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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 14, 2022: Trends in Acute Hepatitis of Unspecified Etiology and Adenovirus Stool Testing Results in Children -- United States, 2017-2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This [name of series] issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Trends in Acute Hepatitis of Unspecified Etiology and Adenovirus Stool Testing Results in Children - United States, 2017-2022"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-06-14
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Political Situation in Lebanon: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session, April 18, 2007
Gary Ackerman: "Only a year ago, Syrian President Assad was answering questions posed by the Chief U.N. Investigator. The new Government of Lebanon, led by the March 14 movement with a majority of 72 out of 128 seats, was, if not gaining strength, at least gaining its sea legs, and working to build a consensus on the most difficult and divisive issues in Lebanon. But over the summer of 2006, Lebanon's hopes were nearly extinguished due to the war initiated by Hezbollah's unprovoked cross-border aggression against Israel. Though power in Beirut had shifted, Iranian and Syrian ambitions had not been extinguished; and Hezbollah, that terrorist attack dog, was more than ready to plunge Lebanon into a war for the sake of its own greater glory and thirst for political power. Yet again, Lebanese interests were sacrificed in a gamble on violence. And yet again, it is the ordinary people of Lebanon who came out the losers. The summer was materially devastating for Lebanon, but the damage to Lebanon's democracy remains to this day unhealed. Beginning in December of last year and continuing to this day, Hezbollah and other pro-Syrian forces within Lebanon have been engaged in an extra-legal attempt to bring down the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora through massive street protests and targeted acts of violence. The proximate cause was the Lebanese Government's decision not to shield the Assad regime in Syria, and to support the International Tribunal investigating the death of Rafiq Hariri." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: C. David Welch, Mark Ward, and Mike Pence.
United States. Government Printing Office
2007
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Boko Haram: The Growing Threat to Schoolgirls, Nigeria, and Beyond: Hearing Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, May 21, 2014
This is from the May 21, 2014 hearing titled "Boko Haram: The Growing Threat to Schoolgirls, Nigeria, and Beyond" held before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. From the statement of Sarah Sewall, "Over a month ago the world was outraged when Boko Haram kidnapped some 250 young women from a secondary school in Chibok, and the United States swiftly joined the effort to help the Government of Nigeria safely recover the hostages. President Obama pledged our full support, and President Goodluck Jonathan readily accepted Secretary Kerry's offer of assistance. Today in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, a robust multidisciplinary team from the United States Government is working hand in hand with Nigerian counterparts and teams from half a dozen other countries, such as the United Kingdom and France. Our military and civilian experts in intelligence, military planning, hostage negotiations, strategic communications, civilian protection, and victim support have been given unprecedented access and cooperation to assist Nigeria's effort to safely recover the kidnapped schoolgirls. This effort, one that would be daunting for any government, will necessarily entail not just a diplomatic approach, but, also, law enforcement and diplomat--not just a military approach, but, also, a law enforcement and diplomatic effort." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Sarah Sewall and Amanda J. Dory.
United States. Government Printing Office
2014
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Transition at a Crossroads: Tunisia Three Years After the Revolution, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, December 4, 2013
This is the December 4, 2013 hearing on "Transition at a Crossroads: Tunisia Three Years After the Revolution" held before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. From the opening statement of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: "Three years ago this month, the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor would set in motion a series of events that would fundamentally change the political landscape of the entire Middle East and North Africa region--a period we now call the Arab Spring. Finally fed up with autocratic rule, with corruption, with a lack of basic freedoms, thousands of Tunisians took to the streets calling for democratic and social reforms and an end to the maligned 23 year rule of their leader. But though there has been some significant progress made since his ouster, there is still so much that needs to be done to meet the goals and the aspirations of the Tunisian people who began this process, as I said, 3 years ago. By most accounts, the Tunisians had a successful National Constituent Assembly election in October 2011, which brought a party into power together with the Tunisian two leading secularist parties. However, the newly formed government quickly ran into obstacles that it could not overcome and Tunisia's transition came to a grinding halt this summer when a prominent secular party member was assassinated." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Scott Mastic, Leslie Campbell, and Bill Sweeney.
