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Elder Justice: Goals and Outcome Measures Would Provide DOJ with Clear Direction and a Means to Assess Its Efforts, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "Researchers estimate that as many as 1 in 10 older adults in the United States--age 60 or older--experience abuse each year. Elder abuse may involve physical, sexual, emotional, or financial abuse or neglect. It can occur by family, guardians, or caregivers as well as by strangers and international criminal enterprises, which operate schemes for monetary gain or to facilitate other criminal activities. According to media reports and congressional testimony, some older U.S. citizens who have traveled abroad have unwittingly participated in illicit activities, and in some cases, have been arrested in foreign countries. EAPPA [Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act] included a provision for GAO to review elder justice efforts in the federal criminal justice system. This report examines (1) the ways DOJ [Department of Justice] works to address crimes against older adults, and to what extent DOJ is planning for and assessing its efforts; and (2) how the Departments of State and Homeland Security address the arrest of older U.S. citizens abroad, including arrests involving international criminal enterprises. GAO reviewed agency policy documents, and interviewed agency officials, as well as a nongeneralizable sample of elder abuse stakeholders and state and local officials selected for their experience in this area."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Climate Resilience: DOD Needs to Assess Risk and Provide Guidance on Use of Climate Projections in Installation Master Plans and Facilities Designs, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Document: "DOD manages a global real-estate portfolio with an almost $1.2 trillion estimated replacement value. Since 2010, DOD has identified climate change as a threat to its operations and installations. In January 2019, DOD stated that the effects of a changing climate are a national security issue with potential impacts to the department's missions, operational plans, and installations. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess DOD's progress in developing a means to account for potentially damaging weather in its facilities project designs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Maurer, Diana
2019-06
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Commercial Aviation: Information on Airline IT Outages, Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate
From the Document: "In recent years, the airline industry experienced several well-publicized IT [information technology] system outages to reservation, check-in, flight planning, and other systems. Such outages can result in widespread disruption to air travel, inconveniencing passengers, who may be delayed or face out-of-pocket costs, and can also affect airlines' revenue and operations. Airlines are responsible for operating and maintaining their IT systems. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review airline IT outages. GAO examined: (1) DOT's and FAA's [Federal Aviation Administration] roles related to airline IT outages and (2) what is known about these outages and their effects on passengers."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Krause, Heather
2019-06
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KC-46 Tanker Modernization: Aircraft Delivery Has Begun, but Deficiencies Could Affect Operations and Will Take Time to Correct, Report to the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Document: "Aerial refueling--the transfer of fuel from airborne tankers to combat and airlift forces--is critical to the U.S. military's ability to effectively operate globally. The Air Force initiated the KC-46 program in 2011 to replace about a third of its aging KC-135 aerial refueling fleet. Boeing was awarded a fixed-price incentive contract to develop the first four aircraft, which are being used for testing. Boeing was also required to deliver the first 18 fully capable aircraft by August 2017. The program plans to eventually field 179 aircraft."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Ludwigson, Jon
2019-06
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Nuclear Weapons: Additional Actions Could Help Improve Management of Activities Involving Explosive Materials, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] is responsible for the management and security of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. NNSA has ongoing and planned efforts to modernize nearly all of the weapons in the stockpile, which require new explosive components. The production of some key explosives ceased in the early 1990s, and much of the infrastructure supporting this work is aging, making it expensive and difficult to maintain. The Senate Report accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 included a provision for GAO to review NNSA's high explosive capabilities specific to nuclear weapons. This report examines (1) explosives activities that NNSA and its sites conduct and how NNSA manages them; (2) challenges NNSA officials and contractor representatives identified in conducting these activities and the extent to which NNSA has taken actions to address them; and (3) the extent to which NNSA's strategic plan for explosives activities describes further actions, if any, to address the challenges identified and follows leading practices for strategic planning. GAO reviewed NNSA documents related to explosives activities, including its strategic plan; compared the plan with leading practices; and interviewed NNSA officials and site representatives."