General Accounting Office Reports & Testimony back issues from Saturday, March 1:
National Flood Insurance Program: Greater Transparency and Oversight of Wind and Flood Damage Determinations Are Needed.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-28 December 28, 2007 Disputes between policyholders and insurers after the 2005 hurricane season highlight the challenges in understanding the cause and extent of damages when properties are subjected to both high winds and flooding. Questions remain over the adequacy of ...
GAO Performance and Accountability Highlights: Fiscal Year 2007.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-2SP January 2, 2008 This report presents the highlights of GAO's fiscal year 2007 Performance and Accountability Report. In fiscal year 2007 we exceeded the targets for five of our six key performance measures--financial benefits, nonfinancial benefits, past ...
Border Security: Despite Progress, Weaknesses in Traveler Inspections Exist at Our Nation's Ports of Entry.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-329T January 3, 2008 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for keeping terrorists and other dangerous people from entering the country while also facilitating the cross-border movement of millions of travelers. CBP carries out this responsibility at 326 ...
Freight Transportation: National Policy and Strategies Can Help Improve Freight Mobility.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-287 January 7, 2008 Continued development and efficient performance of the nation's freight transportation system is vital to maintaining a strong U.S. economy and sustaining our nation's competitive position in the global economy. Yet, increasing congestion on our ...
Information Security: IRS Needs to Address Pervasive Weaknesses.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-211 January 8, 2008 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) relies extensively on computerized systems to carry out its demanding responsibilities to collect taxes (about $2.7 trillion in fiscal year 2007), process tax returns, and enforce the nation's tax laws. Effective ...
Federal-Aid Highways: Increased Reliance on Contractors Can Pose Oversight Challenges for Federal and State Officials.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-198 January 8, 2008 Pressure on state and local governments to deliver highway projects and services, and limits on the ability of state departments of transportation (state DOT) to increase staff levels have led those departments to contract out a variety of highway ...
Audits of Public Companies: Continued Concentration in Audit Market for Large Public Companies Does Not Call for Immediate Action.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-163 January 9, 2008 GAO has prepared this report under the Comptroller General's authority as part of a continued effort to assist Congress in reviewing concentration in the market for public company audits. The small number of large international accounting firms ...
Audits of Public Companies: Survey of Public Accounting Firms and Public Companies (GAO-08-164SP, January 2008), an E-supplement to GAO-08-163.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-164SP January 9, 2008 This document presents the results of GAO's survey of accounting firms that perform public company audits and GAO's survey of public companies. The purpose of the accounting firm survey was to obtain firms' views on their plans regarding engagements ...
Los Alamos National Laboratory: Information on Security of Classified Data, Nuclear Material Controls, Nuclear and Worker Safety, and Project Management Weaknesses.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-173R January 10, 2008 The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which is operated by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), is responsible for, among other things, designing nuclear weapons. Over the past decade, we have documented numerous security, ...
Hydrogen Fuel Initiative: DOE Has Made Important Progress and Involved Stakeholders but Needs to Update What It Expects to Achieve by Its 2015 Target.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-305 January 11, 2008 The United States consumes more than 20 million barrels of oil each day, two-thirds of which is imported, leaving the nation vulnerable to rising prices. Oil combustion produces emissions linked to health problems and global warming. In January 2003, ...
Defense Acquisitions: Departmentwide Direction Is Needed for Implementation of the Anti-tamper Policy.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-91 January 11, 2008 The Department of Defense (DOD) invests billions of dollars on sophisticated weapon systems and technologies. These may be at risk of exploitation when exported, stolen, or lost during combat or routine missions. In an effort to minimize this risk, DOD ...
Aviation Weather: FAA Is Reevaluating Services at Key Centers; Both FAA and the National Weather Service Need to Better Ensure Product Quality.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-258 January 11, 2008 The National Weather Service's (NWS) weather products are a vital component of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control system. In addition to providing aviation weather products developed at its own facilities, NWS also ...
