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Since 1995, GAO has focused on the chemical and biological defense area, which has resulted in a series of reports and testimonies before Congress on DOD’s efforts to prepare troops to survive and operate in a chemically and biologically contaminated environment. Major problem areas have included shortfalls in equipmen... | The Department of Defense (DOD) believes it is increasingly likely that an adversary of the United States will use chemical or biological weapons against U.S. forces to degrade superior U.S. conventional warfare capabilities, placing service members' lives and effective military operations at risk. During the past 6 ye... |
America’s interests in space, according to the National Space Policy, are to support a strong, stable, and balanced national space program that serves our goals in national security, foreign policy, economic growth, environmental stewardship, and scientific excellence. DOD policy states that space—like land, sea, and a... | In January 2001, the congressionally chartered Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization--known as the Space Commission--reported that the Department of Defense (DOD) lacked the senior-level focus and accountability to provide guidance and oversight for national security spa... |
When a veteran submits a claim for disability benefits to a VBA regional office, Veterans Service Center staff process the claim in accordance with VBA regulations, policies, procedures, and guidance. A Veterans Service Representative (VSR) in a Pre-Determination Team develops the claim; that is, assists the claimant i... | The Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, asked GAO to assist the committee in its oversight of the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) disability compensation and pension programs. This report examines (1) VBA's determination and justification of claims processing staffing l... |
The FDLP legislation was enacted in August 1993 as part of a broader reform of the federal student loan programs. The first direct loans were made in fiscal year 1994. FDLP makes it possible for students and their families to borrow directly from the federal government through the colleges or other postsecondary instit... | Since 1999, the Department of Education (Education) has offered a 0.25 percent interest rate reduction to borrowers who agree to an electronic debit (EDA) program. Borrowers pay a lower interest rate, while the federal government receives fewer late payments. Any revenue loss to the federal government from a reduced in... |
DOD faces five key challenges that significantly affect the department’s ability to accomplish its mission—specifically the need for DOD to (1) rebalance forces and rebuild readiness in an evolving global security environment; (2) mitigate threats in cyberspace and expand cyber capabilities; (3) control the escalating ... | The United States faces a complex national security environment, to include strategic challenges presented by traditional state actors and destabilizing nonstate actors, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Recognizing these challenges, DOD has emphasized the importance of providing forces that are capable of p... |
In 1985, Congress required the Department of the Defense to destroy the U.S. stockpile of chemical agents and munitions and to establish an organization within the Army to manage the agent destruction program. Later, Congress also directed DOD to research and develop technological alternatives to incineration for dispo... | The Army has been tasked to destroy 31,500 tons of highly toxic chemical agents by April 2007, the deadline set by an international treaty for the elimination of all chemical weapon stockpiles. To destroy the weapons, the Department of Defense (DOD) established the Army Chemical Demilitarization Program. The Army has d... |
Over the last decade, DOD space system acquisitions have been characterized by the long-standing problem of program costs increasing significantly from original cost estimates. While some programs have overcome problems with development, and actions have been taken to better position programs for success, the large cos... | DOD's space systems provide critical capabilities to military and other government operations. Over the last decade, DOD space system acquisitions have been characterized by the long-standing problem of program costs increasing significantly from original cost estimates. Given this, DOD must manage system acquisition c... |
DHS has begun to take action to work with other agencies to identify facilities that are required to report their chemical holdings to DHS but may not have done so. The first step of the CFATS process is focused on identifying facilities that might be required to participate in the program. The CFATS rule was published... | Facilities that produce, store, or use hazardous chemicals could be of interest to terrorists intent on using toxic chemicals to inflict mass casualties in the United States. As required by statute, DHS issued regulations establishing standards for the security of these facilities. DHS established the CFATS program to ... |
In recent years, Congress passed two pieces of legislation intended, in part, to foster greater coordination among education, welfare, and employment and training programs. The Workforce Investment Act was passed in 1998 and fundamentally changed the nature of federally funded employment and training services. WIA repl... | A central focus of welfare reform has been to help needy adults with children find and keep jobs. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) unifies a fragmented employment and training system. Despite its similar fundamental focus, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program was not required to particip... |
In pursuit of its mission to reduce poverty by supporting economic growth, MCC has identified and defined the following three key principles to guide its actions: Reward good policy. “Using objective indicators, countries are selected to receive assistance based on their performance in governing justly, investing in th... | In January 2004, Congress established the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to administer the Millennium Challenge Account. MCC's mission is to reduce poverty by supporting sustainable, transformative economic growth in developing countries that create and maintain sound policy environments. MCC has received more ... |
The term preventive services refers to a range of services aimed at preventing and diagnosing serious heath conditions among adults and children, as well as managing health conditions through early treatment to prevent them from worsening. Generally, preventive services are intended for the following three purposes: Pr... | Medicaid, a federal-state program that finances health care for certain low-income populations, can play a critical role in the provision of preventive services, which help prevent, diagnose, and manage health conditions. GAO examined available data to assess (1) the extent to which Medicaid children and adults have ce... |
Charter schools are public schools created to achieve a number of goals, including encouraging innovation in public education and addressing failing schools. Charter schools operate with more autonomy than traditional public schools in exchange for agreeing to improve student achievement, an agreement that is formalize... | While the number of charter schools is growing rapidly, questions have been raised about whether charter schools are appropriately serving students with disabilities. GAO was asked: (1) How do enrollment levels of students with disabilities in charter schools and traditional public schools compare, and what is known ab... |
