a number of improvements over existing aircraft carriers that the Navy believes will improve the combat capability of the carrier fleet while simultaneously reducing acquisition and life cycle costs. These improvements include an increased rate of aircraft deploying from the carrier (sorties), r... | Ford-class aircraft carriers will feature new technologies designed to reduce life-cycle costs. The lead ship, CVN 78, has been under construction since 2008, and early construction on CVN 79 is underway. In 2007 Congress established a cap for procurement costs—which has been adjusted over time. In September 2013, GAO ... |
NASA and its international partners—Japan, Canada, the European Space Agency, and Russia—are building the space station as a permanently orbiting laboratory to conduct materials and life sciences research, earth observation and commercial utilization, and related uses under nearly weightless conditions. Each partner is... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed issues associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) International Space Station program, focusing on: (1) estimates of the station's development, assembly, and operations costs and comparing this estimate with the estimate in GAO's June 199... |
Interest in oil shale as a domestic energy source has waxed and waned since the early 1900s. More recently, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed BLM to lease its lands for oil shale research and development. In June 2005, BLM initiated a leasing program for research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of oil shale... | Oil shale deposits in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming are estimated to contain up to 3 trillion barrels of oil--or an amount equal to the world's proven oil reserves. About 72 percent of this oil shale is located beneath federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, making the federal... |
As of December 2014, 39 states were using comprehensive, risk-based managed care in their Medicaid programs. States vary considerably in the extent to which they enroll beneficiaries in managed care versus delivering care through the more traditional fee-for-service (FFS) model. For example, as of July 2013—the most re... | The importance of managed care in Medicaid—under which states contract with MCOs to provide a specific set of services—has increased as states expand eligibility for Medicaid under PPACA and increasingly move populations with complex health needs into managed care. States have flexibility within broad federal parameter... |
CDC is one of the major operating components of HHS, which acts as the federal government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans. CDC serves as the national focal point for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities ... | The scope of work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has evolved since 1946 from a focus on communicable diseases, like malaria, to a wide and complex range of public health responsibilities. The agency's Office of the Director (OD) faces considerable management challenges to ensure that during pub... |
ANSCA created 12 regional ANCs, each representing a region of Alaska, and a 13th corporation for Alaska Natives living outside Alaska. There are also 182 village, urban, and group corporations located within the 12 regions. In most cases, the regional corporations received a mixture of surface and subsurface rights to ... | Alaska Native corporations (ANC) were created to settle land claims with Alaska Natives and foster economic development. In 1986, legislation passed that allowed ANCs to participate in the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) program. Since then, Congress has extended special procurement advantages to 8(a) ANC fi... |
The foster care system has grown dramatically in the past two decades, with the number of children in foster care nearly doubling since the mid- 1980s. Concerns about children’s long stays in foster care culminated in the passage of ASFA in 1997, which emphasized the child welfare system’s goals of safety, permanency, ... | In response to concerns about the length of time children were spending in foster care, Congress enacted the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA). The act contained two key provisions intended to help states more quickly move the more than 800,000 children estimated to be in foster care each year to safe and p... |
The Army is DOD’s single manager for the military services’ conventional ammunition and is responsible for ensuring that an adequate industrial base is maintained to meet the services’ ammunition requirements. The conventional ammunition requirements include about 250 end items and 500 components that are grouped into ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) ability to meet peacetime ammunition requirements, and to replenish the ammunition stockpile following two major regional conflicts. GAO found that: (1) according to DOD, the ammunition stockpile has no major shortages due to the indust... |
SB/SE is one of IRS’s four business operating divisions. SB/SE is responsible for enforcement, taxpayer education, and account services for about 45 million taxpayers, including 33 million self-employed taxpayers and 7 million small businesses with assets of less than $10 million. SB/SE also performs some collection fu... | In recent years, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has experienced declines in most of its enforcement programs, including declines in audits and in efforts to collect delinquent taxes. Increasing enforcement productivity is one strategy that can help reverse these declines. To this end, IRS is currently planning and ... |