Iraq Reconstruction: Better Data Needed to Assess Iraq's Budget Execution.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-153 January 15, 2008 The President's New Way Forward in Iraq identified Iraq's inability to spend its resources to rebuild infrastructure and deliver essential services as a critical economic challenge to Iraq's self-reliance. Further, Iraq's ability to spend its $10.1 ...
Export Promotion: Export-Import Bank Has Met Target for Small Business Financing Share.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-419T January 17, 2008 The Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) provides loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to support U.S. exports. Its level of support for small business has been a long-standing issue of congressional interest. In 2002, Congress increased the proportion of ...
Military Personnel: The DOD and Coast Guard Academies Have Taken Steps to Address Incidents of Sexual Harassment and Assault, but Greater Federal Oversight Is Needed.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-296 January 17, 2008 Incidents of sexual harassment and assault contradict the academies' core values to treat all with dignity and respect. Yet, since 2003, each of the Department of Defense (DOD) academies and the Coast Guard Academy has experienced at least one ...
HUD and Treasury Programs: More Information on Leverage Measures' Accuracy and Linkage to Program Goals Is Needed in Assessing Performance.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-136 January 18, 2008 This is the second of two reports on the leveraging of federal funds in housing and community and economic development programs. Leveraging involves using a source of funds to attract other funds or combining multiple sources of funds. This report ...
Bilingual Voting Assistance: Selected Jurisdictions' Strategies for Identifying Needs and Providing Assistance.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-182 January 18, 2008 The Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, contains, among other things, provisions designed to protect the voting rights of U.S. citizens of certain ethnic groups whose command of the English language may be limited. The Department of Justice (DOJ) ...
Entitlement Reform Process: Other Countries' Experiences Provide Useful Insights for the United States.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-372 January 18, 2008 Looking to the future, our nation faces large and growing structural deficits and escalating federal debt due primarily to rising health care costs and known demographic trends. Slowing the growth of entitlements is an essential part of the solution ...
Embassy Security: Upgrades Have Enhanced Security, but Site Conditions Prevent Full Adherence to Standards.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-162 January 18, 2008 Following the 1998 embassy bombings, the Department of State (State) determined that more than 85 percent of diplomatic facilities did not meet security standards and were vulnerable to terrorist attacks. State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings ...
Defense Infrastructure: Realignment of Air Force Special Operations Command Units to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-244R January 18, 2008 In September 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommended closing Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, unless a new mission for the base could be identified by December 31, 2009. In June 2006, the Department of Defense (DOD) ...
Forest Service: Better Planning, Guidance, and Data Are Needed to Improve Management of the Competitive Sourcing Program.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-195 January 22, 2008 Competitive sourcing is aimed at promoting competition between federal employees and the private sector as a way to improve government operations. Key work activities--those that are either inherently governmental or core to the agency's mission--are ...
State and Local Governments: Growing Fiscal Challenges Will Emerge during the Next 10 Years.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-317 January 22, 2008 State and local governments provide an array of services to their residents, such as primary and secondary education, libraries, police and fire services, social programs, roads and other infrastructure, public colleges and universities, and more ....
Medicare Part D: Plan Sponsors' Processing and CMS Monitoring of Drug Coverage Requests Could Be Improved.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-47 January 22, 2008 Under the Medicare Part D program, prescription drug coverage is provided through plans sponsored by private companies. Beneficiaries, their appointed representatives, or physicians can ask sponsors to cover prescriptions restricted under their plan--a ...
September 11: Improvements Still Needed in Availability of Health Screening and Monitoring Services for Responders outside the New York City Area.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-429T January 22, 2008 Six years after the attack on the World Trade Center (WTC), concerns persist about health effects experienced by WTC responders and the availability of health care services for those affected. Several federally funded programs provide screening, ...
Defense Logistics: The Army Needs to Implement an Effective Management and Oversight Plan for the Equipment Maintenance Contract in Kuwait.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-316R January 22, 2008 The Department of Defense (DOD) relies on contractors to perform many of the functions needed to support troops in deployed locations. For example, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait the Army uses contractors to provide logistics support for operations in Iraq ...
