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COVID-19: TSA Could Better Monitor Its Efforts to Reduce Infectious Disease Spread at Checkpoints, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Within TSA, approximately 46,000 TSOs [Transportation Security Officers] stationed across the nation's commercial airports perform screening and other activities that often require close interaction with passengers. As a result, both passengers and TSOs may be at an increased risk of infection during pandemics such as COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct monitoring and oversight of the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report identifies 1) what steps TSA has taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at passenger screening checkpoints; and 2) how TSA is monitoring TSOs' implementation of amended safety and screening procedures, among other objectives."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Border Security: CBP's Response to COVID-19, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic impacted nearly all aspects of society, including travel to and from the U.S. In response to COVID-19, the administration issued executive actions with the intention of decreasing the number of individuals entering the U.S. and reducing transmission of the virus. Within CBP [Customs and Border Protection], OFO [Office of Field Operations] is responsible for implementing these actions at ports of entry through which travelers enter the U.S., and Border Patrol is responsible for patrolling the areas between ports of entry to prevent individuals and goods from entering the U.S. illegally. Based on their role in facilitating legitimate travel and trade and securing the borders, CBP employees risk exposure to COVID-19 in the line of duty. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review how CBP managed its field operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report describes: (1) available data on the number of CBP employees diagnosed with COVID-19 and unable to work; (2) actions CBP has taken related to protecting its workforce and the public from COVID-19; and (3) the extent to which CBP adjusted operations in response to the pandemic and related travel restrictions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Social Security Disability: Process Needed to Review Productivity Expectations for Administrative Law Judges, Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee
on Social Security, Committee on Ways
and Means, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "SSA [Social Security Administration]'s approximately 1,350 judges play a major role in processing and adjudicating requests for hearings to help ensure individuals who do not agree with the determination on their claim for Social Security disability benefits receive due process. SSA receives hundreds of thousands of hearing requests each year and has historically had a large backlog. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review SSA's productivity expectations for its judges. This report examines (1) how SSA set productivity expectations for judges and the extent to which judges have met them over time, (2) reported factors affecting the ability of judges in selected offices to meet the annual productivity expectation, and (3) SSA's management of judges' productivity."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Southwest Border: Schedule Considerations Drove Army Corps of Engineers' Approaches to Awarding Construction Contracts Through 2020, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Following a 2019 Presidential Declaration of National Emergency, billions of dollars were made available for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' use on border barrier construction. This report provides information on the Corps' contracting for border barriers during fiscal years 2018-2020."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Defense Health Care: Actions Needed to Define and Sustain Wartime Medical Skills for Enlisted Personnel, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD has over 73,000 active-duty enlisted medical personnel who must be ready to provide life-saving care to injured and ill servicemembers during deployed operations, using their wartime medical skills. Senate Report 116-48 accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review DOD's efforts to maintain enlisted personnel's wartime medical skills. This report examines, among other objectives, the extent to which (1) the military departments have defined, tracked, and assessed enlisted personnel's wartime medical skills, and (2) DOD has developed plans and processes to sustain these skills and assessed risks associated with their implementation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Sex Trafficking: Online Platforms and Federal Prosecutions, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Online marketing and communication platforms can enable sex trafficking-- the commercial sexual exploitation of adults through force, fraud or coercion, or children under the age of 18 (with or without force, fraud, or coercion)--by making it easier for traffickers to exploit victims and connect with buyers. Section 3 of FOSTA [Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017] established criminal penalties for those who promote or facilitate prostitution and sex trafficking through their control of online platforms. It also allows for those injured by an aggravated violation involving the promotion of prostitution of five or more people or reckless disregard of sex trafficking to recover damages in a federal civil action. It also makes federal criminal restitution mandatory for aggravated offenses contributing to sex trafficking. FOSTA includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to provide detailed information on restitution and civil damages. This report examines: (1) DOJ [Department of Justice] enforcement efforts against online platforms that promote prostitution and sex trafficking, from 2014 through 2020; and (2) the extent to which criminal restitution and civil damages have been sought and awarded for aggravated violations under section 3 of FOSTA."