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National Airspace System: FAA Reauthorization Issues Are Critical to System Transformation and Operations, Statement of Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, before the Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
"As requested, this statement discusses issues for the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aviation industry is in a period of economic turmoil and faces an uncertain future. At the same time, FAA is undertaking one of its most ambitious efforts ever to transform the nation's air traffic control system. The reauthorization of FAA provides an opportunity for Congress and FAA to focus on several key issues to improve the national airspace system. This statement is based on recent and ongoing work and on discussions with selected senior FAA officials and representatives of the aviation industry. This work was conducted in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that GAO plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for findings and conclusions based on the audit objectives. GAO believes that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for the findings and conclusions based on the audit objectives. A list of related GAO products is included at the end of this statement. GAO has made prior recommendations to address some of these issues. FAA has begun to address GAO's recommendations, although some have not yet been fully implemented."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dillingham, Gerald L.
2009-02-11
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Transportation Research: The Department of Transportation Has Made Progress in Coordinating and Reviewing Its Research Activities, Statement of David J. Wise, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives
"Research, development, and technology (RD&T) activities are vital to meeting the Department of Transportation's (DOT) priorities, such as increasing safety, enhancing mobility, and supporting the nation's economic growth. In fiscal year 2008, the department's RD&T budget totaled over $1.1 billion, primarily for highway and aviation projects. Over the years, concerns have been raised about DOT's capabilities to improve RD&T coordination and evaluation efforts across the agency. In 2004, Congress created DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) to coordinate and review the department's RD&T programs and activities for the purposes of reducing research duplication, enhancing opportunities for joint efforts, and ensuring RD&T activities are meeting goals. In 2006 GAO reported that RITA had made progress toward these ends, but needed to do more. GAO's testimony focuses on the importance of coordinating and evaluating RD&T activities and RITA's progress in implementing GAO's 2006 recommendations. GAO's statement is based on its 2006 report, a review of best practices for coordination and evaluation, and follow-up discussions with RITA officials on actions to implement GAO's recommendations. GAO did not assess whether RITA's actions have improved the effectiveness of the department's RD&T investment."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Wise, David J.
2009-02-12
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Financial Regulation: A Framework for Crafting and Assessing Proposals to Modernize the Outdated U.S. Financial Regulatory System, Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States, Testimony before the Congressional Oversight Panel
"We prepared this work under the authority of the Comptroller General to help policymakers weigh various regulatory reform proposals and consider ways in which the current regulatory system could be made more effective and efficient. My statement today is based on our report, which (1) describes how regulation has evolved in banking, securities, thrifts, credit unions, futures, insurance, secondary mortgage markets and other important areas; (2) describes several key changes in financial markets and products in recent decades that have highlighted significant limitations and gaps in the existing regulatory system; and (3) presents an evaluation framework that can be used by Congress and others to shape potential regulatory reform efforts. To do this work, we synthesized existing GAO work and other studies and met with representatives of financial regulatory agencies, industry associations, consumer advocacy organizations, and others. The work upon which the report is based was conducted in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. This work was conducted between April 2008 and December 2008."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2009-01-14
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Real Property: Infrastructure Investment Presents Opportunities to Address Long-standing Real Property Backlogs and Reduce Energy Consumption, Statement of Terrell G. Dorn, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Testimony before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
This is a GAO testimony of Terrell G. Dorn, Director of Physical Infrastructure, who testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the issue of Infrastructure Investment. More specifically, Mr. Dorn states the following in his opening statement: "We welcome the opportunity to testify on infrastructure investment in federal buildings, including energy-saving opportunities in federal building construction and repair and alteration projects. Federal agencies have identified billions of dollars in reinvestment requirements to maintain their aging facilities and bring them up to current standards. In addition, according to Department of Energy (DOE) estimates, federal agencies will need over a billion dollars annually through 2015 for projects needed to meet congressional energy efficiency goals. As the nation's single largest energy consumer, the federal government spent approximately $17 billion in fiscal year 2007 on energy use in buildings and vehicles. This total represents almost 1 percent of all federal expenditures for 2007, and these costs have risen in recent years. Our testimony today discusses the potential benefits that may accrue from infrastructure investment, including energy reductions within federal buildings, and principles that could help guide infrastructure investment. Our comments are based on our body of work on repair and maintenance and energy management issues associated with federal real property. A list of our related products appears at the end of our statement."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-01-22