Under the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 (the 1970 Act), the Postal Service is an independent establishment in the executive branch that began operations on July 1, 1971. The Postmaster General, Deputy Postmaster General, and the nine presidentially appointed members of the Postal Board of Governors direct the opera... | GAO examined the U.S. Postal Service's proposals for modifying the postal ratemaking process, focusing on: (1) how the current ratemaking process could be improved; and (2) the effects of the 1970 Postal Reorganization Act on postal rates. GAO found that: (1) the Postal Service has petitioned the Postal Rate Commission... |
Prior to the 1970s, the federal government made housing affordable to low- and moderate-income households by subsidizing the production of privately and government-owned properties with below-market interest rate mortgages, direct loans, and other development subsidies. Under these production programs, the rent subsidi... | Annual appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 8 programs--a key federal tool for subsidizing rents of low-income households--have increased sharply in recent years, raising concerns about their cost. Section 8 pays the difference between a unit's rent and the household's paym... |
We identified three key factors that affect delivery of humanitarian assistance to people inside Syria. First, the increasingly violent and widespread Syrian conflict has hindered effective delivery of humanitarian assistance. Based on our analysis of monthly UNSG reports on the situation inside Syria, as well as inter... | This testimony summarizes the information contained in GAO's July 2016 report, entitled Syria Humanitarian Assistance: Some Risks of Providing Aid inside Syria Assessed, but U.S. Agencies Could Improve Fraud Oversight ( GAO-16-629 ). Delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance to people inside Syria is complicated by thre... |
In 1988, Congress enacted the Military Whistleblower Protection Act to provide protection to servicemembers who report wrongdoing within DOD. According to DOD policy, a military whistleblower is a servicemember who makes, prepares to make, or is perceived as making or preparing to make a protected communication—that is... | Whistleblowers play an important role in safeguarding the federal government against waste, fraud, and abuse. However, reporting wrongdoing outside the chain of command conflicts with military guidance, which emphasizes using the chain of command to resolve problems. Whistleblowers who make a report risk reprisal from ... |
The U.S. surface and maritime transportation systems facilitate mobility through an extensive network of infrastructure and operators, as well as through the vehicles and vessels that permit passengers and freight to move within the systems. The systems include 3.9 million miles of public roads, 121,000 miles of major ... | The U.S. surface and maritime transportation systems include roads, mass transit systems, railroads, and ports and waterways. One of the major goals of these systems is to provide and enhance mobility, that is, the free flow of passengers and goods. Mobility provides people with access to goods, services, recreation, a... |
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA regulates two primary types of air pollutants. The first category—the so-called “criteria pollutants” for which EPA has established air quality criteria that limit the allowable concentrations in the ambient air—includes carbon monoxide, ground- level ozone (smog), lead, nitrogen oxides, pa... | The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) most recent data indicate that 95 percent of all Americans face an increased likelihood of developing cancer as a result of breathing air toxics--pollutants such as benzene and asbestos that may cause cancer or other serious health problems. Sources of air toxics include larg... |
As depicted in figure 1 below, the services maintain highly trained EOD personnel responsible for eliminating explosive hazards in support of a range of events, from major combat operations and contingency operations overseas to range clearance to protecting designated persons, such as the President of the United State... | DOD has relied heavily on the critical skills and capabilities of EOD forces to counter the threat from improvised explosive devices on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House Armed Services Committee directed DOD to submit a report on EOD force structure planning and directed GAO to review DOD's force structur... |
Under the NCLBA, the Secretary of Education had the authority to waive many statutory and regulatory requirements for states, school districts, and other entities that received funds under a program authorized by the law, provided that certain conditions were met. In September 2011, Education introduced the Flexibility... | Beginning in 2011, Education used its statutory authority to invite states to apply for waivers from certain provisions in the ESEA through its Flexibility initiative. To receive Flexibility waivers, states had to agree to meet other requirements related to college- and career-ready expectations, school accountability ... |