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Defense Cybersecurity: Defense Logistics Agency Needs to Address Risk Management Deficiencies in Inventory Systems, Report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "In November 2018 DOD's Survivable Logistics Task Force examined current and emerging threats to DOD logistics, including cybersecurity threats. The task force concluded that DOD's inventory management systems were potentially vulnerable to cyberattacks, and that DOD did not have corrective action plans to mitigate the potential risks posed by associated vulnerabilities. House Report 116-120, accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to evaluate DOD's efforts to manage cybersecurity risks to the DOD supply chain. GAO's report determines the extent to which DLA [Defense Logistics Agency] has implemented risk management steps to address cybersecurity risks to its inventory management systems."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Independence Day Celebrations: Estimated Costs and COVID-19 Protective Measures for 2020 Fourth of July Events, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Since July 4, 1776, Americans have celebrated Independence Day through events held in towns and cities across the nation. In the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., visitors have celebrated on the National Mall with federally sponsored parades, concerts, fireworks, and in 2019 the Salute to America. In 2020, additional federally sponsored activities were held at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. Because of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, federal Fourth of July celebrations in 2020 required adjustments and precautions in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the estimated costs associated with the 2020 Fourth of July events and describe protective measures taken because of COVID-19. This report describes (1) the total estimated costs that federal agencies and state and local jurisdictions incurred for federal 2020 Fourth of July events, the appropriations used to pay the federal costs, and the extent to which the federal government reimbursed costs incurred by state and local jurisdictions and (2) the protective measures that federal agencies and state jurisdictions took to help ensure the health and safety of the public, federal employees, and other essential workers at the events."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Navy Readiness: Actions Needed to Evaluate and Improve Surface Warfare Officer Career Path, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "SWOs [Surface Warfare Officers] are U.S. Navy officers whose primary duties focus on the safe operation of surface ships at sea. In 2017, the Navy had two collisions at sea that resulted in the death of 17 sailors and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to Navy ships. Following the collisions, the Navy identified deficiencies in the SWO career path and staffing policies, and took action to improve these areas. The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 contained a provision that GAO [Government Accountability Office] assess issues related to the U.S. Navy SWO career path. Among other things, this report (1) assesses trends in separation rates of SWOs with those of similar U.S. Navy officer communities, and trends in SWO separation rates by gender; (2) describes how the career path of U.S. Navy SWOs compares to those of selected foreign navies and other U.S. Navy and U.S. maritime communities; and (3) assesses the extent to which the U.S. Navy has used or evaluated alternative career paths."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Pipeline Safety: Performance Measures Needed to Assess Recent Changes to Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Regulations, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The U.S. hazardous liquid pipeline network runs for over 220,000 miles and is a critical component of the nation's economy. Pipelines are considered to be a relatively safe mode of transporting crude oil, refined petroleum products, and other hazardous liquids, but accidents can occur that result in loss of life and environmental damage. PHMSA [Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration], within the Department of Transportation (DOT), sets the federal minimum pipeline safety standards and generally ensures operator compliance. In 2016, a pipeline safety statute included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on hazardous liquid pipeline safety after PHMSA issued a specific final rule amending its safety regulations, which it did in 2019. This report examines: (1) perspectives of selected pipeline stakeholders on the benefits and challenges of the amendments made by the 2019 Rule and (2) steps PHMSA has taken to inform stakeholders of these amendments and to measure their effects on pipeline safety."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Software Development: DOD Faces Risks and Challenges in Implementing Modern Approaches and Addressing Cybersecurity Practices, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "For fiscal year 2021, DOD requested approximately $37.7 billion for IT [information technology] investments. These investments included major business IT programs, which are intended to help the department carry out key business functions, such as financial management and health care. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to assess selected IT programs annually through March 2023. GAO's objectives for this review were to (1) summarize DOD's reported performance of its portfolio of IT acquisition programs and the reasons for this performance; (2) evaluate DOD's assessments of program risks; (3) summarize DOD's approaches to software development and cybersecurity and identify associated challenges; and (4) evaluate how selected organizational and policy changes could affect IT acquisitions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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COVID-19: Federal Air Marshal Service Should Document Its Response to Cases and Facilitate Access to Testing, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In the U.S. there have been over 29 million cumulative reported cases of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and about 524,000 reported deaths, as of March 23, 2021. Public health officials have recommended social distancing and other steps to reduce the spread of the disease, but air marshals often work on planes where they cannot fully adopt these measures. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct monitoring and oversight of the federal government's response to the COVID19 pandemic. This report examines (1) how many air marshals have been diagnosed with COVID-19; (2) FAMS's [U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service] steps to protect air marshals' health; and (3) how FAMS adapted its operations during the pandemic."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Firefighting Foam Chemicals: DOD is Investigating PFAS and Responding to Contamination, but Should Report More Cost Information, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD has long used PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances]-containing firefighting foam to extinguish fires quickly and keep them from reigniting. PFAS can migrate into the environment (e.g., drinking water) and may have adverse effects on human health. The federal government has issued two nonenforceable advisories but has not yet regulated PFAS in drinking water; some states have adopted PFAS regulations. Conference Report 116-333, accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review DOD's response to PFAS contamination. This report (1) describes DOD's progress in the investigation and cleanup of PFAS at its installations, and DOD's actions to address PFAS in drinking water; (2) describes DOD's actual and estimated costs for PFAS investigation and cleanup, and evaluates the extent to which DOD has reported those figures to Congress; and (3) describes DOD's progress in identifying PFAS-free firefighting alternatives."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Navy Readiness: Additional Efforts Are Needed to Manage Fatigue, Reduce Crewing Shortfalls, and Implement Training, Report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Following two Navy ship collisions in 2017, the Navy found that sailor overwork, fatigue, and training deficiencies contributed to the accidents, and has taken steps to address these issues. House Report 116-120, accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to assess the Navy's management of surface ship sailor fatigue, crewing, and the RRL [Ready Relevant Learning] initiative. This report examines the extent to which the Navy has (1) implemented its fatigue management policy, (2) assigned sufficient crewmembers to its surface ships and tracked crew levels, (3) forecasted its personnel needs as the fleet size grows, and (4) implemented RRL training and measured its effectiveness."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-27
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Employee Benefits Security Administration: Enforcement Efforts to Protect Participants' Rights in Employer-Sponsored Retirement and Health Benefit Plans, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Millions of Americans rely on employer benefits for their health care and future financial security. Private sector retirement plans are a key source of income for many retirees and employer-sponsored group health plans cover over one-half of all Americans. Consequently, effective oversight and enforcement are critically important to ensure the integrity of the private employee benefit system, especially in light of the economic and health effects of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] on American workers and their families. EBSA [Employee Benefits Security Administration] is charged with protecting the rights of participants in employer-sponsored benefit plans. As of fiscal year 2020, this included about 154 million participants in 722,000 retirement plans and 2.5 million health plans with combined assets of over $10.7 trillion. This report examines (1) how EBSA manages its enforcement process, (2) EBSA's strategies to improve investigative processes and ensure enforcement quality, and (3) the immediate and long-term challenges of COVID-19 for EBSA and private sector retirement and health plans."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-27
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Areas with High Poverty: Changing How the 10- 20-30 Funding Formula is Applied Could Increase Impact in Persistent-Poverty Counties, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Since 2009, the 10-20-30 formula has been applied to appropriations for certain federal programs and accounts. This includes programs and accounts administered by USDA's Rural Development, Treasury's CDFI [Community Development Financial Institutions] Fund, and Commerce's EDA [Economic Development Administration] that averaged more than $10 billion in each fiscal year from 2017 to 2020. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review certain issues related to the 10-20-30 formula. This report examines (1) the proportion of funds subject to the 10-20-30 formula that these agencies awarded in persistent-poverty counties in 2017- 2020 and the effects on funding levels to these areas, and (2) how agencies identify persistent-poverty counties."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-27
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Civil Monetary Penalties: Federal Agencies' Compliance with the 2020 Annual Inflation Adjustment Requirements