For fiscal year 2009, we identified 47 federally funded employment and training programs administered across nine agencies, primarily the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services (HHS) (for a list of programs and agencies, see appendix I). These programs reported spending approximately $18 billion... | This testimony discusses the findings from our recent work on fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication in federally funded employment and training programs and our prior work on the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). We recently issued two reports addressing fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplicati... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: I am pleased to be here today to share our observations on the principal methodological similarities and differences of three reports on bankruptcy debtors’ ability to pay their debts. These reports endeavor to address an important public policy issue—whether some proportio... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the principal methodological similarities and differences of three reports on bankruptcy debtors' ability to pay their debts. The three reports were issued by the Credit Research Center, Ernst & Young, and Creighton University/American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI). GAO n... |
SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA) responds to disasters and administers the Disaster Loan Program. A Presidential disaster declaration puts into motion long-term federal recovery programs, such as the Disaster Loan Program, but SBA is not a “first responder” after a disaster. Rather, local government emergency ... | After the Small Business Administration (SBA) was widely criticized for its performance following the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the agency took steps to reform its Disaster Loan Program. Congress also enacted the Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2008 (Act), which places new requirements o... |
In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and the United Nations imposed sanctions against Iraq. Security Council resolution 661 of 1990 prohibited all nations from buying and selling Iraqi commodities, except for food and medicine. Security Council resolution 661 also prohibited all nations from exporting weapons or milita... | The Oil for Food program was established by the United Nations and Iraq in 1996 to address concerns about the humanitarian situation after international sanctions were imposed in 1990. The program allowed the Iraqi government to use the proceeds of its oil sales to pay for food, medicine, and infrastructure maintenance... |
Under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, RRB makes independent determinations of railroad workers’ claimed T&P disability using the same general criteria that SSA uses to administer its Disability Insurance (DI) program—that is, the worker must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that (1) has ... | In recent years, the U.S. Department of Justice has investigated and prosecuted railroad workers who were suspected of falsely claiming over $1 billion in disability benefits, raising concerns about RRB's disability claims process. GAO was asked to evaluate the integrity of RRB's disability program. This report examine... |
Fiscal year 2011 marked the eighth year of implementation of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA), as well as the first year of implementation for the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA). IPIA requires executive branch agencies to annually review all programs and activities to... | Over the past decade, GAO has issued numerous reports and testimonies highlighting improper payment issues across the federal government as well as at specific agencies. Fiscal year 2011 marked the eighth year of implementation of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA), as well as the first year of implem... |
FDA conducts a variety of activities pursuant to its mission to protect the public health. To carry out these functions, FDA is organized into product centers—which regulate products including human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products, medical devices, most food, and tobacco—a research center, ... | In early 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responded to a crisis involving the contamination of heparin, a medication used to prevent and treat blood clots, when the agency received multiple reports of adverse events involving severe allergic reactions. The crisis took place from January 2008 through May 200... |
Based on our analysis, more than 1,280 CFC charities had federal tax debts totaling $35.6 million as of September 30, 2005. This represented nearly 6 percent of the charities that participated in the OPM-administered 2005 campaign. $27.7 million of this debt represented payroll taxes, penalties, and interest dating as ... | The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which gave more than 22,000 charities access to the federal workplace, helping those in need by collecting more than $250 million in donations during the 2005 campaign. The success of the campaign is predicated on each dono... |
RTC was required by law to assist minorities to acquire failed thrifts. Specifically, the RTC Completion Act required RTC to give preference to any offer from minority bidders for acquiring failed thrifts located in predominantly minority neighborhoods (PMN) that would result in the same cost to RTC as determined under... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Resolution Trust Corporation's (RTC) efforts during fiscal year (FY) 1995 to sell performing assets to acquirers of failed thrifts under the Minority Preference Resolutions Program. GAO found that: (1) RTC established a reasonable process for the independent valua... |
Labor, established as a Department in 1913, administers and enforces a variety of federal labor laws guaranteeing workers’ rights to a workplace free from safety and health hazards, a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay, family and medical leave, freedom from employment discrimination, and unemployment insurance. Labo... | GAO discussed the major challenges Department of Labor faces in achieving its mission, focusing on: (1) Labor's efforts to provide effective employment and training programs that meet the diverse needs of its target populations in a cost-efficient manner; (2) Labor's efforts to ensure worker protection within a flexibl... |
College students have several options for obtaining health insurance. They may obtain private health insurance through group market plans offered by employers, colleges, and other groups or through individual market plans. In addition, some college students may obtain coverage through public health insurance programs, ... | College students face challenges obtaining health insurance--they may not have access to insurance through an employer, and as they get older, they may lose dependent coverage obtained through a parent's plan. Federal law ensures continued access to health insurance for some, but not all, such students. Without health ... |
The Apache Longbow helicopter is designed to conduct precision attacks in adverse weather and on battlefields obscured by smoke, automatically engage multiple targets, and provide fire-and-forget missile capability. The Apache Longbow configuration consists of a modified airframe, a fire control radar, and a new Longbo... | GAO reviewed the Army's Apache Longbow helicopter program to determine if its operational requirements will be met, focusing on whether the Apache Longbow will meet: (1) the validated key performance requirement for vertical rate of climb (VROC); and (2) the requirement to transfer target data between Apache Longbow he... |
Over the past 20 years, there have occasionally been federal lapses in appropriations that led to government shutdowns. The longest of these shutdowns lasted 21 calendar days, from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996. The most recent government shutdown—the subject of this report—occurred at the beginning of fiscal y... | The federal government partially shut down for 16 days in October 2013 because of a lapse in appropriations. According to OMB, about 850,000 federal employees were furloughed for part of this time. GAO was asked to describe the effects of the shutdown. This report describes (1) how the shutdown affected selected agenci... |