Treasury’s Office of Homeownership Preservation within the Office of Financial Stability (OFS), is responsible for overseeing the TARP-funded programs that are intended to help prevent avoidable foreclosures and preserve homeownership. MHA is the primary TARP initiative for addressing these issues. Treasury allocated $... | Treasury introduced MHA in February 2009 and indicated that up to $50 billion would be used to help 3 to 4 million struggling homeowners avoid potential foreclosure. Since then, questions have been raised about participation rates and the overall success of the program. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 ... |
SAFETEA-LU authorized a total of $45.3 billion for a variety of transit programs, including financial assistance to states and localities to develop, operate, and maintain transit systems from fiscal year 2005 through fiscal year 2009. Under one program, New Starts, FTA identifies and selects fixed guideway transit pro... | The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) authorized about $7.9 billion in commitment authority, through fiscal year 2009, for the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) New Starts program, which is used to select fixed guideway transit projects, such as rail ... |
The Forest Service is responsible for managing over 192 million acres of public lands—nearly 9 percent of the nation’s total surface area and about 30 percent of all federal lands in the United States. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Forest Service traditionally has administered its programs through nine regi... | Increases in the number and intensity of wildland fires have led the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service to place greater emphasis on thinning forests and rangelands to reduce the buildup of potentially hazardous vegetation that can fuel wildland fires. The public generally has an opportunity to challenge agency... |
The Workforce Investment Act created a new, comprehensive workforce investment system designed to change the way employment and training services are delivered. When WIA was enacted in 1998, it replaced the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) with three new programs—Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth—that allow for a ... | This testimony highlights findings from today's report on strategies that exemplary one-stop centers have implemented to strengthen and integrate services for customers and to build a solid one-stop infrastructure. It also shares findings and recommendations from our past work on challenges that states and localities h... |
The Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 as a comprehensive plan to manage the water and hydropower resources of the Missouri River Basin. The act was a combination of two plans: (1) the Sloan Plan, developed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau)... | GAO discussed Western Area Power Administration's (WAPA) repayment of the federal investment in hydropower facilities and water storage reservoirs in the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, focusing on the: (1) portion of the investment that may not be recoverable; and (2) actions that could be implemented to recover a ... |
In fiscal year 2008, the Army Reserve and Army National Guard had about 197,000 and 360,400 soldiers, respectively, comprising 51 percent of the total Army, which also includes the active component. The Army organizes, trains, and equips its reserve components to perform assigned missions. The Army Reserve is a federal... | Since September 11, 2001, the Army has heavily used its reserve components--the Army National Guard and Army Reserve--for ongoing operations even though they were envisioned and resourced to be strategic reserves. A congressional commission, the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Army have concluded the Army will nee... |
Salmonella and Campylobacter are bacteria that can cause disease in humans and animals. More than 2,500 different types of Salmonella— known as serotypes— exist, and 17 different types of Campylobacter exist—known as species. Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, while Campylobacter live in th... | USDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of poultry products. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report the U.S. food supply is one of the safest in the world, yet estimate that Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination in food causes more than 2 million human illnesses per year. Poultry products ... |
The DI program was established in 1956 to provide monthly cash benefits to individuals who were unable to work because of severe long-term disability. In fiscal year 2003, SSA paid about $70 billion to 7.5 million disabled workers, their spouses, and dependents, with average monthly cash benefits of about $723 per bene... | The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Disability Insurance (DI) program is one of the nation's largest cash assistance programs for disabled workers. In fiscal year 2003, the DI program provided about $70 billion in financial assistance to approximately 7.5 million disabled workers, their spouses, and dependent ch... |