United States. Government Printing Office
2014
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Halting the Descent: U.S. Policy Toward a Deteriorating Situation in Iraq, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, March 21, 2012
From the opening statement of Steve Chabot: "This hearing is being called to assess the current situation in Iraq and how U.S. policy should address it. Since the withdrawal of all U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq at the end of 2011, the situation on the ground has, in my view, degenerated significant, in no small part due to a sectarian political crisis which has been triggered by the actions of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Shortly after the last American convoy left Iraq, Maliki issued an arrest warrant for the Iraqi Vice President, Tareq al-Hashimi, currently the country's most senior Sunni official. This was followed by another provocative and divisive decision by Maliki to remove Saleh Mutlaq, Iraq's Sunni Deputy Prime Minister, without taking the appropriate constitutionally-mandated steps. Maliki's actions have been widely interpreted as part of a brazen effort to consolidate his power by weakening Sunni politicians whom he considers to be threats. […] For over 8 years, U.S. servicemen and women have labored in Iraq and sacrificed beyond comprehension to achieve real tangible gains. Despite this, Iraq remains in a precarious position, and it seems painfully clear to me, and to many analysts, that Iraq requires a greater American investment than this administration appears willing to make." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Steve Chabot, Jack Keane, James Dubik, Kimberly Kagan, and Colin H. Kahl.
United States. Government Printing Office
2012
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U.S.-Bolivia Relations: Looking Ahead, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, March 3, 2009
From the opening statement of Gene Green: "Last September President Morales expelled the U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, which we spent a great deal of time with, after accusing him of supporting opposition forces. I have to admit we also met with some of the prefects from the eastern part of the country while we were there. Then in November, President Morales announced an indefinite suspension of U.S. DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] operations in Bolivia after accusing DEA agents of espionage. In response to this, President Bush suspended the Bolivian Trade Preferences of the Andean Trade Preferences Program. Finally, just last month President Morales accused the CIA of infiltrating a Bolivian state oil company. The U.S. Embassy in Bolivia strongly denies this accusation. When President Obama was elected, President Morales indicated that he was open to improving relations with the U.S., but his actions and rhetoric seem to dictate otherwise." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Gene Green, Peter DeShazo, Kathryn Ledebur, Ivan Rebolledo, Jaime Daremblum, Marcos Iberkleid, and Eliot L. Engel.
United States. Government Printing Office
2009
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House Document 107-106: Periodic Report on the National Emergency with Respect to Terrorists Who Threaten to Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process
This report was sent by President George W. Bush to update the United States Congress on the national emergency with respect to terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process, as of July 23, 2001, in accordance with Section 401(c) of the National Emergencies Act and section 204(c) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. From the document: "The Executive orders demonstrate the United States' determination to confront and combat those who would seek to destroy the Middle East peace process and our commitment to the global fight against terrorism. I shall continue to exercise the powers at my disposal to apply economic sanctions against extremists seeking to destroy the hopes of peaceful coexistence between Arabs and Israelis as long as these measures are appropriate, and will continue to report periodically to the Congress on significant developments pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1703(c)."
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
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Energy Supply and Prices: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session, March 5, 2000
From the opening statement of Chairman Houghton: "The price of natural gas has increased four-fold--in fact, it has increased over seven-fold in some parts of the country. The price of home heating oil has nearly doubled. We simply can't have American families choosing between heating their homes and buying food and medicine. We have to find out where the tax code helps, where it causes problems, and whether it needs to be changed." This hearing examines the impact of Federal tax laws on the cost and supply of energy. The hearing focuses on (1) the adequacy of current tax incentives for production and conservation, (2) the causes of current shortages and high prices, and (3) the impact of shortages and high prices on individual consumers and business. Statements for the record include those of: Mark Glickman, Kim Rodgers, Michael Sopp, Helen D. Brown, David S. Hall, William J. Coyne, Jane Lew Dominion, Patricia Edison, Mildred C. Hall, Craig C. Goodman, Catharine M. Young, and Louise M. Slaughter.