The term “flexiplace” was initially coined during the pilot as an abbreviation for “flexible workplace.” Since the completion of the flexiplace pilot, OPM has adopted the term “telecommuting” to define workplace arrangements that allow an employee to work away from the traditional work site, either at home or at anothe... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the implementation of flexiplace since the completion of the pilot, focusing on: (1) federal efforts to promote flexiplace; (2) federal agencies' policies and the extent to which they permit flexiplace; (3) the extent to which federal employees have used flexiplace, as ... |
The V-22 Osprey program was approved in 1982. The V-22 was being developed to meet joint service operational requirements that would satisfy various combat missions, including medium-lift assault for the Marine Corps, search and rescue for the Navy, and special operations for the Air Force. The program advanced into fu... | GAO reported on the V-22 Osprey Program, which is intended to provide the armed services with 523 new tilt-rotor aircraft, focusing on: (1) the status of the program and areas of potential cost increases or performance challenges; and (2) whether the aircraft being developed will meet the stated requirements of each of... |
Social Security provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to insured workers and their dependents. Insured workers are eligible for reduced benefits at age 62 and full retirement benefits between age 65 and 67, depending on their year of birth. Social Security retirement benefits are based on the worker’s ... | Social Security covers about 96 percent of all U.S. workers; the vast majority of the rest are state, local, and federal government employees. While these noncovered workers do not pay Social Security taxes on their government earnings, they may still be eligible for Social Security benefits. This poses difficult issue... |
Since its founding in 1718, the city of New Orleans and its surrounding areas have been subject to numerous floods from the Mississippi River and hurricanes. The greater New Orleans metropolitan area, composed of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany parishes, sits in the tidal lowlands of Lake ... | Hurricane Katrina caused several breaches in the floodwalls along three drainage canals in New Orleans, contributing to catastrophic flooding. To restore the pre-Katrina level of hurricane-related flood protection, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) decided to acquire several large-capacity pumping systems. During the... |
There are no legal definitions for a virtual economy or currency, but generally, a virtual economy is comprised by the economic activities among a community of entities that interact within a virtual setting, such as an online, multi-user game. Virtual economies can be closed, meaning the economic activities and units ... | Recent years have seen the development of virtual economies, such as those within online role-playing games, through which individual participants can own and exchange virtual goods and services. Within some virtual economies, virtual currencies have been created as a medium of exchange for goods and services. Virtual ... |
VA operates its nursing homes in 132 locations, which are located throughout VA’s 21 health care networks. Almost all of these nursing homes are attached or in close proximity to a VA medical center. According to VA policy, VA staff at these facilities determine whether the veteran has a clinical need for nursing home ... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a $2.3 billion nursing home program that provides or pays for veterans' care in three settings: VA nursing homes, community nursing homes, and state veterans' nursing homes. The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act (Millennium Act) of 1999 and VA policy requi... |
The public faces a risk that critical services could be severely disrupted by the Year 2000 computing crisis. Financial transactions could be delayed, airline flights grounded, and national defense affected. The many interdependencies that exist among governments and within key economic sectors could cause a single fai... | GAO discussed the nation's year 2000 computing crisis as well as the year 2000 program being implemented at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). GAO noted that: (1) the public faces a risk that critical services could be severely disrupted by the year 2000 computing crisis; (2) the federal government ... |
DOD’s acquisition mission represents the largest buying enterprise in the world. The defense acquisition workforce—which consists of military and civilian program managers, contracting officers, engineers, logisticians, and cost estimators, among others—is responsible for effectively awarding and administering contract... | Congress established DAWDF in 2008 to provide DOD with a dedicated source of funding to help recruit and train members of the acquisition workforce. Since 2008, DOD has obligated more than $3.5 billion to meet those objectives. However, in 2012, GAO reported that DOD's ability to execute hiring and other initiatives ha... |
In light of the prominent hazing incidents previously noted, Congress, in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, directed that each Secretary of a military department (and the Secretary of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard) submit a report on hazing in each Armed Force under the jur... | Initiations and rites of passage can instill esprit de corps and loyalty and are included in many traditions throughout DOD and the Coast Guard. However, at times these, and more ad hoc activities, have included cruel or abusive behavior that can undermine unit cohesion and operational effectiveness. Congress included ... |
As previously noted, the capital surplus account is adjusted to a level equal to the paid-in capital account. This adjustment, however, is made at the end of the calendar year. During the year, another capital account, undistributed net income, reflects the amount of net earnings for the current year that have not been... | The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) reviewed its policies regarding the size of the Federal Reserve Banks' combined capital surplus account to determine if opportunities exist to decrease the amount held in the account. The consolidated capital surplus account is the aggregate o... |
At any given time, the United States has a large portion of its military personnel serving abroad in forward-deployed locations. The forward presence of military forces at overseas locations is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests. Forward-deployed forces provide the basic building blocks with which to proje... | The Department of Defense (DOD) relies heavily on petroleum-based fuel to sustain its forward-deployed locations--particularly those that are not connected to local power grids. While weapon platforms require large amounts of fuel, DOD reports that the single largest battlefield fuel consumer is generators, which provi... |
Federal agencies’ contracts with private businesses, whether made in the normal course of agency operations or specifically related to a natural disaster declaration, are used to meet certain goals to increase participation by various types of small businesses. The Small Business Act, as amended, defines a small busine... | The federal government's long-standing policy has been to use its buying power to maximize procurement opportunities for various types of small businesses. GAO initiated work and completed a report in March 2007 under the Comptroller General's authority describing the extent to which small businesses participated in co... |