Since the early 1990s, GSA and the federal judiciary have been carrying out a multibillion-dollar courthouse construction initiative to address the judiciary’s growing needs. In 1993, the judiciary identified 160 court facilities that required either the construction of a new building or a major annex to an existing bu... | Over the last 20 years, GAO has compiled a large body of work on courthouse construction and federal real property. The General Services Administration (GSA) owns federal courthouses and funds related expenses from its Federal Buildings Fund (FBF)--a revolving fund used to finance GSA real property services, including ... |
Various organizations must be able to operate for the U.S. securities markets to function. Individual investors and institutions such as mutual funds send their orders to buy and sell stocks and options to broker- dealers, which route them to be executed at one of the many exchanges or electronic trading venues in the ... | This is GAO's third report since the September 11 terrorist attacks that assesses progress that market participants and regulators have made to ensure the security and resiliency of our securities markets. This report examined (1) actions taken to improve the markets' capabilities to prevent and recover from attacks; (... |
Bankruptcy is a federal court procedure conducted under the Code. The goals of bankruptcy are to give individuals and businesses a “fresh start” by eliminating or restructuring debts they cannot fully repay and help creditors receive some payment in an equitable manner. The filing of a voluntary bankruptcy petition ope... | The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) mandates that GAO report on an ongoing basis on ways to make the Code more effective in resolving certain failed financial companies. This report examines advantages and disadvantages of certain proposals, based on those identified in GAO's ... |
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... | Increasing computer interconnectivity has revolutionized the way that our government, our nation, and much of the world communicate and conduct business. While the benefits have been enormous, this widespread interconnectivity also poses significant risks to our nation's computer systems and, more importantly, to the c... |
Both the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF programs authorize EPA to provide states and local communities with independent and sustainable sources of financial assistance. This assistance is typically in the form of low- or no-interest loans, for projects that protect or improve water quality and that are needed to co... | The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided $4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and $2 billion for the agency's Drinking Water SRF. The Recovery Act requires GAO to review funds made available under the act and comment on recip... |
FHWA provides funding to the states for roadway construction and improvement projects through various programs collectively known as the federal-aid highway program. Most highway program funds are distributed to the states through annual apportionments according to statutory formulas; once apportioned, these funds are ... | Improving the oversight and controlling the costs of major highway and bridge projects is important for the federal government, which often pays 80 percent of these projects' costs. Widespread consensus exists on the need to fund such projects, given the doubling of freight traffic and worsening congestion projected ov... |
The Arms Export Control Act authorizes the President to control the export and import of defense articles and defense services. The statutory authority of the President to promulgate regulations with respect to exports of defense articles and defense services and designate those items to be considered defense articles ... | The U.S. government exports billions of dollars of defense articles and services annually to foreign entities, generally through direct commercial sales (DCS) from U.S. companies under licenses issued by the State Department (State) or through the Department of Defense (DOD) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. GAO ha... |
OPM contracts with almost 400 health plans, including fee-for-service plans and health maintenance organizations, to operate the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s plan is the largest, covering almost 42 percent of about 4 million FEHBP enrollees in 1994. The... | GAO discussed the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's change in prescription drug benefits covered under its federal employee health plan. GAO noted that: (1) the Association's payments for prescription drugs increased about 21 percent between 1988 and 1995; (2) to manage costs, the Association contracted with two... |
A long-standing problem in DOD space acquisitions is that program and unit costs tend to go up significantly from initial cost estimates, while in some cases the capability that was to be delivered goes down. Figure 1 compares original cost estimates and current cost estimates for the broader portfolio of major space a... | Despite decades of significant investment, most of the Department of Defense's (DOD) large space acquisition programs have collectively experienced billions of dollars in cost increases, stretched schedules, and increased technical risks. Significant schedule delays of as much as 9 years have resulted in potential capa... |