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
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Assessing China's Role and Influence in Africa, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, March 29, 2012
From the opening statement of Christopher H. Smith: "Today's hearing focuses on U.S. policy regarding China's evolving role in Africa. China has become America's premier economic competitor in Africa, providing loans and making investments far beyond what the United States is currently prepared to provide. China has been engaged with African governments since the 1950s and has always portrayed itself as a fellow developing nation that was interested in solidarity with the prospective development partners. In reality, the Chinese Government always had plans to gain the support they hoped to create among the newly independent African governments. The stadiums, other buildings, and roads constructed by the Chinese were intended to build support for China among the African bloc of developing nations in its competition with the then-Soviet Union. Later, the goal was building support for the People's Republic of China, replacing Taiwan as the sole China in the United Nations. Now they no longer have to compete with the Soviet Union, and they have their seat on the U.N. Security Council, from where they protect dictators such as Omar al-Bashir and Robert Mugabe. So what is their aim in their African policy now? Is China a development partner for Africa? In 2005, the China Development Bank created a $1 billion Africa Trade and Investment Fund, but the trade and investment initiatives funded cannot take place without the significant involvement of Chinese suppliers. It is difficult to quantify Chinese development aid to Africa because they refuse to disclose how much aid and investment goes to specific countries, although we do know that Chinese investment in Africa is estimated to exceed $10 billion. Because the loan details are not open to public scrutiny, it is feared that these loans may pose a danger to the debt sustainability of African governments." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Christopher H. Smith, Donald Y. Yamamoto, Carolyn Bartholomew, J. Peter Pham, Stephen Hayes, David H. Shinn, and Russ Carnahan.
United States. Government Printing Office
2012
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Implications of U.S. Aircraft Sales to Iran, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, July 7, 2016
This is the July 7, 2016 hearing on "Implications of U.S. Aircraft Sales to Iran" held before the Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. From the opening statement of Bill Huizenga: "The U.S. State Department has consistently labeled Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, and in a report most recently released last month called Iran 'the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism.' In fact, Iran's state-owned national carrier, Iran Air, was sanctioned by Treasury in 2011 for transporting fighters and weapons of war on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Under the Iran Nuclear Deal, formerly referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Obama Administration agreed to authorize exports of commercial aircraft to the Islamic Republic of Iran while keeping all other existing trade restrictions in place. [...] Opponents of Boeing's deal with Iran point to the country's continued sponsorship of terrorism, the use of its financial sector for international money laundering, and its support of the Assad regime in Syria, which has committed atrocities over the course of a 5-year-long civil war. [...] Today's hearing will examine the Obama Administration's nuclear agreement with Iran and how it opened the door for the sale of American-made aircraft to the world's leading state sponsor of terror." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Mark Dubowitz, Eric Lorber, and Zachary K. Goldman.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018
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State of Affairs in the Balkans, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, November 15, 2011
From the opening statement of Dan Burton: "Last week, along with Congressman Poe and Congressman Rohrabacher, I visited Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. On this visit, we were able to see and hear many of the recent successes and ongoing issues in the region firsthand. While we were, unfortunately, unable to visit Montenegro last month, I had the privilege of meeting with the country's Prime Minister Igor Luksic on the day that the European Council announced its recommendation that Montenegro begin its secession talks. I would like to congratulate Montenegro on this achievement. I would also like to congratulate Croatia on completing its own EU secession talks earlier this year. It now looks more likely that Croatia will join the EU probably within the next 2 years. Serbia, too, deserves recognition for the progress that it has made over the last decade. Let us be clear, the Serbia of Milosevic is dead. Modern Serbia is a democratic country firmly on the path to European integration, and is an important U.S. partner in the Balkans. The Government of Serbia is committed to joining the EU and the larger transatlantic community. This commitment is visible in the Serbian Armed Forces, which has fully adopted NATO protocols and compatibility, an amazing achievement for a country that felt the full brunt of NATO airpower just over a decade ago." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Phil Gordon, Kurt Volker, Gerard M. Gallucci, Ivan Vejvoda, Dan Burton, and Gregory W. Meeks.