The Medicaid drug rebate program provides savings to state Medicaid programs through rebates for outpatient prescription drugs that are based on two prices per drug that manufacturers report to CMS: best price and AMP. These manufacturer-reported prices are based on the prices that manufacturers receive for their drugs... | To help control Medicaid spending on drugs, states receive rebates from pharmaceutical manufacturers through the Medicaid drug rebate program. Rebates are based on two prices--best price and average manufacturer price (AMP)--reported by manufacturers. Both reflect manufacturers' prices to various entities, accounting f... |
The complexity of the environment in which CMS operates the Medicare program cannot be overstated. It is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) but has responsibilities over expenditures that are larger than those of most other federal departments. Medicare alone ranks second only to Social ... | Management of Medicare has come under increasing scrutiny. The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has had mixed success running the program. The agency has developed payment methods that have contained cost growth, and HCFA has paid fee-for-service claims quickly and at low administrative cost. However, HCFA h... |
In 2003, HSPD-7 established a national policy for critical infrastructure and key resources. HSPD-7 designated DHS as the agency responsible for coordinating the nation’s efforts to protect critical infrastructure. The Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) within DHS fulfills the functions associated with managing a... | U.S. government facilities have been the target of foreign and domestic terrorists. Government facilities are one of 18 critical infrastructure sectors designated under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and coordi... |
Uranium is a hardrock mineral, and most U.S. uranium deposits are located in the western half of the United States, specifically in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. In the United States, uranium has been primarily used as a fuel for electric power generation and for nuclear weapons... | From 2005 through 2007, uranium prices increased from about $20 a pound to over $140 a pound, leading to renewed interest in uranium mining on federal land. This interest has raised concerns about the potential impacts that more uranium operations could have on the environment. GAO was asked to (1) compare key agencies... |
AOC and the CVC team have continued to refine the project’s schedule since the November hearing and have made substantive progress in addressing the issues that we and the Subcommittee have raised, particularly concerning the base project’s schedule. For example, the CVC team reviewed the sequence and duration of the a... | GAO testified before the Senate Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Committee on Appropriations to provide the results of a risk-based analysis of schedule and cost for the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). Our remarks focused on (1) our assessment of the risks associated with the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Decem... |
Over the last several years, the Congress has expressed concern over the number and costs of disaster declarations. GAO has also identified the cost of disaster assistance as one of FEMA’s major management challenges. Figure 1 depicts the number of major disasters declared since fiscal year 1991 and FEMA’s share of the... | Since 1990, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided more than $27 billion in disaster assistance, more than half of which was spent for public assistance projects, such as repairs of damaged roads, government buildings, utilities, and hospitals. FEMA uses established criteria to determine whether to... |
Despite several revisions to schedule milestones since the program’s inception, the Chem-Demil Program still is unable to meet these milestones because of unanticipated delays. Most incineration sites have missed important milestones established in 2001. Delays at Anniston, Umatilla, and Pine Bluff have already resulte... | Since its inception in 1985,the Chemical Demilitarization (Chem-Demil) Program has been charged with destroying the nation's large chemical weapons stockpile. After years of planning and building new facilities, the program started destroying the stockpile in 1990. As of October 2003, the program had destroyed 26 perce... |
Both DB and DC plans operate in a voluntary system with tax incentives for employers to offer a plan and for employees to participate. In the past, DC plans, such as 401(k) plans, were supplemental to DB plans. However, over the past several decades, there has been a shift in pension plan coverage; the number of DC pla... | Over the past 25 years, the number of defined benefit (DB) plans has declined while the number of defined contribution (DC) plans has increased. Today, DC plans are the dominant type of employer-sponsored retirement plans, with more than 49 million U.S. workers participating in them. 401(k) plans currently cover over 8... |
Various laws and directives guide DHS’s role in critical infrastructure protection, including the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, the Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7, and most recently, Presidential Policy Directive/PPD-21, which was issued on February 12, 2013. Consistent with HSPD-7, which ... | In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread damage across multiple states. Further, threats to CI are not limited to natural disasters, as demonstrated by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2009, DHS initiated the RRAP, a voluntary program intended to assess regional resilience of CI. RRAP projects ... |
As has been reported by many researchers, some Gulf War veterans developed illnesses that could not be diagnosed or defined and for which other causes could not be specifically identified. These illnesses have been attributed to many sources, including a large number of unusual environmental hazards found in the Gulf. ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the procedures the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses to process Persian Gulf War undiagnosed illness claims. GAO found that: (1) before VA will provide benefits, veterans must provide it with evidence of a chronic disability and verifiable evidence of time lost f... |
The Privacy Rule addresses the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information and establishes individuals’ rights to obtain and control access to this information. Specifically, the rule covers “protected health information,” defined as individually identifiable health information that is transmitted or maintain... | Issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the Privacy Rule provided new protections regarding the confidentiality of health information and established new responsibilities for providers, health plans, and other entities to protect such information. GAO reviewed (1) the experience of... |
OPM and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) each play important roles in ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) in the federal workplace through their leadership and oversight of federal agencies. In their oversight roles, OPM and EEOC require federal agencies to analyze their workforces, and both a... | A diverse Senior Executive Service (SES), which generally represents the most experienced segment of the federal workforce, can be an organizational strength by bringing a wider variety of perspectives and approaches to policy development and implementation, strategic planning, problem solving, and decision making. In ... |
This section provides information on (1) the known health effects of lead in drinking water; (2) how water systems deliver drinking water to the public and where lead may be present; (3) the requirements of the LCR; (4) LCR data that states report to EPA; and (5) the roles of federal, state, and local entities in imple... | Drinking water contaminated with lead in Flint, Michigan, renewed awareness of the danger lead poses to the nation's drinking water supply. Lead exposure through drinking water is caused primarily by the corrosion of plumbing materials, such as pipes, that carry water from a water system to pipes in homes. EPA set nati... |