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Food Loss and Waste: Building on Existing Federal Efforts Could Help to Achieve National Reduction Goal, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "The Natural Resources Defense Council reported that in the United States up to 40 percent of the food supply goes uneaten. FLW [food loss and waste] has significant economic, environmental, and social effects on various stakeholders, including businesses and consumers. In 2015, EPA and USDA announced a national goal to reduce FLW in the United States by half by 2030. In 2018, FDA joined EPA and USDA in these efforts. GAO was asked to examine efforts by federal agencies to reduce FLW. This report (1) describes nonfederal stakeholder views on key challenges to reducing FLW in the United States, (2) describes actions EPA and USDA have taken to address key challenges to reducing FLW in the United States, and (3) examines federal planning efforts toward achieving the national FLW reduction goal. GAO reviewed federal reports on FLW; analyzed agency documents; interviewed officials from EPA, FDA, USDA, and states and representatives of nonfederal stakeholders, such as academic institutions, industry, international organizations, nonprofit organizations, and a tribal organization, based on their demonstrated expertise on FLW; and attended conferences on FLW."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Emergency Communications: Required Auction of Public Safety Spectrum Could Harm First Responder Capabilities, Report to Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "First responders and others in 11 large metropolitan areas use radio systems operating in the T-Band since spectrum is limited in other bands. In 2012, FCC [Federal Communications Commission] was required by statute to begin an auction of this T-Band public safety spectrum by February 2021 and to make the proceeds available to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop and administer a grant program to help cover costs associated with relocating public safety users' radio systems. GAO was asked to review issues related to the required T-Band auction. This report examines, among other things: (1) the challenges selected first responders and local governments anticipate facing in relocating public safety communications from the T-Band and (2) the actions FCC has taken both to help facilitate the required T-Band relocation and to address identified challenges. GAO reviewed FCC's March 2019 congressional briefing and analysis on T-Band spectrum and conducted case studies in four cities selected based on the number of public safety licenses in each area, among other things. GAO reviewed relevant statutes and regulations, FCC documents, and T-Band studies conducted by a public safety organization. GAO interviewed FCC officials and other stakeholders, including first responders in case study cities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Federal Housing Administration: Improved Procedures and Assessment Could Increase Efficiency of Foreclosed Property Conveyances, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "FHA [Federal Housing Administration] insures hundreds of thousands of single-family home mortgages annually. When an FHA borrower defaults, the mortgage servicer in many cases forecloses, obtains title to the property, and conveys ownership to FHA. FHA inspects the property, acquires it if it complies with condition standards and title requirements, and lists the property for sale. FHA may reconvey noncompliant properties to servicers. During conveyance, homes may sit vacant for months and can deteriorate, contributing to neighborhood blight. Senate Report 114-243 included a provision for GAO to review FHA's effectiveness and efficiency in reaching determinations of conveyable condition. This report discusses (1) timelines for FHA property conveyances in 2010-2017 and whether servicers and FHA met time requirements, and (2) changes FHA has made to the conveyance process in recent years and any ongoing process challenges. GAO analyzed FHA data on properties conveyed in 2010-2017, reviewed FHA's policies and procedures, and interviewed 20 randomly selected mortgage servicers accounting for more than one-third of active FHA mortgages."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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NASA Commercial Crew Program: Schedule Uncertainty Persists for Start of Operational Missions to the International Space Station, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "In 2014, NASA awarded two firm-fixed-price contracts to Boeing and SpaceX, worth a combined total of up to $6.8 billion, to develop crew transportation systems and conduct initial missions to the ISS [International Space Station]. In July 2018, GAO found that both contractors continued to delay their certification dates and that further delays were likely. NASA must certify the contractors' crew transportation systems before the contractors can begin operational missions to the ISS. The contractors were originally required to provide NASA all the evidence it needed to certify that their systems met its requirements in 2017. The House Committee on Appropriations included a provision in its 2017 report for GAO to continue to review NASA's human space exploration programs. This is the latest in a series of reports addressing the mandate. This report examines the extent to which the Commercial Crew Program and its contractors have made progress towards certification."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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NASA Human Space Exploration: Persistent Delays and Cost Growth Reinforce Concerns Over Management of Programs, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "NASA is undertaking a trio of closely related programs to continue human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. All three programs [...] are working toward a launch readiness date of June 2020 for the first mission. The House Committee on Appropriations included a provision in its 2017 report for GAO to continue to review NASA's human space exploration programs. This is the latest in a series of reports addressing the mandate. This report assesses (1) how NASA's human space exploration programs are performing relative to cost and schedule commitments, and (2) the extent to which NASA's use of contract award fees is achieving desired program outcomes. To do this work, GAO examined program cost and schedule reports and contractor data, and interviewed officials. This report does not assess the effect, if any, of the government shutdown that ended in January 2019."