United States. Government Printing Office
2011
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Time to Pause the Reset? Defending U.S. Interests in the Face of Russian Aggression, Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, July 7, 2011
From the opening statement of Chairman Ros-Lehtinen: "The Obama administration came into office intending to 'reset' the U.S.-Russia relationship. Their assumption was that the Bush administration had needlessly antagonized Moscow with overly aggressive policies, and that a more conciliatory approach would produce Russian cooperation in a broad range of issues. To that end, the Obama administration has offered one concession after another, but the concrete results have been meager at best." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Ariel Cohen, Steve Sestanovich, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Katrina Lantos Swett, Christopher H. Smith, and Gerald E. Connolly.
United States. Government Printing Office
2011
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Why Taiwan Matters, Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, June 16, 2011
From the opening statement of Chairman Ros-Lehtinen: "Taiwan inspires all victims of Beijing's totalitarian oppression that they need not be faint of heart. It is for this very reason, this shining example of liberty, that the cynical old men who still rule in Beijing are so fearful of Taiwan. It is for this very reason that they strive to eliminate this beacon of democracy. And it is for this very reason that Congress, through the Taiwan Relations Act, must strive to help preserve a Taiwan that reflects the aspirations of its people." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: June Teufel Dreyer, Randall G. Schriver, Rupert J. Hammond-Chambers, Nancy Bernkopf Tucker, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Gerald E. Connolly, and Eni F.H. Faleomavaega.
United States. Government Printing Office
2011
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House Document 107-114: Continuation of Export Control Regulations: Communication from the President of the United States Transmitting Notification That He Has Exercised the Authority Granted to Him to Continue the System of Controls contained in 15 c.F.R. Parts 730-774 and Issued an Executive Order to Continue Export Control Regulations, Pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1703(b)
This report was sent by President George W. Bush to the Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert to notify the Congress that on August 17, 2001, he has "exercised the authority granted by [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] to continue in effect the system of controls contained in 15 C.F.R. Parts 730--774, including restrictions on participation by U.S. persons in certain foreign boycott activities." From the document: "In the absence of controls, foreign parties would have unrestricted access to U.S. commercial products, technology, and assistance, posing an unusual and extraordinary threat to national security, foreign policy, and economic objectives critical to the United States. In addition, U.S. persons would not be prohibited from complying with certain foreign boycott requests. This would seriously harm our foreign policy interests, particularly in the Middle East."
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
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Life in the Subduction Zone: The Recent Nisqually Quake and Federal Efforts to Reduce Earthquake Hazards: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, United States, House of Representatives, One Hundred and Seventh Congress, First Session, March 21, 2001
From the opening statement of Nick Smith: "At a little before 11 on the morning of February 28th, a large earthquake shook the Seattle, Washington, area, injuring 410 people and causing over $2 billion in damages. [...] The US Geological Survey indicates that 39 states are subject to serious earthquake risk, and 75 million people live in urban areas with moderate to high earthquake risk. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates annualized losses due to earthquakes in the U.S. at $4.4 billion. [...] In today's hearing we will hear how some of these programs had an impact before, during, and after the Nisqually earthquake, and how the lessons learned from the quake could help mitigate the effects of future quakes. In particular, I'm interested to learn about some of the new technologies-including more sensitive ground-based equipment and satellite-based sensors for monitoring fault movements-as well as efforts to provide real-time warnings or more accurate predictions of earthquakes." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Eddie Bernice Johnson, Brian Baird, John R. Filson, Priscilla P. Nelson, Stephen Palmer, M. Meghan Miller, Margaret Lawless, Valentin Shustov, and FEMA.