Following problems with reconstruction efforts in Iraq in the fall of 2003, an internal State report concluded that the U.S. government had no standing civilian capacity to plan, implement, or manage stabilization and reconstruction operations; and the United States had relied on ad hoc processes for planning and execu... | In 2004, the Department of State created the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization to coordinate U.S. planning and implementation of stabilization and reconstruction operations. In December 2005, President Bush issued National Security Presidential Directive 44 (NSPD-44), charging State with im... |
NNSA, a separately organized agency within DOE, is responsible for the management and security of the nation’s nuclear weapons, nonproliferation, and naval reactor programs. To conduct these activities, NNSA’s fiscal year 2005 request is about $9 billion, with about $6.6 billion targeted for nuclear weapons programs ma... | The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), is responsible for the management and security of the nation's nuclear weapons, nonproliferation, and naval reactor programs. NNSA oversees contractors that operate its facilities to ensure that act... |
DOD frequently purchases products that are not available in the commercial marketplace. For example, DOD awards contracts for the development or production of weapon systems including fighter aircraft, submarines, and radars. In these situations, DOD typically negotiates the price it will pay based on the cost to deliv... | DOD contractors are among the largest sponsors of defined benefit pension plans in the United States and factor pension costs into the price of DOD contracts. Since the 2008 market downturn, these pension costs have grown--thereby increasing DOD contract costs--and recent changes in rules for calculating pension costs ... |
FMCSA’s mission is to reduce injuries, fatalities, and the severity of crashes involving large commercial trucks and buses conducting interstate commerce. With more than 1,000 staff members at headquarters, 4 regional service centers, and 52 division offices (one in each state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico), FMCSA... | The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSA) mission is to ensure motor carriers operate safely in interstate commerce. FMCSA partners with state agencies to conduct a variety of motor carrier oversight activities, which are carried out by certified auditors, inspectors, and investigators. Some motor carri... |
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina dramatically illustrated the adverse consequences that can occur when the nation is unprepared to respond effectively to a catastrophic disaster. Emergency preparedness strengthens the nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or ... | Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive disaster in our nation's history and it highlighted gaps in preparedness for a catastrophic disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a component within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is the lead federal agency responsible for developing a national ... |
Enacted on February 17, 2009, to jump-start the economy and encourage long-term economic growth, the Recovery Act makes more than $780 billion available in supplemental appropriated funds to eligible state, local, and sometimes private recipients. These funds are intended to create and save jobs, spur economic activity... | To help prevent the substitution of federal funds for state, local, or private funds, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) contains maintenance of effort and similar provisions requiring that recipients maintain certain levels of spending for selected programs. This report provides informat... |
Explosives, like all hazardous materials (hazmat), are subject to regulations to ensure safe handling and transportation, among other things. Hazmat regulations are coordinated with international standards and generally govern the labeling, packaging, and transportation of hazmat in commerce. Explosives are one of nine... | Explosives accounted for 4 million of the total 2.6 billion tons of hazardous materials transported in the U.S. in 2012. DOT's PHMSA is responsible for regulating the transport of explosives, which includes classifying new explosives prior to transportation. The classification denotes the risk level and requirements, s... |
Located organizationally within the Department of the Treasury, the Office of Thrift Supervision through its five regional offices supervises 1,210 federal and state chartered savings institutions—commonly called thrifts—to maintain the safety, soundness, and viability of the industry. Thrifts primarily emphasize resid... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the progress being made by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) in ensuring that the more than 1,200 thrifts it oversees have adequately mitigated the risks associated with the year 2000 date change. GAO noted that: (1) the year 2000 problem poses a serious dilemma f... |
The distribution of food, including processing of food into different products, can be extensive and complex, with school districts receiving products from various sources. Once a food is produced by a particular company, it can travel to distributors, retailers, and/or processors before reaching schools. Sometimes lar... | Over the past few years, several food recalls, such as for beef and peanut products, have affected schools. It is especially important that recalls affecting schools be carried out efficiently and effectively because young children have a higher risk of complications from food-borne illnesses. GAO was asked to determin... |
Overall, NTSB has made progress in following leading management practices in the eight areas in which we made recommendations in 2006. Our recommendations are based on leading practices identified through our government wide work that are important for managing an agency. Although NTSB is a relatively small agency, suc... | The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) plays a vital role in advancing transportation safety by investigating accidents, determining their causes, issuing safety recommendations, and conducting safety studies. To support its mission, NTSB's training center provides training to NTSB investigators and others. It... |
DCIA was enacted by the Congress, in part, to collect nontax debts delinquent more than 180 days by referring such debts to Treasury or a Treasury-approved debt collection center for cross-servicing. FMS is the only Treasury-approved governmentwide debt collection center. After receiving a debt from a referring federal... | GAO has previously reviewed facets of Treasury's Financial Management Service's (FMS) cross-servicing efforts. These reviews did not include FMS's handling of nontax debts that were returned to FMS uncollected by its private collection agency (PCA) contractors because FMS officials did not consider the cross-servicing ... |
The implications of the current lack of clarity with regard to the term “significant impact” and the discretion that agencies have to define it were clearly illustrated in a report that we prepared for the Senate Committee on Small Business 2 years ago. One part of our report focused on a proposed rule that EPA publish... | The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) requires agencies to prepare an initial and a final regulatory flexibility analysis. The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA) seeks to strengthen RFA protections for small entities, and some of the act's requirements are built on "significant i... |
The Coast Guard is responsible for 11 statutory missions that are divided into non-homeland security and homeland security missions, as shown in table 1. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 requires that the authorities, functions, and capabilities of the Coast Guard to perform all of its missions be maintained intact an... | Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has been charged with expanded security-related missions. Constrained budgets in recent years have underscored the importance of ensuring that the Coast Guard has the proper mix of assets and that it can effectively allocate these assets to achieve ... |