From the Document: "Civil monetary penalties provide federal agencies with the ability to punish willful and egregious violators, deter future violations, and enforce regulatory policies government-wide. However, if agencies do not periodically adjust these penalties for the effects of inflation, the penalties may lose their effectiveness and agencies may lose opportunities to collect significant federal receipts. Thus, Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 to allow for agencies to adjust their covered civil monetary penalties for inflation, to promote compliance, and to improve the collection of penalties. The act, as amended, hereinafter referred to as the Inflation Adjustment Act (IAA), includes a provision added in 2015 for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to annually submit to Congress a report assessing the compliance of agencies with the required civil monetary penalty adjustments. This fifth annual review responds to the statutory provision for us to assess agencies' compliance with the civil monetary penalty adjustments for inflation as required by the IAA. Specifically, our objective was to determine if each agency subject to the IAA published 2020 civil monetary penalty inflation adjustments in the 'Federal Register' as of December 31, 2020, and reported information about civil monetary penalties within the agency's jurisdiction in its 2020 agency financial report (AFR) submitted under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-136. This circular provides guidance to agencies that produce either AFRs or performance and accountability reports and government corporations that produce annual management reports."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-27
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Domestic Abuse: DOD Needs to Enhance Its Prevention, Response, and Oversight, Statement of Brenda S. Farrell, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Document: "My testimony today summarizes our May 2021 report on domestic abuse in the military, which included 32 recommendations to DOD and the military services to improve their domestic abuse prevention and response, as well as their oversight activities. DOD concurred with each of the recommendations. This testimony will focus on some of the key findings from the report, including the extent to which 1) DOD has met statutory requirements to collect and report complete data on reports of domestic abuse and 2) DOD and the military services have implemented and overseen domestic abuse prevention and response activities, including commanders' disposition of incidents, in accordance with DOD policy."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Farrell, Brenda S.
2021-05-25
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Cybersecurity: Federal Agencies Need to Implement Recommendations to Manage Supply Chain Risks, Statement of Vijay A. D'Souza, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Investigations and Oversight and Research and Technology, Committee on Science, Space and Technology, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Federal agencies rely extensively on ICT [information and communication technology] products and services (e.g., computing systems, software, and networks) to carry out their operations. However, agencies face numerous ICT supply chain risks, including threats posed by malicious actors who may exploit vulnerabilities in the supply chain and, thus, compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organization's systems and the information they contain. Recent events involving a software supply chain compromise of SolarWinds Orion, a network management software suite, and the shutdown of a major U.S. fuel pipeline due to a cyberattack highlight the significance of these threats. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to testify on federal agencies' efforts to manage ICT supply chain risks. Specifically, GAO (1) describes the federal government's actions in response to the compromise of SolarWinds and (2) summarizes its prior report on the extent to which federal agencies implemented foundational ICT supply chain risk management practices. To do so, GAO reviewed its previously published reports and related information. GAO has ongoing work examining federal agencies' responses to SolarWinds and plans to issue a report on this in fall 2021."
United States. Government Accountability Office
D'Souza, Vijay A.
2021-05-25
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Space Acquisitions: DOD Faces Challenges and Opportunities with Acquiring Space Systems in a Changing Environment, Statement of Jon Ludwigson, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "DOD space systems provide critical capabilities that support military and other government operations. Space systems can be expensive to acquire and field, costing billions of dollars each year. The U.S. Space Force was recently established as the sixth branch of the U.S. military. As planned, the Space Force will consolidate leadership, planning, and management for some DOD space programs, as appropriate and authorized. This statement discusses the challenges and opportunities DOD faces as it acquires space systems amid changes to the acquisition environment. This statement is based on GAO [Government Accountability Office] reports issued over the past 10 years on DOD space programs. It also draws on recent work supporting GAO's 2021 annual report on the progress of major defense acquisition programs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Ludwigson, Jon
2021-05-24
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Medicare and Medicaid: COVID-19 Program Flexibilities and Considerations for Their Continuation, Statement of Jessica Farb, Director, Health Care Carolyn L. Yocom, Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Medicare and Medicaid--two federally financed health insurance programs-- spent over $1.5 trillion on health care services provided to about 140 million beneficiaries in 2020. Recognizing the critical role of these programs in providing health care services to millions of Americans, the federal government has provided for increased funding and program flexibilities, including waivers of certain federal requirements, in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct monitoring and oversight of the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, GAO has issued a series of government-wide reports from June 2020 through March 2021. GAO is continuing to monitor and report on these services. This testimony summarizes GAO's findings from these reports related to Medicare and Medicaid flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as preliminary observations from ongoing work related to telehealth waivers in both programs. Specifically, the statement focuses on what is known about the effects of these waivers and flexibilities on Medicare and Medicaid, and considerations regarding their ongoing use."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-19