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
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Lebanon and Iraq: After the Elections, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, May 22, 2018
This document is the May 22, 2018 hearing titled "Lebanon and Iraq: After the Elections" before the House of Representatives, Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. From the opening statement of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: "This month's parliamentary elections in Lebanon and Iraq will have lasting implications not just for their citizens but for the interests of the United States and our allies throughout the Middle East, especially Israel. In Lebanon, Hezbollah and its allies have gained a majority in Parliament, increasing the Iranian influence and the control over Lebanon's Government. Many of us have been warning about Hezbollah's growing influence in Lebanon for quite a while now, suggesting that tough decisions needed to be made about U.S. assistance, including to the Lebanese Armed Forces, or the LAF." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Michael Doran, Danielle Pletka, and Tamara Cofman Wittes.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018
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Financial Regulatory Reform: Regulators Have Faced Challenges Finalizing Key Reforms and Unaddressed Areas Pose Potential Risks, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "The 2007-2009 financial crisis resulted in unprecedented government actions to respond to the unfolding turmoil in the markets, including providing capital to many financial institutions and government conservatorship for others. Although many factors likely contributed to the crisis, gaps and weaknesses in the supervision and regulation of the U.S. financial system generally played an important role. In recognition of the need to improve the regulation of financial markets and institutions to minimize the potential for future crises, in 2009 GAO [Government Accountability Office] designated reform of the U.S. financial regulatory system as one of the high-risk issues facing the federal government. In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act directed regulators to implement reforms across a range of areas. To assess these efforts, GAO examined the (1) overall status of U.S. financial regulatory reforms arising from the act, (2) challenges affecting the implementation of the act, and (3) areas that pose continued risk. GAO analyzed data from private and regulatory sources on the status of required rulemakings, synthesized GAO's body of work on Dodd-Frank Act reforms, and interviewed financial regulators and industry and consumer groups on the status of and challenges to implementing reforms. […] GAO is not making any new recommendations in this report, but has previously made over 25 recommendations to the federal financial regulators related to Dodd- Frank reforms implementation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-01
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Cuba Democracy Assistance: USAID's Program Is Improved, but State Could Better Monitor Its Implementing Partners, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Since 1996, Congress has appropriated $205 million to USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] and State to support democracy assistance for Cuba. Because of Cuban government restrictions, conditions in Cuba pose security risks to the implementing partners--primarily NGOs [Nongovernmental Organization] --and subpartners that provide U.S. assistance. For this report, GAO [Government Accountability Office] (1) identified current assistance, implementing partners, subpartners, and beneficiaries; (2) reviewed USAID's and State's efforts to implement the program in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations and to address program risks; and (3) examined USAID's and State's monitoring of the use of program funds. This report is a publicly releasable version of a Sensitive But Unclassified Report that GAO issued in December 2012. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed program activities and funding, relevant laws and regulations, and practices for monitoring the use of funds. GAO also conducted performance and financial reviews of a nongeneralizable sample of six implementing partners--representing about 60 percent of USAID and State funding for awards and contracts active in fiscal year 2011--and 11 subpartners. GAO is recommending that State take steps to improve its financial monitoring of implementing partners and provide clear guidance for approving subpartners. State concurred with GAO's recommendations and cited steps they are taking to address them."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-01-25
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Offshore Tax Evasion: IRS Has Collected Billions of Dollars, but May be Missing Continued Evasion, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Tax evasion by individuals with unreported offshore financial accounts was estimated by one IRS [Internal Revenue Service] commissioner to be several tens of billions of dollars, but no precise figure exists. IRS has operated four offshore programs since 2003 that offered incentives for taxpayers to disclose their offshore accounts and pay delinquent taxes, interest, and penalties. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review IRS's second offshore program, the 2009 OVDP [Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program]. This report (1) describes the nature of the noncompliance of 2009 OVDP participants, (2) determines the extent IRS used the 2009 OVDP to prevent noncompliance, and (3) assesses IRS's efforts to detect taxpayers trying to circumvent taxes, interests, and penalties that would otherwise be owed. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed tax return data for all 2009 OVDP participants and exam files for a random sample of cases with penalties over $1 million; interviewed IRS Offshore officials; and developed and implemented a methodology to detect taxpayers circumventing monies owed. […] Among other things, GAO recommends that IRS (1) use offshore data to identify and educate taxpayers who might not be aware of their reporting requirements; (2) explore options for employing a methodology to more effectively detect and pursue quiet disclosures and implement the best option; and (3) analyze first-time offshore account reporting trends to identify possible attempts to circumvent monies owed and take action to help ensure compliance. IRS agreed with all of GAO's recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-03