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Defense Infrastructure: Additional Actions Could Enhance DOD's Efforts to Identify, Evaluate, and Preserve Historic Properties, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "Senate Report 115-130 accompanying a bill for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2018, included a provision that GAO assess DOD's management of historic properties in use on U.S. installations. This report examines the extent to which DOD (1) identifies and evaluates properties for historic significance, including those that have been privatized, and (2) assesses the condition of its historic properties and has guidance on the training of installation personnel maintaining and those working in historic properties. GAO reviewed DOD fiscal year 2017 real property data and policies and procedures; visited a non-generalizable sample of 10 installations, selecting them based factors such as military service representation and concentration of historic properties; and interviewed DOD officials, privatized housing developers, and installation personnel."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Immigration Enforcement: Actions Needed to Better Handle, Identify, and Track Cases Involving Veterans, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Document: "Throughout U.S. history, noncitizens have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Although the Immigration and Nationality Act allows noncitizen service members to acquire citizenship, some veterans may not apply or may not satisfy all eligibility criteria. If the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines that a noncitizen veteran is potentially removable, the veteran may be subject to administrative immigration enforcement and removal. ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], among other things, is responsible for identifying and removing aliens who violate U.S. immigration law. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to the removal of noncitizen veterans. This report examines (1) the extent to which ICE has developed and implemented policies for handling and tracking cases of potentially removable veterans; (2) how federal agencies facilitate the naturalization of noncitizen service members and veterans, and what is known about the number who have applied for naturalization; and (3) how removal affects veterans' eligibility for and access to VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] benefits and services. GAO reviewed documentation, met with agency officials, analyzed available data on veterans placed in removal proceedings, and conducted a review of removed veterans' alien files. GAO also analyzed data on military naturalization applications."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Federal Real Property: GSA Needs to Strengthen Oversight of Its Delegated Leasing Program, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "As the federal government's landlord, GSA [General Services Administration] is authorized to lease property to accommodate federal agencies. It can also delegate this authority to other agencies, though GSA is still responsible for overseeing the delegated leasing program. However, prior audits found problems with delegated leasing, including excessive rental rates and insufficient documentation to support that the government received a fair and reasonable price for the lease. GAO was asked to review GSA's delegated leasing program. This report examines: 1) GSA's efforts to reform its delegated leasing program; 2) the extent to which GSA assesses agencies' policies, procedures, and performance in managing their delegated leasing activities; and 3) the extent to which GSA ensures delegated leases meet requirements. GAO reviewed federal statutes and regulations, and GSA's guidance and data on delegated leases. To illustrate how GSA approves and oversees delegated leases, GAO judgmentally reviewed 17 delegated leases selected to include lease contract value, type of lease, and agencies with high number of delegated leases. GAO interviewed officials from GSA and the four agencies associated with GAO's selected delegated leases."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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DOD Acquisition Reform: Leadership Attention Needed to Effectively Implement Changes to Acquisition Oversight, Report to Congressional Committees
From GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "GAO was asked to examine DOD's efforts to implement these reforms. This report addresses (1) the progress DOD has made implementing selected oversight reforms related to major defense acquisition programs; (2) how DOD has used middle-tier acquisition pathways; and (3) challenges DOD faces related to reform implementation. GAO reviewed five reforms: milestone decision authority designation; cost, fielding, and performance goals; independent technical risk assessments; restructuring of acquisition oversight offices; and middle-tier acquisition. GAO analyzed applicable statutes and implementing guidance, collected information from DOD about the number and types of middle-tier acquisition programs, reviewed relevant documentation, and interviewed DOD officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Critical Infrastructure Protection: Key Pipeline Security Documents Need to Reflect Current Operating Environment, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "More than 2.7 million miles of pipeline transport natural gas, oil, and other hazardous liquids needed to operate vehicles and heat homes, among other things, in the United States. Responsibility for safeguarding these pipelines is shared by TSA [Transportation Security Administration], within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); PHMSA [Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration], within the Department of Transportation (DOT); and pipeline operators. TSA oversees the security of all transportation modes, including pipelines. PHMSA oversees pipeline safety. DHS and DOT signed a MOU [memorandum of understanding] on their roles across all transportation modes in 2004. In 2006, TSA and PHMSA signed an annex to the MOU (MOU Annex) to further delineate their pipeline security-related responsibilities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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West Bank and Gaza: State Has Taken Actions to Address Potentially Problematic Textbook Content but Should Improve Its Reporting to Congress, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "The U.S. government has funded education assistance to Palestinians. The State Department oversees U.S. contributions to UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East], and USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] provides assistance to Palestinian Authority schools. UNRWA generally administers schools for Palestine refugees. The Palestinian Authority generally administers schools for non-refugee Palestinians who live in the WBG [West Bank and Gaza]. During the 2016-2017 school year, it issued new pilot textbooks for grades 1 through 4 for use in both its and UNRWA's schools. GAO was asked to review issues related to U.S. education assistance to the WBG. This report examines (1) the funding the U.S. government provided for education assistance to the WBG for fiscal years 2015 through 2017, (2) how UNRWA and State have identified and addressed potentially problematic content in textbooks, and (3) whether State has submitted required annual reports to Congress including information on educational materials used in UNRWA schools. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed documents and interviewed U.S. government, UNRWA, and Palestinian Authority officials. For this report, GAO refers to potentially problematic content as that which State defined as inappropriate and that UNRWA defined as not aligned with UN values."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Discretionary Transportation Grants: Actions Needed to Improve Consistency and Transparency in DOT's Application Evaluations, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The cost to repair and upgrade the nation's surface transportation system to meet current and future demands is estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. In December 2015, Congress established a DOT [Department of Transportation] discretionary grant program to fund nationally significant freight and highway projects. DOT awarded $1.54 billion for such projects for fiscal years 2017 and 2018. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review DOT's process for evaluating and selecting applications for awards. This report discusses the consistency and transparency of DOT's process for evaluating and awarding INFRA [Infrastructure for Rebuilding America] grants for the fiscal-year 2017-2018 round of funding, among other objectives. GAO reviewed DOT's documentation of its evaluation process, and interviewed DOT staff and officials, as well as 11 INFRA applicants selected to ensure diversity in projects' size, type, location, and award status, as well as type of applicant."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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VA Mental Health: VHA Improved Certain Prescribing Practices, but Needs to Strengthen Treatment Plan Oversight, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "GAO was asked to review how mental health treatment decisions are made by providers in VAMCs [Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers] and monitored by VHA [Veterans Health Administration]. This report examines, among other things, (1) factors that contribute to providers' treatment decisions for veterans with mental health conditions, (2) VHA's guidance for documenting mental health treatment plans, (3) VHA's monitoring of whether providers document their consideration of different treatment options, and (4) VHA's efforts to improve the treatment of veterans prescribed psychotropic medications. GAO reviewed VHA documents and a nongeneralizable sample of veterans' medical records from five VAMCs (selected for variety in facility complexity and location); analyzed data on psychotropic medication prescribing; and interviewed VHA and VAMC officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Nursing Homes: Improved Oversight Needed to Better Protect Residents from Abuse, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Nursing homes provide care to about 1.4 million nursing home residents--a vulnerable population of elderly and disabled individuals. CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services], an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), defines standards nursing homes must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. GAO was asked to review abuse of residents in nursing homes. Among other objectives, this report: (1) determines the trends and types of abuse in recent years, and (2) evaluates CMS oversight intended to ensure residents are free from abuse. GAO reviewed CMS's policies, analyzed CMS data on abuse deficiencies from 2013 through 2017, the most recent data at the time of our review, and interviewed officials from CMS and state survey agencies in five states, as well as other key stakeholders in those states such as ombudsmen and law enforcement officials. The states were selected for variation in factors such as number of nursing homes and role of other state agencies in abuse investigations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Federal Rulemaking: Selected Agencies Should Clearly Communicate Practices Associated with Identity Information in the Public Comment Process, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Federal agencies publish on average 3,700 proposed rules yearly