Historically, tribes have been granted federal recognition through treaties, by the Congress, or through administrative decisions within the executive branch—principally by BIA within the Department of the Interior. (See app. I for additional information on how tribes have been recognized.) In a 1977 report to the Cong... | The Indian gambling industry has flourished since the enactment of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988. Nearly 200 tribes generated about $10 billion in annual revenues in 1999 from their gambling operations. Because of weaknesses in the federal recognition process, the basis for tribal recognition decisions by th... |
As part of its ongoing business systems modernization program, and consistent with our past recommendation, DOD has created an inventory of its existing and new business system investments. As of October 2002, DOD reported that this inventory consisted of 1,731 systems and system acquisition projects across DOD’s funct... | The Department of Defense's (DOD) management of its business systems modernization program has been an area of longstanding concern to Congress and one that GAO has designated as high risk since 1995. Because of this concern, GAO was requested to testify on (1) DOD's current inventory of existing and new business syste... |
With the passage of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) in November 2001, TSA assumed responsibility for civil aviation security from the Federal Aviation Administration and for passenger and checked baggage screening from air carriers. As part of this responsibility, TSA oversees security operations at... | Transportation Security Administration (TSA) funding for aviation security has totaled about $26 billion since fiscal year 2004. This testimony focuses on TSA's efforts to secure the commercial aviation system through passenger screening, air cargo, and watch-list matching programs, and challenges remaining in these ar... |
Following the 2000 national elections, we performed a comprehensive series of reviews covering our nation’s election process, in which we identified a number of challenges. These reviews culminated in a capping report that summarized this work and provided the Congress with a framework for considering options for elect... | The technology used to cast and count votes is one aspect of the multifaceted U.S. election process. GAO examined voting technology, among other things, in a series of reports that it issued in 2001 following the problems encountered in the 2000 election. In October 2002, the Congress enacted the Help America Vote Act,... |
Our prior work highlights some of the challenges VA faces in formulating its budget: obtaining sufficient data for useful budget projections, making accurate calculations, and making realistic assumptions. Our 2006 report on VA’s overall health care budget found that VA underestimated the cost of serving veterans retur... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates it will provide health care to 5.8 million patients with appropriations of about $41 billion in fiscal year 2009. It provides a range of services, including primary care, outpatient and inpatient services, long-term care, and prescription drugs. VA formulates its health... |
The majority of the federal civilian workforce obtained their positions by competing against others under the government’s merit system selection process. However, there are provisions for noncompetitive appointments as well. Included among these are the following: Presidential, noncareer SES, and Schedule C appointees... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the appointments of 36 former political appointees and legislative branch employees to positions in the executive branch between January 1996 and March 1997, focusing on whether: (1) appropriate authorities were used and proper procedures were followed in... |
Ports play an important role in the nation’s economy and security. Ports are used to import and export cargo worth hundreds of billions of dollars, generating jobs, both directly and indirectly, for Americans and our trading partners. Ports, which include inland waterways, are used to move bulk agricultural, mineral, p... | Sharing information with nonfederal officials is an important tool in federal efforts to secure the nation's ports against a potential terrorist attack. The Coast Guard has lead responsibility in coordinating maritime information sharing efforts. The Coast Guard has established area maritime security committees--forums... |
MDA’s BMDS is being designed to counter ballistic missiles of all ranges—short, medium, intermediate, and intercontinental.ballistic missiles have different ranges, speeds, sizes, and performance characteristics, MDA is developing multiple systems that when integrated provide multiple opportunities to destroy ballistic... | In order to meet its mission, MDA is developing a highly complex system of systemsground-, sea-, and space-based sensors, interceptors, and battle management. Since its initiation in 2002, MDA has been given a significant amount of flexibility in executing the development and fielding of the ballistic missile defense ... |
Since 1987, State has recognized that the lack of adequate controls over visa processing is a material weakness that increases U.S. vulnerability to illegal immigration and diminishes the integrity of the U.S. visa. Specific problems have included (1) inadequate management controls, (2) lax security over visas, (3) unr... | GAO reviewed the Department of State's plan to make its visa and passport operations more efficient and less vulnerable to fraud, focusing on: (1) the status of the plan's key initiatives; and (2) compliance with internal management controls by consular staff at selected posts overseas. GAO found that: (1) State's effo... |