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Child Welfare: States Use Flexible Federal Funds, But Struggle to Meet Service Needs, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In fiscal year 2011, over 675,000 children were found to be victims of abuse or neglect. To help ensure that such children have safe and permanent homes, state and local child welfare agencies secure child welfare services, such as parenting classes and substance abuse treatment. Title IV-B of the Social Security Act is the primary source of federal funding designated for child welfare services that is available to states. In fiscal year 2012, Congress appropriated $730 million under Title IV-B. Although states augment these funds with state, local, and other federal funds, some children and families may not receive the services they need. Congress mandated that GAO [Government Accountability Office] provide information about the funding and provision of child welfare services. This report addresses: (1) how selected states use funds provided under Title IV-B, (2) what alternative sources of federal funding states use to fund child welfare services and other activities covered under Title IV-B, and (3) what services, if any, child welfare agencies have difficulty securing for children and their families. To answer these questions, GAO reviewed relevant laws, regulations, guidance, and reports; analyzed HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] expenditure data and program evaluations; and interviewed HHS officials, child welfare experts, and state and local child welfare officials in 4 states and 13 localities selected to illustrate a variety of approaches to financing and delivering services. GAO also reviewed state fiscal year 2011 expenditure data from selected states and administered a data collection instrument to selected localities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-01
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Force Structure: Army's Annual Report on Modularity Progress Needs More Complete and Clear Information to Aid Decision Makers
From the official summary: "In its fiscal year 2012 report, the Army included information that responded to some of the statutory reporting requirements, but did not include required information on the risks associated with, and mitigation strategies for, any shortfalls in key enabler personnel and equipment and a schedule for meeting personnel and equipment needs. The report included, among other things, an assessment of the status of key enabler personnel and equipment and information on assessments of modular force capabilities. However, the Army did not present the information it included in a way that clearly demonstrated the extent of progress toward meeting modular force requirements. While not explicitly required by law, there were also a number of ways in which the Army could have presented the information to better demonstrate the extent of progress toward meeting modularity requirements. […] To better provide Congress with information needed to conduct oversight and make decisions on programs and funding, we recommend that the Secretary of the Army provide guidance on the level and type of detail needed to each office within the Army responsible for providing information to officials compiling the annual report on the Army's progress in meeting modular force requirements. Such guidance should at a minimum ensure that future reports provide comparisons with information from prior years to identify trends and therefore the extent of progress made in fulfilling modular force requirements; identify specific lessons learned and link them to key modifications made to modular forces; identify key doctrinal changes made and their significance to the modular forces; use a consistent definition of 'key enabler' equipment and personnel, consistent with the statutory definition, throughout the report; and include both active and reserve component information throughout the report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-01-16
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Information Security: IRS Has Improved Controls but Needs to Resolve Weaknesses, Report to the Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a demanding responsibility in collecting taxes, processing tax returns, and enforcing the nation's tax laws. It relies extensively on computerized systems to support its financial and mission-related operations and on information security controls to protect the financial and sensitive taxpayer information that resides on those systems. As part of its audit of IRS's fiscal years 2012 and 2011 financial statements, GAO [Government Accountability Office] assessed whether controls over key financial and tax-processing systems are effective in ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of financial and sensitive taxpayer information. To do this, GAO examined IRS information security policies, plans, and procedures; tested controls over key financial applications; and interviewed key agency officials at eight sites. […] GAO recommends that IRS take four actions to more effectively implement portions of its information security program. In a separate report with limited distribution, GAO is recommending that IRS take 30 specific actions to address newly identified control weaknesses. In commenting on a draft of this report, IRS agreed to develop a detailed corrective action plan to address each recommendation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-03
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Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of GAO Recommendations to Treasury