and are generally required to provide interested persons (commenters) an opportunity to comment on these rules. In recent years, some high-profile rulemakings have received extremely large numbers of comments, raising questions about how agencies manage the identity information associated with comments. While the APA [Administrative Procedure Act] does not require the disclosure of identifying information from a commenter, agencies may choose to collect this information. This report examines (1) the identity information collected by Regulations.gov and agency-specific comment websites; (2) the guidance agencies have related to the identity of commenters; (3) how selected agencies treat identity information; and (4) the extent to which selected agencies clearly communicate their practices associated with identity information. GAO [Government Accountability Office] selected a nongeneralizable sample of 10 federal agencies on the basis of large comment volume. GAO surveyed 52 program offices within these agencies about their comment process; and reviewed comment websites, agency guidance, and posted comment data. GAO also interviewed relevant agency officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-06
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Veterans Affairs: Sustained Leadership Needed to Address High-Risk Issues, Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Document: "VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] is responsible for providing benefits and services to veterans, including health care, disability compensation, and various types of financial assistance. In fiscal year 2019, VA received a total budget of $201.1 billion and a discretionary budget of $86.6 billion--the largest in VA's history--to carry out its mission. GAO [Government Accountability Office], along with the VA Inspector General and other entities, continues to identify significant deficiencies in VA's governance structures and operations--all of which can affect the care provided to our nation's veterans. This testimony focuses on the status of VA's efforts to address GAO's high-risk designations and open GAO recommendations in the following areas: VA health care, acquisition management, and disability claims workloads and benefit eligibility criteria, among other areas. It is primarily based on GAO's March 2019 high-risk update and a body of work that spans more than a decade."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2019-05-22
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VA Health IT: Use of Acquisition Best Practices Can Improve Efforts to Implement a System to Support the Family Caregiver Program, Statement of Carol C. Harris, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Technology Modernization and Health, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Document: "To provide greater support for caregivers of post-9/11 veterans, Congress and the President enacted legislation requiring VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] to establish a program to assist caregivers with the rigors of caring for seriously injured veterans. In May 2011, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which operates VA's health care system, established the Family Caregiver Program at each of its VA medical centers across the United States. At that time, the department implemented an IT system, called CAT [Caregiver Application Tracker], to help support the program. Subsequently, the VA MISSION [Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks] Act was enacted in June 2018, requiring VA to implement an IT system to fully support the Family Caregiver Program by October 1, 2018. Further, VA's Secretary is to certify the system by October 1, 2019. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to discuss its September 2014 report that examined how VHA is implementing the Family Caregiver Program. In addition, the statement includes relevant information VA provided on its actions toward addressing GAO's prior recommendation. The statement also discusses critical success factors related to IT [information technology] acquisitions as identified in GAO's prior work. The reports cited throughout this statement include detailed information on the scope and methodology of GAO's prior reviews."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Harris, Carol C.
2019-05-22
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Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Billions in Financial Benefits, Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Document: "The federal government continues to face an unsustainable long-term fiscal path caused by an imbalance between federal revenue and spending, primarily driven by health care spending and interest on debt held by the public (net interest). Addressing this imbalance will require difficult policy decisions about long-term changes to both spending and revenue. Acting soon to mitigate this imbalance would help to minimize the disruption to individuals and the economy."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2019-05-21
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Government Reorganization: Issues to Consider in the Proposed Reorganization of the Office of Personnel Management, Statement of Triana McNeil, Acting Director, Strategic Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "This testimony focuses on preliminary observations from GAO's [Government Accountability Office] ongoing work related to the transfer of functions from OPM [Office of Personnel Management] to GSA [General Services Administration] and the EOP [Executive Offices of the President]. Specifically, we evaluated (1) the extent to which OMB [Office of Management and Budget], OPM, and GSA have addressed key practices for effective reforms and reorganizations; (2) legal authorities that may affect the reorganization of OPM, and (3) key capacities important for effective strategic human capital management, which need to be in place regardless of how the leadership over federal human capital is organized."