Great Lakes Initiative: EPA and States Have Made Progress, but Much Remains to Be Done If Water Quality Goals Are to Be Achieved.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-312T January 23, 2008 Millions of people in the United States and Canada depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation, and economic livelihood. During the 1970s, it became apparent that pollutants discharged into the Great Lakes Basin from point sources, such ...
Improper Payments: Federal Executive Branch Agencies' Fiscal Year 2007 Improper Payment Estimate Reporting.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-377R January 23, 2008 In the fourth year of implementation of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA), major executive branch agencies reported a total improper payment estimate of about $55 billion for fiscal year 2007. This increase from the prior year ...
Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE Needs to Reassess Its Program to Assist Weapons Scientists in Russia and Other Countries.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-434T January 23, 2008 During the decades before its dissolution, the Soviet Union produced a cadre of scientists and engineers whose knowledge and expertise could be invaluable to countries or terrorist groups trying to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD). After the ...
Bankruptcy and Child Support Enforcement: Improved Information Sharing Possible without Routine Data Matching.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-100 January 23, 2008 Recognizing the importance of child support, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 requires that if a parent with child support obligations files for bankruptcy, a bankruptcy trustee must notify the relevant custodial ...
Hedge Funds: Regulators and Market Participants Are Taking Steps to Strengthen Market Discipline, but Continued Attention Is Needed.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-200 January 24, 2008 Since the 1998 near collapse of Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM), a large hedge fund--a pooled investment vehicle that is privately managed and often engages in active trading of various types of securities and commodity futures and options--the ...
Federal Real Property: Strategy Needed to Address Agencies' Long-standing Reliance on Costly Leasing.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-197 January 24, 2008 In January 2003, GAO designated federal real property as a high-risk area, citing the government's overreliance on costly, long-term leasing as one of the major reasons. GAO's work over the years has shown that building ownership often costs less than ...
United Nations: Management Reforms and Operational Issues.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-246T January 24, 2008 Longstanding problems in United Nations (UN) management underscore the pressing need to reform and modernize the United Nations in areas ranging from management, oversight, and accountability to operational activities in specific countries. The ...
Military Operations: Implementation of Existing Guidance and Other Actions Needed to Improve DOD's Oversight and Management of Contractors in Future Operations.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-436T January 24, 2008 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 ...
Supply Chain Security: Examinations of High-Risk Cargo at Foreign Seaports Have Increased, but Improved Data Collection and Performance Measures Are Needed.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-187 January 25, 2008 Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Container Security Initiative (CSI) aims to identify and examine high-risk U.S.-bound cargo at foreign seaports. GAO reported in 2003 and 2005 that CSI helped to enhance homeland security, and recommended actions ...
Information Security: Protecting Personally Identifiable Information.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-343 January 25, 2008 The loss of personally identifiable information can result in substantial harm, embarrassment, and inconvenience to individuals and may lead to identity theft or other fraudulent use of the information. As shown in prior GAO reports, compromises to ...
VA and DOD Health Care: Administration of DOD's Post-Deployment Health Reassessment to National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers and VA's Interaction with DOD.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-181R January 25, 2008 Congress's long-standing interest in health care services for servicemembers returning from deployment has grown regarding National Guard and Reserve servicemembers because they are being activated in numbers not seen since World War II. For ...
Defense Contracting: Contract Risk a Key Factor in Assessing Excessive Pass-Through Charges.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-269 January 25, 2008 One-third of the Department of Defense's (DOD) fiscal year 2006 spending on goods and services was for subcontracts. Concerns have been raised among DOD auditors and Congress about the potential for excessive pass- through charges by contractors that ...
Federal Oversight of Food Safety: FDA's Food Protection Plan Proposes Positive First Steps, but Capacity to Carry Them Out Is Critical.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-435T January 29, 2008 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of roughly 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, including $417 billion worth of domestic food and $49 billion in imported food annually. The recent outbreaks of E. coli in ...
Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: Action Is Needed to Avoid the Possibility of a Serious Economic Disruption in the Future.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-411T January 29, 2008 GAO has for many years warned that our nation is on an imprudent and unsustainable fiscal path. During the past 3 years, the Comptroller General has traveled to 25 states as part of the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour. Members of this diverse group of policy ...
Medical Devices: Challenges for FDA in Conducting Manufacturer Inspections.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-428T January 29, 2008 As part of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) oversight of the safety and effectiveness of medical devices marketed in the United States, it inspects domestic and foreign establishments where these devices are manufactured. To help FDA address ...
State and Local Government Retiree Benefits: Current Funded Status of Pension and Health Benefits.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-223 January 29, 2008 Pension and other retiree benefits for state and local government employees represent liabilities for state and local governments and ultimately a burden for state and local taxpayers. Since 1986, accounting standards have required state and local ...
Convicted Sex Offenders: Factors That Could Affect the Successful Implementation of Driver's License-Related Processes to Encourage Registration and Enhance Monitoring.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-116 January 30, 2008 To enhance public safety, all states have laws requiring convicted sex offenders to register with law enforcement authorities. Because ensuring compliance is a challenge, in part because offenders may move frequently, policy makers are considering a ...
Global War on Terrorism: Reported Obligations for the Department of Defense.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-423R January 30, 2008 Since 2001, Congress has provided the Department of Defense (DOD) with hundreds of billions of dollars in supplemental and annual appropriations for military operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). DOD's reported annual ...
Congressional Directives: Selected Agencies' Processes for Responding to Funding Instructions.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-209 January 31, 2008 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 ...
Nuclear Security: Action May Be Needed to Reassess the Security of NRC-Licensed Research Reactors.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-403 January 31, 2008 There are 37 research reactors in the United States, mostly located on college campuses. Of these, 33 reactors are licensed and regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Four are operated by the Department of Energy (DOE) and are located ...
Improper Payments: Status of Agencies' Efforts to Address Improper Payment and Recovery Auditing Requirements.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-438T January 31, 2008 The federal government is accountable for how its agencies and grantees spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars and is responsible for safeguarding those funds against improper payments and recouping those funds when improper payments occur ....
Elderly Voters: Some Improvements in Voting Accessibility from 2000 to 2004 Elections, but Gaps in Policy and Implementation Remain.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-442T January 31, 2008 Voting is fundamental to our democratic system, and federal law generally requires polling places for federal elections to be accessible to older voters and voters with physical disabilities. Following reports of problems encountered in the close ...
Office of Personnel Management: Improvements Needed to Ensure Successful Retirement Systems Modernization.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-345 January 31, 2008 Through its Retirement Systems Modernization (RSM) program, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is modernizing the paper intensive processes and antiquated information systems it uses to support the retirement of civilian federal employees. RSM ...
Military Readiness: Navy Is Making Progress Implementing Its Fleet Response Plan, but Has Not Fully Developed Goals, Measures, and Resource Needs.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-264 February 1, 2008 The Navy initiated its Fleet Response Plan (FRP) in March 2003 as a critical enabler to help meet the new demands of the twenty-first century security environment. FRP represents a major change in the way the Navy manages its forces, and is intended ...
Best Practices: Increased Focus on Requirements and Oversight Needed to Improve DOD's Acquisition Environment and Weapon System Quality.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-294 February 1, 2008 A Senate report related to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 asked GAO to compare quality management practices used by the Department of Defense (DOD) and its contractors to those used by leading commercial companies and make ...
Transmission Lines: Issues Associated with High-Voltage Direct-Current Transmission Lines along Transportation Rights of Way.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-347R February 1, 2008 Electricity is central to the national economy and the daily lives of many Americans, powering homes, businesses, and industries. Today, an extensive system consisting of more than 150,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines works to provide ...
Federal Land Management: Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Restrictions and Management Weaknesses Limit Future Sales and Acquisitions.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-196 February 5, 2008 The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service manage about 628 million acres of public land, mostly in the 11 ...