All levels of government share responsibility in the overall U.S. election system. At the federal level, Congress has authority under the Constitution to regulate presidential and congressional elections and to enforce prohibitions against specific discriminatory practices in all federal, state, and local elections. Co... | The 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) created the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and assigned both it and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responsibilities for accrediting laboratories that test voting systems. NIST assesses a laboratory's technical qualifications and makes recommendation... |
Aliens applying for permanent residency and naturalization are required to submit completed fingerprint cards with their applications. INS is to send each fingerprint card to the FBI to determine if an alien has a criminal history. Aliens with criminal history records may be denied benefits depending on the severity of... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) fingerprinting procedures for aliens applying for immigration and naturalization benefits, focusing on: (1) INS efforts to ensure that the fingerprints aliens submit are their own; (2) options INS considered to improve ... |
While the term “disaster assistance” brings to mind the aid provided to communities and individuals after a disaster has struck, the scope of federal disaster assistance is broader. Disaster assistance involves aid provided both before and after disasters and it involves many federal agencies besides FEMA, including th... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed several approaches for lowering the costs of federal disaster assistance, focusing on: (1) the components and magnitude of federal disaster assistance costs; and (2) approaches that could potentially lower those costs in the future. GAO noted that: (1) federal disaster... |
Under the SAFE Port Act, DNDO is required, among other functions, to develop, in coordination with other federal agencies, an enhanced Global Nuclear Detection Architecture. DNDO serves as the primary entity in the United States to develop programs and initiatives related to the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture, i... | Preventing terrorists from smuggling nuclear or radiological materials to carry out an attack in the United States is a top national priority. Terrorists could use these materials to make an improvised nuclear device that could cause hundreds of thousands of deaths and devastate buildings and other infrastructure. DHS'... |
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union built a total of 27 nuclear reactors to produce weapons-grade plutonium for nuclear weapons. Although all nuclear reactors produce plutonium as a byproduct of their operation, plutonium production reactors are specifically designed to produce a concentrated is... | Russia's continued operation of three plutonium production reactors poses a serious proliferation threat. The Department of Energy's (DOE) Elimination of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Production program seeks to facilitate the reactors' closure by building or refurbishing replacement fossil fuel plants. This report (1) descr... |
Afghanistan is a unique country with different development, security, and infrastructure issues and needs than Iraq. As a result, CERP efforts in Afghanistan are frequently focused on development and construction whereas in Iraq the focus of CERP is reconstruction of neglected or damaged infrastructure. The program has... | U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Defense (DOD) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have spent billions of dollars to develop Afghanistan. From fiscal years 2004 to 2008, DOD has reported obligations of about $1 billion for its Commander's Emergency Response Program (C... |
Several Interior agencies are responsible for carrying out the Secretary’s Indian trust responsibilities. These agencies include the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and its Office of Trust Responsibilities (OTR), which is responsible for resource management and land and lease ownership information; BIA’s 12 Area Offices... | GAO discussed the Department of the Interior's management of Indian trust funds. GAO noted that: (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has completed its reconciliation of trust fund accounts, but the accounts could not be fully reconciled due to missing records and the lack of an audit trail; (2) the January 1996 BIA ... |
Solar energy can be used to heat, cool, and power homes and businesses with a variety of technologies that convert sunlight into usable energy. Examples of solar energy technologies include photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, and solar hot water. Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells, convert sunlight dire... | The United States has abundant solar energy resources and solar, along with wind, offers the greatest energy and power potential among all currently available domestic renewable resources. In February 2012, GAO reported that 23 federal agencies had implemented nearly 700 renewable energy initiatives in fiscal year 2010... |