United States. Government Accountability Office
McNeil, Triana
2019-05-21
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Hardrock Mining: Availability of Selected Data Related to Mining on Federal Lands
From the Document: "The federal government manages about 650 million acres, or 29 percent, of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Five land management agencies--the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Reclamation in the Department of the Interior, and the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture--manage about 96 percent of this federal land. These agencies manage the lands under their jurisdictions for a variety of uses. For example, BLM and the Forest Service manage their lands for multiple uses, such as mining, timber, wildlife conservation, grazing, and recreation. In addition to the land management agencies, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), within Interior, provides science about mineral resources, natural hazards, and the effects of climate and land-use change, among other things."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-05-16
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Tax Gap: Multiple Strategies Are Needed to Reduce Noncompliance, Statement of James R. Mctigue, Jr., Director, Strategic Issues, Testimony Before the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives
From the Document: "This testimony discusses factors contributing to the tax gap and strategies to reduce it. This testimony is based on prior GAO [Government Accountability Office] reports on the tax gap and enforcement of tax laws, including those with open recommendations or matters for congressional consideration that could help reduce the tax gap. Enforcement of tax laws has been on GAO's High Risk List since its inception in 1990, and GAO has made various recommendations to IRS [Internal Revenue Service] and suggestions to Congress to reduce the tax gap that have resulted in improvements. For example, GAO recommended that IRS consider comparing individuals' tax returns with the information educational institutions report to verify taxpayers' education tax benefits claims and suggested that Congress require brokers to report to both taxpayers and IRS the adjusted cost of the securities sold by taxpayers. These actions resulted in billions of dollars in additional revenue."
United States. Government Accountability Office
McTigue, James R., Jr.
2019-05-09
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Drug Policy: Assessing Treatment Expansion Efforts and Drug Control Strategies and Programs, Statement of Triana Mcneil, Acting Director, Homeland Security and Justice and Mary Denigan-Macauley, Acting Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Document: "This statement includes information from GAO's [Government Accountability Office] 2016 and 2017 reports on access to MAT[medication-assisted treatment] for opioid use disorder, including selected recommendation updates as of May 2019. It also includes information from GAO's March 2019 testimony with preliminary observations on the 2019 National Drug Control Strategy and on GAO's ongoing work regarding ONDCP's [Office of National Drug Control Policy] efforts. For recommendation updates, GAO reviewed HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] documents and spoke with HHS about its recent efforts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
McNeil, Triana; Denigan-Macauley, Mary
2019-05-09
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Disaster Contracting: FEMA Continues to Face Challenges with Its Use of Contracts to Support Response and Recovery, Statement of Marie A. Mak, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions,testimony Before the Subcommittees on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery and Oversight, Management, and Accountability, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
From the Document: "This testimony is based primarily on GAO's [Government Accountability Office] recent reports on disaster contracting--specifically advance contracting and post-disaster contracts related to the 2017 disasters--which detail much of FEMA's [Federal Emergency Management Agency] disaster contracting activities. It addresses key challenges FEMA faced contracting for goods and services in response to these disasters. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed data from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation through June 30, 2018, the latest and most complete data available for the 2017 disasters. GAO also analyzed FEMA guidance and documentation and interviewed FEMA officials to discuss the use of contracts to respond to the 2017 disasters."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Mak, Marie A.
2019-05-09
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Defense Acquisitions: Observations on the F-35 and Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System, Statement of Michael J. Sullivan, Director Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Document: "This testimony statement discusses (1) the F-35 program's development and modernization efforts, and progress in improving the aircraft's R&M [reliability
and maintainability] and (2) DOD's current planning efforts for ABMS [Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System]. This statement is based on two GAO [Government Accountability Office] reports on the F-35 published in April 2019 and on GAO's ongoing work examining ABMS. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed DOD management reports; discussed the efforts with program and contractor officials; and compared both efforts to DOD policy and GAO acquisition best practices."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-05-02
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Rail Safety Freight Trains Are Getting Longer, and Additional Information is Needed to Assess Their Impact, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Document: "In 2017, the U.S. freight rail system moved over 1.5-billion tons of goods. The largest freight railroads--Class Is--dominate the industry and account for more than 90 percent of its annual revenue. In recent years, railroad workers and local communities have expressed safety concerns related to longer freight trains, and recent accidents involving such trains are currently under investigation by FRA [Federal Railroad Administration]. FRA does not currently place limits on freight train length."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Fleming, Susan A.
2019-05