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Disaster Block Grants: Factors to Consider in Authorizing a Permanent Program, Statement of John Pendleton, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate
From the Highlights: "Legislation proposed over the years would permanently authorize CDBG-DR [Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery] or a similar program, but no proposal has been enacted. Since 1993, Congress has provided over $90 billion in supplemental appropriations through HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development]'s CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] program to help communities recover from disasters. Just since 2001, HUD has issued over 100 'Federal Register' notices linked to these funds. Communities use these funds to address unmet needs for housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. HUD is one of approximately 30 federal agencies tasked with disaster recovery. This testimony discusses (1) challenges associated with the lack of permanent statutory authority for CDBG-DR and (2) factors to consider when weighing whether and how to permanently authorize CDBG-DR or a similar program. It is based primarily on GAO [Government Accountability Office]'s March 2019 and May 2021 reports on CDBG-DR (GAO-19-232 [hyperlink] and GAO-21-177 [hyperlink]) and GAO reports issued between February 2004 and June 2019 that identified factors to consider in making critical federal policy decisions. For those reports, GAO reviewed documentation on CDBG-DR and its observations of efforts to reorganize or streamline government, among other things."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-19
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Puerto Rico Recovery: FEMA Made Progress in Approving Projects, but Should Identify and Assess Risks to the Recovery, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "More than 3 years after hurricanes Irma and Maria struck the territory, Puerto Rico's recovery is ongoing and will be one of the largest in FEMA's history. Further complicating the recovery, Puerto Rico experienced a series of earthquakes in 2019 and 2020, and the impacts of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] starting in March 2020. FEMA is the lead federal agency responsible for assisting Puerto Rico as it recovers from these disasters and administers the Public Assistance program in partnership with the government of Puerto Rico to provide funds to rebuild damaged infrastructure and restore services. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. In this report, GAO examines (1) the status of FEMA's Public Assistance grant program funding and projects in Puerto Rico, and (2) the extent to which FEMA has identified and assessed potential risks to the recovery. GAO analyzed program documents and data on the Public Assistance program through January 15, 2021; conducted site visits to Puerto Rico; and interviewed FEMA and Puerto Rico government officials regarding the status and potential risks to recovery efforts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-19
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Priority Open Recommendations: U.S. Agency for International Development
From the Document: "The purpose of this letter is to provide an update on the overall status of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) implementation of GAO's [Government Accountability Office] recommendations and to call your personal attention to areas where open recommendations should be given high priority. In November 2020, we reported that on a government-wide basis, 77 percent of our recommendations made 4 years ago were implemented. USAID's recommendation implementation rate for the same time was 100 percent. As of April 2021, USAID had 27 open recommendations. Fully implementing these open recommendations could significantly improve agency operations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2021-05-17
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Superfund EPA: Should Take Additional Actions to Manage Risks from Climate Change Effects, Statement of J. Alfredo Gómez, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Superfund is the principal federal program for addressing sites contaminated with hazardous substances. EPA administers the program and lists some of the most seriously contaminated sites--most of which are nonfederal--on the NPL [National Priorities List]. At those sites, EPA has recorded over 500 contaminants, including arsenic and lead. Climate change may make some natural disasters more frequent or more intense, which may damage NPL sites and potentially release contaminants, according to the Fourth National Climate Assessment. This testimony summarizes GAO [Government Accountability Office]'s October 2019 report (GAO-20-73 [hyperlink]) on the impact of climate change on nonfederal NPL sites. Specifically, it discusses (1) what available federal data suggest about the number of nonfederal NPL sites that are located in areas that may be impacted by selected climate change effects; (2) the extent to which EPA has managed risks to human health and the environment from the potential impacts of climate change effects at nonfederal NPL sites; and (3) challenges EPA faces in managing these risks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Gómez, J. Alfredo
2021-05-13
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Physical Infrastructure: Preliminary Observations on Options for Improving Climate Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure, Statement of Elizabeth Repko, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Since 2013, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has included 'Limiting the Federal Government's Fiscal Exposure by Better Managing Climate Change Risks' in its High Risk List. In addition, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a changing climate threatens the performance of the U.S. transportation system across all modes, including roads. Congress authorized approximately $43 billion of fiscal year 2021 formula funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation's FHWA [Federal Highway Administration]'s federal-aid highway program, which primarily funds highway planning and construction. This testimony discusses (1) GAO's framework for identifying opportunities to enhance the climate resilience of transportation infrastructure; and (2) preliminary observations on actions taken and options to further enhance the climate resilience of federally funded roads."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Repko, Elizabeth