The test results we received are misleading and of little or no practical use to consumers. Comparing results for 15 diseases, we made the following observations: (1) each donor’s factual profile received disease risk predictions that varied across all four companies, indicating that identical DNA can yield contradicto... | In 2006, GAO investigated companies selling direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests and testified that these companies made medically unproven disease predictions. Although new companies have since been touted as being more reputable--Time named one company's test 2008's "invention of the year"--experts remain concerned... |
The focus of patent examination is to determine whether the invention in a patent application satisfies the legal requirements for a patent, including that the invention be novel and not obvious. As shown in figure 1, USPTO’s patent examination process involves a variety of steps, at least one of which includes prior a... | USPTO examines patent applications to ensure that inventions are, among other requirements, novel and not obvious. USPTO patent examiners accomplish this by comparing applications to “prior art”—existing patents and applications in the United States and abroad, and nonpatent literature, such as scientific articles. Tho... |
Enlisted servicemembers can be separated from the military when they are found to be unsuitable for continued military service. According to DOD regulations, enlisted servicemembers can be separated for reasons such as misconduct, failure to overcome substance abuse, and certain mental health conditions, including a pe... | At DOD, a personality disorder can render a servicemember unsuitable for service. GAO was required to report on personality disorder separations and examined (1) the extent that selected military installations complied with DOD's separation requirements and (2) how DOD ensures compliance with these requirements. GAO re... |
Under the LLRW Policy Act of 1980, as amended, the federal government is responsible for the disposal of LLRW owned or generated by DOE. DOE defines LLRW as all radioactive waste that does not fall within other classifications, such as spent (used) nuclear fuel and other high-level waste. Mixed waste is LLRW with hazar... | In 2004, the Department of Energy (DOE) disposed of more than 378,000 cubic meters of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW)--contaminated building rubble, soil, and debris. In 2002, DOE directed its sites to use life-cycle cost analysis to manage LLRW. Life-cycle cost analysis examines the total cost of various options to... |
Missile defense is important because at least 25 countries now possess or are acquiring sophisticated missile technology that could be used to attack the United States, deployed troops, friends, and allies. MDA’s mission is to develop and field an integrated, layered BMDS capable of defending against enemy ballistic mi... | Over the next 5 years the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) expects to invest $49 billion in the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system's development and fielding. MDA's strategy is to field new capabilities in 2-year blocks. In January 2006, MDA initiated its second block--Block 2006--to protect against attacks from North ... |
In general, employee misclassification occurs when an employer improperly classifies a worker as an independent contractor instead of an employee. As we reported in 2006, the tests used to determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee are complex and differ from law to law. While laws vary in t... | When employers improperly classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees, those workers do not receive protections and benefits to which they are entitled, and the employers may fail to pay some taxes they would otherwise be required to pay. The Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (... |
The Olympic Games take place every 4 years, with the Winter and Summer Games alternating on a 2-year cycle. The Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (Amateur Sports Act), 36 U.S.C.§ 220501 et seq., which was originally enacted in 1978 as the Amateur Sports Act, gives the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) exclusive ju... | Since 1980, the Winter and Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted in the United States have increased in size and magnitude, as have the total direct costs to plan and stage them. The reported direct costs to plan and stage the games discussed in this report ranged from $363 million to more than $2.4 billion. Altho... |
A severe drought in many Western states set the stage for an early and intense fire season. By mid-June, several major fires were burning, including the Rodeo-Chediski Fire in Arizona and the Hayman Fire in Colorado. These fires siphoned both aerial and ground firefighting resources from the Pacific Northwest, includin... | In 2002, the United States experienced one of the worst wildland fire seasons in the past 50 years--almost 7 million acres burned. These fires included the largest and costliest fire in Oregon in the past century--the Biscuit Fire. Following a lightning storm, five fires were discovered in the Siskiyou National Forest ... |
DI and SSI provide cash benefits to people with long-term disabilities. While the definition of disability and the process for determining disability are the same for both programs, the programs were initially designed to serve different populations. The DI program, enacted in 1954, provides monthly cash benefits to di... | The number of people applying for benefits from the Social Security Administration's (SSA) two disability programs grew dramatically during the 1990s. As a result, the Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Programs began to experience huge backlogs of undecided claims. SSA has spent $39 million during the past... |
In October 1990, the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) was established by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Comptroller General of the United States to consider and recommend accounting standards to address the financial and budgetary inf... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed: (1) the status of the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to implement the new federal accounting standard for disclosure of liabilities, such as aircraft disposal; and (2) whether an estimate of the minimum disposal liability for aircraft, including the removal an... |
Artisanal and small-scale mining of gold in the DRC is a significant driver of the country’s economy. ASM gold mining in the DRC employs a large number of people, constitutes a potential major source of tax revenue, and represents a potential engine of development for the country, according to a 2015 study by USAID. Mo... | Over the past decade, the United States and the international community have sought to improve security in the DRC, the site of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. In the eastern DRC, armed groups have committed severe human rights abuses, including sexual violence, and reportedly profit from the exploitation... |
The military services have a long history of interoperability problems during joint operations. For example, the success of the Persian Gulf war in 1991—a major joint military operation—was hampered by a lack of basic interoperability. The current certification requirement was established to help address these problems... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) whether Department of Defense (DOD) organizations are complying with interoperability testing and certification requirements for command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) systems; and (2) what actions, if any, are needed to improve the cur... |