Immigration Benefits: Internal Controls for Adjudicating Humanitarian Parole Cases Are Generally Effective, but Some Can Be Strengthened.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-282 February 6, 2008 The Immigration and Nationality Act requires that most visitors and immigrants to the United States obtain a visa. Aliens unable to obtain a visa, and with a compelling humanitarian need, may apply to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be ...
Surface Transportation: Preliminary Observations on Efforts to Restructure Current Program.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-478T February 6, 2008 The nation has reached a critical juncture with its current surface transportation policies and programs. Demand has outpaced the capacity of the system, resulting in increased congestion. In addition, without significant changes in funding ...
Financial Services Industry: Overall Trends in Management-Level Diversity and Diversity Initiatives, 1993-2006.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-445T February 7, 2008 As the U.S. workforce has become increasingly diverse, many private and public sector organizations have recognized the importance of recruiting and retaining minority and women candidates for key positions. However, previous congressional hearings ...
Capitol Visitor Center: Update on Status of Project's Schedule and Cost as of February 7, 2008.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-475T February 7, 2008 Today's remarks are based on our review of schedules and financial reports for the CVC project and related records maintained by AOC and its construction management contractor, Gilbane Building Company; our observations on the progress of work at the ...
Department of Homeland Security: Status and Accountability Challenges Associated with the Use of Special DHS Acquisition Authority.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-471T February 7, 2008 Other transaction authority was created to enhance the federal government's ability to acquire cutting-edge science and technology by attracting nontraditional contractors that have not typically pursued government contracts. The Homeland Security ...
Defense Acquisitions: DOD's Practices and Processes for Multiyear Procurement Should Be Improved.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-298 February 7, 2008 DOD spends $10 billion annually on multiyear procurement (MYP) contracts for weapons systems. MYPs may save money through more efficient relationships with suppliers and producers, but may also suffer losses if cancelled and can limit future budget ...
Defense Business Transformation: Sustaining Progress Requires Continuity of Leadership and an Integrated Approach.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-462T February 7, 2008 The Department of Defense (DOD) has stewardship over an unprecedented amount of taxpayer money--with about $546 billion in discretionary budget authority provided thus far in fiscal year 2008, and total reported obligations of about $492 billion to ...
Federal Aviation Administration: Challenges Facing the Agency in Fiscal Year 2009 and Beyond.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-460T February 7, 2008 Fiscal year 2009 will be a critical year for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with the pending selection of a new Administrator, the beginning of the 5-year term of the new Chief Operating Officer, and the continuing process of transforming ...
Elections: Results of GAO's Testing of Voting Systems Used in Sarasota County in Florida's 13th Congressional District.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-425T February 8, 2008 In November 2006, about 18,000 undervotes were reported in Sarasota County in the race for Florida's 13th Congressional District (Florida-13). After the election results were contested in the House of Representatives, the task force unanimously voted ...
VA Health Care: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Screening and Evaluation Implemented for OEF/OIF Veterans, but Challenges Remain.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-276 February 8, 2008 Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has emerged as a leading injury among servicemembers serving in the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) combat theaters. The widespread use of improvised explosive devices, such as roadside ...
Homeland Security: Preliminary Observations on the Federal Protective Service's Efforts to Protect Federal Property.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-476T February 8, 2008 In 2003, the Federal Protective Service (FPS) was transferred from the General Services Administration (GSA) to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is currently tasked with providing physical security and law enforcement services to about ...
Defense Logistics: Army Has Not Fully Planned or Budgeted for the Reconstitution of Its Afloat Prepositioned Stocks.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-257R February 8, 2008 At various stages throughout the current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has withdrawn equipment from its stored, or prepositioned, stock sets around the world, as well as from its afloat stocks, thus depleting a large portion of its ...
Military Personnel: Guidance Needed for Any Future Conversions of Military Medical Positions to Civilian Positions.
Mar 01, 2008 ... GAO-08-370R February 8, 2008 Since September 11, 2001, the high pace of military operations has placed significant stress on U.S. operating forces. In late 2003, the Department of Defense (DOD) reported that several studies had found that tens of thousands of military personnel ...