PBGC was created as a government corporation by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to help protect the retirement income of U.S. workers with private-sector defined benefit plans by guaranteeing their benefits up to certain legal limits. PBGC administers two separate insurance programs for thes... | As the insurer of over 29,000 private sector defined benefit plans, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) may be required to assume responsibility for the plans of a growing number of companies filing bankruptcy due to the recession. Concerns about PBGC's benefit determination process, reductions in benefits ... |
FCC regulates many aspects of television and radio station ownership. Laws and regulations limit the ownership of television stations, both nationwide and locally, and limit the ownership of radio stations locally. Since the 1970s, the number of media outlets has increased dramatically, with large increases in the numb... | The media industry plays an important role in educating and entertaining the public. While the media industry provides the public with many national choices, media outlets located in a local market are more likely to provide local programs that meet the needs of residents in the market compared to national outlets. Thi... |
Prior to September 11, 2001, emergency preparedness and response had primarily been the responsibility of state and local governments and had focused principally on emergencies resulting from nature, such as fires, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes, or accidental acts of man, not acts of terrorism. The federal govern... | This testimony discusses the challenges of effective emergency preparedness for, response to, and recovery from major emergencies, including catastrophic incidents. Effective emergency preparedness and response for major events requires the coordinated planning and actions of multiple players from multiple first respon... |
Many land use authorities currently exist that permit the Secretary of Defense, the secretaries of the military departments, or both to make more efficient use of underutilized or not utilized real property under their jurisdiction or control, such as authorities permitting outleasing or conveyance of real property con... | The Department of Defense (DOD) is one of the largest landholding agencies in the federal government with more than 577,500 facilities at 5,300 sites on over 32 million acres. GAO has previously reported that the management of DOD-held real property is a high-risk area, in part because of deteriorating facilities and p... |
Signed into law on May 9, 2014, the DATA Act expanded on previous federal transparency legislation to link federal agency spending to federal program activities so that taxpayers and policymakers can more effectively track federal spending. The DATA Act requires government- wide reporting on a greater variety of federa... | Effective implementation of the DATA Act will allow federal funds to be better tracked and greatly increase the types of data made publicly available. OMB and Treasury have taken significant steps to implement the act, but challenges remain as the critical deadline of May 2017 approaches. Consistent with GAO's mandate ... |
OPM may waive application of the salary offset requirement for reemployed annuitants—thereby permitting dual compensation—pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 8344(i) and § 8468(f). Under these authorities, agencies may request that OPM waive the offset requirement for individuals on a case-by-case basis, or, that OPM delegate to th... | The federal workforce has a large number of retirement-eligible employees that could potentially result in a loss of skills hindering federal agencies' ability to meet their missions. Agencies can mitigate this challenge by hiring uniformed and civil service retirees. Generally, when an agency reemploys a retired civil... |
In fiscal year 2004, much of our work examined the effectiveness of the federal government’s day-to-day operations, such as administering benefits to the elderly and other needy populations, providing grants and loans to college students, and collecting taxes from businesses and individuals. Yet, we remained alert to e... | This testimony is in support of the fiscal year 2006 budget request for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). This request is necessary to help us continue to support the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal g... |
Patriot is a mobile Army surface-to-air missile system designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles; cruise missiles; and other threats such as airplanes, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Patriot was first deployed in the early 1980s and since that time has received a number of substantial updates to keep ... | Patriot is a mobile Army surface-to-air missile system deployed worldwide to defend critical assets and forces. To respond to emerging threats and address a diverse set of capability needs, the Army has spent nearly $1.1 billion and requested $1.8 billion over the next 5 years to upgrade Patriot, begin developing a lon... |
In October 1996, GSA acquired a 13.18-acre site, immediately adjacent to the College Park Metrorail station, in College Park, MD, specifically for the new CFSAN facility at a cost of $4 million. Part of the site is located on a Prince George’s County-designated floodplain. GSA has subsequently demolished a building tha... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the construction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) facility for its Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) in College Park, Maryland, focusing on: (1) the General Services Administration's (GSA) authority to construct a new facility ... |