Various DOJ and federal judiciary stakeholders play key roles in the federal criminal justice process, and as such, they can also have key roles in considering whether to use incarceration alternatives for a given offender or inmate. For example, in the course of the federal criminal justice process, a U.S. attorney is... | Since 1980, the federal prison population increased from about 25,000 to almost 200,000, as of March 2016. In part to help reduce the size and related costs of the federal prison population, DOJ has taken steps to slow its growth by pursuing alternatives to incarceration at various stages of the criminal justice proces... |
DOD’s medical mission is twofold in that it maintains a readiness mission and a benefits mission. The readiness mission requires DOD to maintain the needed availability of its uniformed medical personnel in order to support the armed forces during military operations. The benefits mission provides servicemembers, retir... | Military medical personnel, who are essential to maintaining one of the largest and most complex health systems in the nation, are in great demand due to the need to treat injured or ill servicemembers, and advances in technology that require specialized personnel. To determine how well the Department of Defense (DOD) ... |
A dominant theme of the commercial airline industry in the United States and the EU in the past 2 decades has been one of decreased government economic regulation. This development began in the United States with passage of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, phasing out federal regulation of rates, routes, and servi... | Transatlantic airline operations between the United States and European Union (EU) nations are currently governed by bilateral agreements that are specific to the United States and each EU country. Since 1992, the United States has signed so-called "Open Skies" agreements with 15 of the 25 EU countries. A "nationality ... |
The Army Guard is the oldest component of any of the uniformed services. It traces its roots to the colonial militia, and claims a “birth”of 1636. Today, the Army Guard exists in 54 locations that include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three territories: Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. There ar... | In light of the recent mobilizations associated with the war on terrorism and homeland security, GAO was asked to determine if controls used to pay mobilized Army Guard personnel provided assurance that such pays were accurate and timely. GAO's audit used a case study approach to focus on controls over three key areas:... |
In 1972, Congress passed FACA in response to a concern that federal advisory committees were proliferating without adequate review, oversight, or accountability. FACA states that Congress intended that the number of advisory committees be kept to the minimum necessary, and that the advisory committees operate under uni... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether the General Services Administration (GSA), through its Committee Management Secretariat, was carrying out its oversight responsibilities under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), focusing on whether GSA had: (1) ensured that federal advisory committees we... |
FERSA created TSP to provide options for retirement planning and encourage personal retirement saving among the federal workforce. Most federal workers are allowed to participate in TSP, which is available to federal and postal employees, including members of Congress and congressional employees and members of the unif... | Socially responsible investmentinvestment made on the basis of environmental, social, religious, or corporate governance criteria in U.S.-based mutual funds exceeded $300 billion in value in 2010. TSPa $308 billion retirement plan with more than 4.5 million participantscurrently offers five distinct low-cost invest... |
In the 1990s, Congress and the executive branch laid out a statutory and management framework that provides the foundation for strengthening government performance and accountability, with GPRA as its centerpiece. GPRA is a continuation of more than 50 years of efforts to link resources with results. These management r... | Since the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) was enacted in 1993, federal agencies increasingly have been expected to link strategic plans and budget structures with program results. The current administration has taken several steps to strengthen and further the performance-resource linkage by making budget... |
The TANF and CCDF programs are two of the nation’s key federal programs for assisting needy families with children and are an important component of states’ social services networks. These two programs each consist of more than 50 distinct state-level programs—one for each state, the District of Columbia, four territor... | Minimizing improper payments is important given the dollar magnitude of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) programs--about $34 billion in federal and state funds expended annually. These block grants support millions of low-income families with cash assistance,... |
Faced with a goal of increasing the Department’s investments in modernization without increasing overall defense budgets, DOD has recently focused on the cost of support operations and their associated infrastructure, with the objective of finding ways to provide required support resources and capability at reduced cos... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the basis for the Defense Science Board's (DSB) estimate that the Department of Defense (DOD) could potentially save $6 billion annually by reducing its logistics infrastructure costs within the continental United States, focusing on: (1) the opportunities for logistics... |
As shown in figure 1, resilience is a concept that has gained increasing attention for its potential to decrease disaster losses. FEMA, a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), leads the federal effort to mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters, both natural and man-made. Major disaster declar... | The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 appropriated about $50 billion for recovery from Hurricane Sandy, part of which was intended for disaster resilience and hazard mitigation. In March 2015, GAO identified the cost of disasters as a key source of federal fiscal exposure. GAO and others have advocated hazard ... |
Agencies implement specific elements of laws through regulations. One of the main purposes of guidance is to explain and help regulated parties comply with agency regulations. As shown in figure 1, agencies use guidance documents to explain how they plan to interpret regulations. Agencies also use guidance for circumst... | Agencies rely on guidance to clarify regulatory text or statutes, to respond to the questions of affected parties in a timely way, and to inform the public about complex policy implementation topics. Unlike regulations, guidance is not legally binding. GAO was asked to examine guidance processes at four departments. Th... |
The Department of Defense (DOD) operates a worldwide logistics system to buy, store, and distribute inventory items. Traditionally, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) buys and stores consumable items (such as food, clothing, and hardware supplies) in large quantities until they are needed by the military services. Face... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to adopt best inventory management practices, focusing on: (1) whether DOD has adopted the specific practices recommended for consumable items; (2) the savings and benefits being achieved through the use of these practices; and ... |
In the absence of international cash donation management policies, procedures, and plans, DOS developed an ad hoc process to manage the cash donations flowing to the U.S. government from other countries for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. By September 21, about $115 million had been received and as of December 31, 20... | In response to Hurricane Katrina, countries and organizations donated to the United States government cash and in-kind donations, including foreign military assistance. The National Response Plan establishes that the Department of State (DOS) is the coordinator of all offers of international assistance. The Federal Eme... |