From the Document: "The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) authorized the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to address the most severe crisis that the financial system had faced in decades. EESA provided GAO [Government Accountability Office] with broad oversight authorities for actions taken under TARP and required that we report at least every 60 days on TARP activities and performance. Our oversight and reporting has resulted in 99 performance and financial statement audit recommendations to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), the primary agency responsible for TARP programs. While Treasury has addressed most of our recommendations, some recommendations remain outstanding. This 60-day report describes the status of our TARP recommendations to Treasury as of February 2013. In particular, this report discusses Treasury's implementation of our recommendations, focusing particularly on two major TARP programs: the Capital Purchase Program (CPP), which supports certain U.S. financial institutions, and Making Home Affordable (MHA), which is a collection of housing programs designed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. The report also addresses Treasury's responses to our recommendations for improving internal controls over financial reporting for TARP that resulted from our audits of TARP's financial statements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-03-08
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Budget Issues: Effects of Budget Uncertainty from Continuing Resolutions on Agency Operations, Statement for the Record by Michelle Sager, Director, Strategic Issues, Statement for the Record to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "Congress annually faces difficult decisions on what to fund among competing priorities and interests with available resources. Continuing resolutions (CRs) can create budget uncertainty, complicating agency operations and causing inefficiencies. In all but 3 of the last 30 years, Congress has passed CRs to provide funding for agencies to continue operating until agreement is reached on final appropriations. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to provide a statement based on findings from its 2009 report on managing under CRs (GAO-09-879). This statement focuses on (1) a history of CRs and the provisions that Congress includes within them and (2) the effects of CRs on agency operations and actions that federal agencies have taken to manage these effects. GAO's 2009 report reviewed six federal agencies within three cabinet-level departments selected based on factors such as the length of time spent managing under CRs and the types of services they provided. These six case study agencies were the Administration for Children and Families and the Food and Drug Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services; Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Benefits Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs; and Bureau of Prisons and Federal Bureau of Investigation within the Department of Justice. Under CRs that provide funding for the remainder of a fiscal year, agencies obtain certainty about funding. Therefore, CRs that spanned the months remaining in a fiscal year were not the focus of GAO's report. GAO did not make recommendations in the 2009 report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Sager, Michelle A.
2013-03-13
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House Document 107-107: Report on Peacekeeping Efforts in the Former Yugoslavia: Communication from the President of the United States Transmitting a Supplemental Report, Consistent with the War Powers Resolution, to Help Ensure that the Congress Is Kept Fully Informed on Continued U.S. Contributions in Support of Peacekeeping Efforts in the Former Yugoslavia
This report was sent by President George W. Bush to the Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert to provide "information on the deployment of combat-equipped U.S. Armed Forces to Bosnia and Herzegovina and other states in
the region in order to participate in and support the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO)-led Stabilization Force (SFOR)," as of July 24, 2001, consistent with the War Powers Resolution Act. From the document: ""I have directed the participation of U.S. Armed Forces in these operations pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive. I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed about developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other states in the region. I will continue to consult closely with the Congress regarding our efforts to foster peace and stability in the former Yugoslavia."
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
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Strategic Sourcing: Improved and Expanded Use Could Provide Procurement Savings for Federal Information Technology, Statement of Cristina Chaplain, Director Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "Federal agencies plan to spend about $20 billion on development and acquisition of IT [Information Technology] investments in fiscal year 2013, but GAO's [Government Accountability Office] prior work has found that IT projects too frequently incur cost overruns and result in duplicate systems. The proposed FITARA [Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act] bill seeks to implement important reforms to maximize the return on investment for IT services and supplies. For many years, GAO has reported that the government is not fully leveraging its aggregate buying power and found that strategic sourcing, a process that moves a company away from numerous individual procurements to a broader aggregate approach, enabled companies to achieve savings of 10 to 20 percent. In 2012, GAO reported that expanded agency use of strategic sourcing could save billions in federal procurement costs. GAO was asked to testify on the value of strategic sourcing as an important tool to achieve greater savings and efficiencies in information technology and other procurements. This testimony is based largely on GAO's September 2012 report on strategic sourcing as well as a body of work on IT management and acquisition practices. GAO is not making any new recommendations in this testimony. GAO has issued recommendations to OMB [Office of Management and Budget] and agencies on key aspects of strategic sourcing and IT management in the past. OMB and agencies concurred with the recommendations, and are in the process of implementing them."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Chaplain, Cristina T.