North Korea is an isolated society with a centrally planned economy and a centrally controlled political system. The governing regime assumed power after World War II. Successive generations of a single family have ruled North Korea since its founding. According to the CIA World Factbook, under dictator Kim Jong Un, th... | North Korea is a closely controlled society, and its regime has taken actions that threaten the United States and other United Nations member states. North Korean tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles have prompted the United States and the UN to impose sanctions on North Korea. GAO was asked to review U.S. a... |
Thousands of market participants are involved in trading stocks, options, government bonds, and other financial products in the United States. These participants include exchanges at which orders to buy and sell are executed, broker-dealers who present those orders on behalf of their customers, clearing organizations t... | September 11 exposed the vulnerability of U.S. financial markets to wide-scale disasters. Because the markets are vital to the nation's economy, GAO assessed (1) the effects of the attacks on market participants' facilities and telecommunications and how prepared participants were for attacks at that time, (2) physical... |
The United States is home to more immigrants than any other country in the world. Census estimated that 41 million foreign-born individuals resided in the United States from 2010 through 2014, making up 13 percent of the population. According to the World Bank, the United States is also, by far, the largest source of r... | For many countries, remittances represent a large and stable source of foreign currency. Remittances have received increasing attention from policymakers as the volume of funds transferred has increased over the years. Despite the global significance of remittances, much remains unknown about the actual volume of remit... |
U. S. Attorneys serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. U.S. Attorneys conduct most of the trial work in which the United States is a party. Under Title 28 U.S.C. 547, U.S. Attorneys have three statutory responsibilities: prosecute criminal cases brought by the federal go... | Ninety-three U.S. Attorneys serve 94 judicial districts (the same U.S. Attorney serves the District of Guam and the District of the Northern Mariana Islands) under the direction of the Attorney General. Among other things, the Attorney General expects U.S. Attorneys to lead or be involved with the community in preventi... |
The process for developing and issuing RAIs begins with either pre- application activities or the submission of an application (see fig. 1), and is generally consistent across the NRC offices that use RAIs. Pre-application activities occur before NRC receives an application; these activities may include a meeting betwe... | NRC issues RAIs to obtain information in licensing requests to ensure that officials can make a fully informed, technically correct, and legally defensible regulatory decision. RAIs are necessary when the information was not included in an applicant's initial submission, is not contained in any other docketed correspon... |
Nursing homes provide a residential setting and a range of health care services for individuals who can no longer care for themselves because of physical or mental limitations. According to the most recent National Nursing Homes Survey (NNHS), approximately 90 percent of nursing home residents were age 65 and older and... | Approximately 23,000 nursing homes and intermediate care facilities for people with mental retardation (ICF-MR) receive federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. Media reports have cited examples of convicted sex offenders residing in long-term care facilities and, in some cases, allegedly abusing other residents. Given c... |
The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program, established in 1975 under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, established federal standards for state CSE programs to ensure that parents provide support to their children.Services provided through the CSE program include locating absent noncustodial parents, establishing... | To increase child support collections, Congress has considered proposals to improve the ability of private firms to gather information to help locate noncustodial parents and enforce the payment of child support. At the end of fiscal year 2000, the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) indicated that $89 billion i... |
DOD defines its logistics mission, including supply chain management, as supporting the projection and sustainment of a ready, capable force through globally responsive, operationally precise, and cost-effective joint logistics support for America’s warfighters. Supply chain management is the operation of a continuous ... | DOD estimated that overall spending on logistics, including supply chain management, was more than $210 billion in fiscal year 2010. Because of long-standing weaknesses in supply chain management, GAO has designated DOD supply chain management as a high-risk area and identified three focus areas for improvement--requir... |
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.