OSHA is responsible for protecting the safety and health of the nation’s workers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act). OSHA sets and directly enforces occupational safety and health standards for the private sector in about half the states. Occupational safety and health standards are a type o... | Workplace violence is a serious concern for the approximately 15 million health care workers in the United States. OSHA is the federal agency responsible for protecting the safety and health of the nation's workers, although states may assume responsibility under an OSHA-approved plan. OSHA does not require employers t... |
TSA has various processes for receiving and addressing air passenger complaints about the screening systems, procedures, and personnel at airport security checkpoints. Specifically, several TSA headquarters units and local TSA airport staff have responsibility and processes for receiving and addressing these complaints... | TSA, which screens or oversees the screening of over 650 million air passengers per year, has processes for addressing complaints about air passengers screening experience at checkpoints, but concerns have been raised about these processes. The Conference Report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012, ... |
For audit purposes, IRS splits large corporations (those reporting $10 million or more in gross assets) into two groups. Of the 46,700 large corporations in 1994, IRS placed about 1,700 corporations, usually exceeding $250 million in assets, into CEP. IRS audits the large corporations not in CEP (hereafter referred to ... | GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) program to audit the tax returns of about 45,000 large corporations that are not in the Coordinated Examination Program (CEP), focusing on factors that contributed to the assessment rate and audit results. GAO noted that: (1) IRS invested 25 percent more hours in audits... |
According to the State Department, no country in the world poses a more immediate narcotics threat to the United States than Mexico. Estimates indicate that up to 70 percent of the more than 300 tons of cocaine that entered the United States in 1994 came through Mexico. In March 1996, the State Department reported that... | GAO discussed counternarcotics activities in Mexico, focusing on: (1) the nature of the drug-trafficking threat from Mexico; (2) Mexican government efforts to counter drug-trafficking activities; and (3) recent initiatives by the United States and Mexico to increase counternarcotics activities. GAO noted that: (1) U.S.... |
In recent years, agencies have increasingly placed orders against existing contracts that have been awarded by another agency to save time and administrative effort. Rather than going through the often lengthy process involved in awarding a new contract for services—soliciting offers, evaluating proposals, and awarding... | In recent years, federal agencies have increasingly turned to interagency contracts--where one agency, for example, places an order under an existing contract for another agency--as a way to streamline the procurement process. Interagency contracting can offer benefits of improved efficiency, but this approach needs to... |
Our federal tax system relies on voluntary compliance with tax laws. It presumes that taxpayers understand the laws and are willing and able to follow them. If not, IRS must determine the reason and then act to restore compliance and maintain the flow of tax revenue. IRS traditionally has responded to noncompliance by ... | GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) tax compliance research program, focusing on: (1) the success IRS has had with its new research approach; and (2) IRS ability to implement lessons learned from its Compliance 2000 initiative. GAO found that: (1) IRS implemented its new compliance research approach to ad... |
This section provides context for understanding the history and use of congressional direction for appropriated funds. It traces the development of authority for congressional direction of funds from the U.S. Constitution to the current focus on reducing the number and amount of earmarks in appropriations legislation. ... | In recent years, congressional concern and public debate have increased about the nature and growing number of earmarks. This report seeks to provide Congress and the public with an understanding of how agencies respond to congressional funding directions by examining how selected executive branch agencies translate th... |
As economic activities become more integrated and globalized, foreign trade has become increasingly important to the U.S. economy.According to DOT, recent projections indicate foreign trade may reach 35 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 and potentially grow to 60 percent of GDP by 2030. As the ty... | The MTS is integral to the efficient movement of the nation's freight. The MTS includes navigable waterways, ports, and port connectors, such as roads and railways that provide access to the Interstate highway system and the national rail network. According to DOT, approximately 90 percent of America's overseas imports... |
Since 1955, the executive branch has encouraged federal agencies to obtain commercially available goods and services from the private sector when the agencies determine that such action is cost-effective. OMB formalized the policy in its Circular A-76, issued in 1966. In 1979, OMB supplemented the circular with a handb... | The Commercial Activities Panel is a congressionally mandated panel to study and make recommendations for improving the policies and procedures governing the transfer of commercial activities from government to contractor personnel. The growing controversy surrounding competitions, under the Office of Management and Bu... |
Security clearances are required for access to certain national security information, which is classified at one of three levels: top secret, secret, or confidential. The level of classification denotes the degree of protection required for information and the amount of damage that unauthorized disclosure could reasona... | Security clearances allow personnel access to classified information that, through unauthorized disclosure, can, in some cases, cause exceptionally grave damage to U.S. national security. In 2011, the DNI reported that over 4.8 million federal government and contractor employees held or were eligible for a clearance. T... |
Academic and government research has highlighted the crucial importance of a skilled workforce to the nation’s economy. This research has also suggested that the training being provided to current and future workers may not be sufficient to ensure a workforce with the skills necessary for fostering economic growth and ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed small business employers' participation in federal training programs, focusing on: (1) the extent of their participation; (2) barriers that limit their participation; and (3) options for overcoming those barriers. GAO found that: (1) small businesses are less likely to ... |
Both the UN and United States have a long history of peace support operations upon which to base cost estimates. The UN has carried out 60 peacekeeping missions worldwide since 1948. For each mission, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) prepares a budget, which is reviewed in detail at high levels of UN... | The UN employs about 85,000 military and civilian personnel in peacekeeping operations in 16 countries. The United States has provided about $1 billion annually to support UN peacekeeping operations. In addition, the United States has led and participated in many such operations. UN reports and congressional hearings h... |
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.