2021-05-13
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Management Report: Improvements Needed in FDIC's Internal Control Over Contract-Payment Review Processes
From the Document: "On February 18, 2021, we issued our report on the results of our audits of the 2020 and 2019 financial statements of the two funds the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) administers: the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation Resolution Fund (FRF). Our report states we identified deficiencies in FDIC's controls over contract-payment review processes. These deficiencies collectively represent a significant deficiency in FDIC's internal control over financial reporting that merits attention by those charged with FDIC governance. Although it did not affect our opinion on the 2020 financial statements of the DIF and the FRF, because of this significant deficiency, misstatements may have occurred in unaudited financial information FDIC reported internally and externally. The purpose of this report is to present the deficiencies we identified during our audit testing of FDIC's 2020 non-payroll operating expenses internal controls, and our recommendations related to these deficiencies. GAO [Government Accountability Office] had no prior recommendations to FDIC related to the financial statement audit or internal controls over financial reporting. This report is intended for FDIC management use."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dalkin, James R.; Hansen, Michael D.; Galvan-Treviño, Lisa M. . . .
2021-05-13
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Federal Highway Administration: Administrative Expenses Funded from the Highway Trust Fund
From the Document: "In December 2015, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act authorized funds for fiscal years 2016 through 2020 from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for the administrative expenses of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The FAST Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to submit a report describing the FHWA administrative expenses funded from the HTF every 5 years following an initial report. Our initial report was issued in June 2016 and covered fiscal years 2013 through 2015. Our objectives were to describe (1) the types and amounts of administrative expenses funded by HTF for the FHWA programs and offices during the 5 most recent fiscal years (2016 through 2020); (2) the extent to which FHWA adequately designed tracking and monitoring internal controls over its administrative expenses as of September 30, 2020; and (3) the extent to which FHWA has the flexibility, under existing laws and regulations, to reallocate administrative monies funded from the HTF between general operating expenses and other functions. This report transmits briefing slides regarding the final results of our work in response to the provision in the FAST Act."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Towler, LaDonna; Bhojwani, Tulsi; Burrows, Troy . . .
2021-05-13
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VA Disability Exams: Actions Needed to Improve Program Management, Statement of Elizabeth Curda, Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security, Testimony Before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the opening statement of Elizabeth Curda: "Thank you for the opportunity to discuss our recent review of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) planning and oversight efforts regarding its disability medical exam workloads. [...] My statement today summarizes our findings related to (1) VBA [Veterans Benefits Administration]'s planning for allocating disability exam workloads among VBA contractors and VHA [Veterans Health Administration] medical centers, and (2) how VBA assesses the quality of exam reports for certain complex claims."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Curda, Elizabeth
2021-05-12
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Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Veterans Affairs, May 10, 2021
From the Document: "[T]he purpose of this letter is to provide an update on the overall status of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) implementation of GAO's [Government Accountability Office] recommendations and to call your personal attention to areas where open recommendations should be given high priority. In November 2020, we reported that on a government-wide basis, 77 percent of our recommendations made 4 years ago had been implemented. As of May 2021, VA's implementation rate was 73 percent for these recommendations and VA had a total of 233 recommendations that had not been implemented. Implementing these recommendations could significantly improve agency operations. Since our April 2020 letter identifying 33 priority recommendations, VA has implemented 13 of them. In doing so, VA improved care coordination, as well as its ability to ensure that veterans receive evidence-based mental health treatment. VA also took steps to collect complete and reliable information about employee misconduct and disciplinary actions, among other things. We ask for your attention to the remaining 20 priority recommendations. We are also adding 8 new recommendations, including recommendations related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in state veterans homes, community care, succession planning, sexual harassment, on-campus veteran suicides, and supply chain management. This brings the total number of priority recommendations to 28."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-10