2013-02-27
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House Document 107-132: Status of U.S. Efforts Regarding Iraq's Compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions: Communication from the President of the United States Transmitting His Report on the Status of Efforts to Obtain Iraq's Compliance with the Resolutions Adopted by the United Nations Security Council
This report was sent from President George W. Bush to Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert to update "the status of efforts to obtain Iraq's compliance with the resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security Council," as of October 11, 2001. From the document: "Iraq remains a serious threat to international peace and security. The Iraqi regime's record on human rights continues to be abysmal. The United States remains determined to see Iraq comply fully with all of its obligations under UNSC resolutions while at the same time endeavoring to see that the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi population are addressed. The United States will continue to encourage and support those Iraqis working for the day when Iraq rejoins the family of nations as a responsible and law-abiding member under a new government that serves its people, rather than represses them."
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
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House Document 107-103: Iraq's Compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions: Communication from the President of the United States Transmitting the Status of Efforts to Obtain Iraq's Compliance with the Resolutions Adopted by the United Nations Security Council
This report was sent by President George W. Bush to the Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert to summarize U.S. efforts to obtain Iraq's compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions as of July 13, 2001, consistent with the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution. From the document: "As long as Saddam Hussein remains in power, he will continue to threaten the well-being of the Iraqi people, the peace of the region, and vital U.S. interests. We are conducting an Iraq policy review to determine the best means of advancing our interests. We are working to strengthen the international consensus on the need to change the international community's approach to Iraq. We are also considering how best to achieve our objective of helping Iraqis liberate themselves and how best to use the No-Fly Zones to ensure the safety of the Kurds and Iraq's neighbors. We will continue to counter the threats posed by Iraq, but, over the long term, the most effective and lasting way to end this threat is through a change of government in Baghdad."
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
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DOD's Implementation of Justifications for 8(a) Sole-Source Contracts
From the Document: "The conference report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012 directed GAO [Government Accountability Office] to assess the Department of Defense's (DOD) implementation of a new requirement for written justifications of sole-source contracts over $20 million awarded under the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program. The 8(a) program is one of the federal government's primary means for developing small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Contract awards under this program may be competed among eligible 8(a) firms or awarded on a sole-source basis to 8(a) firms in certain instances. For example, DOD may award 8(a) sole source contracts to firms owned by Alaska Native Corporations and Indian tribes. […] In summary, we found that DOD awarded 51 sole source 8(a) contracts over $20 million between October 2009 and September 2012. As we reported in our December 2012 government-wide review, DOD awarded eight sole-source 8(a) contracts worth over $20 million from March 16, 2011, when the requirement was implemented in the FAR [Federal Acquisition Regulation], through March 31, 2012, the most recent data available at the time of our review. Of the eight, six contracts did not meet the new justification requirement because contracting officials were not aware of the requirement or because they were confused about the type of justification to complete."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-02-08
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House Document 107-32: Continued U.S. Contributions in Support of Peacekeeping Efforts in the Former Yugoslavia:Communication from the President of the United States Transmitting a Supplemental Report Consistent with the War Powers Resolution on Continued U.S. Contributions in Support of Peacekeeping Efforts in the Former Yugoslavia
This report was sent by President George W. Bush to the Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert to summarize the U.S. contributions to the peacekeeping efforts in the former Yugoslavia as of January 25, 2001, in accordance with the War Powers Resolution. From the document: "In a report to the Congress of July 25, 2000, the previous Administration provided information on the deployment of combat-equipped U.S. Armed Forces to Bosnia and Herzegovina and other states in the region in order to participate in and support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). The SFOR began its mission and assumed authority from the NATO-led implementation force on December 20, 1996. I am providing this supplemental report, consistent with the War Powers Resolution, to help ensure that the Congress is kept fully informed on continued U.S. contributions in support of peacekeeping efforts in the former Yugoslavia."
United States. Government Printing Office
2001