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Surface Transportation: Principles Can Guide Efforts to Restructure and Fund Federal Programs: Statement of Jayetta Z. Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, before the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, July 10, 2008
"This testimony discusses (1) GAO's recent findings on the structure and performance of the current surface transportation program (GAO-08-400), (2) a framework to assess proposals for restructuring of the surface transportation program, (3) potential options to fund investments in the surface transportation system, and (4) our recent findings on the benefits, costs, and trade-offs of using public-private partnerships to help fund transportation investments (GAO-08-44)."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2008-07-10
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Wildland Fire Management: Actions by Federal Agencies and Congress Could Mitigate Rising Fire Costs and Their Effects on Other Agency Programs, Statement of Robin M. Nazzaro, Director Natural Resources and Environment, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
"This testimony, based on previous [Government Accountability Office (GAO)] reports, discusses (1) the budgetary and programmatic effects of the increasing cost of fire management activities and (2) steps the agencies could take to help contain wildland fire expenditures and steps they could take, and Congress could consider, to reduce the need to transfer funds from other programs. GAO previously recommended that the Forest Service and Interior take several steps to help contain the rising costs of managing wildland fires and address the problems associated with transferring funds to fight fires. Although the agencies have made some progress, they have been slow to implement several key recommendations. GAO also previously identified alternative funding approaches Congress could consider, which could reduce the need to transfer funds from nonfire accounts. "
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-04-01
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Information Technology: Challenges Remain for VA's Sharing of Electronic Health Records with DOD, Statement of Valerie C. Melvin, Director, Information Management and Human Capital Issues, Testimony, Before the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies, House Committee on Appropriations
"For over a decade, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have been engaged in efforts to improve their ability to share electronic health information. These efforts are vital for making patient information readily available to health care providers in both departments, reducing medical errors, and streamlining administrative functions. In addition, Congress has mandated that VA and DOD jointly develop and implement, by September 30, 2009, electronic health record systems or capabilities that are fully interoperable and compliant with applicable federal interoperability standards. (Interoperability is the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged.) The experience of VA and DOD in this area is also relevant to broader efforts to advance the nationwide use of health information technology (IT) in both the public and private health care sectors--a goal of both current and past administrations. In this statement, GAO describes VA's and DOD's achievements and challenges in developing interoperable electronic health records, including brief comments on how these apply to the broader national health IT effort."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-03-12
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Defense Acquisitions: Key Considerations for Planning Future Army Combat Systems, Statement of Paul L. Francis, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
"The Future Combat System (FCS) program-which comprises 14 integrated weapon systems and an advanced information network-is the centerpiece of the Army's effort to transition to a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force. The substantial technical challenges, the cost of the program, and the Army's acquisition strategy are among the reasons why the program is recognized as needing special oversight and review. This testimony is based on GAO's March 12, 2009 report and addresses knowledge gaps that will persist in the FCS program as Congress is asked to make significant funding commitments for development and production over the next several years. In its March 2009 report, GAO suggested Congress consider not approving full funds for the program until several conditions are met, such as preparation of a complete budget for any program emerging from the milestone review. GAO also recommends the Secretary of Defense, among other things, ensure the program that emerges conforms to current defense acquisition policy, such as technology maturity; any spin out approach is based on fully tested results; and any incremental strategy involves free standing, justifiable increments."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Francis, Paul
2009-03-26
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Information Security: Comments on the Proposed Government Information Security Act of 1999. Statement of Jack L. Brock Director, Governmentwide and Defense Information Systems, Accounting and Information Management Division before the Committee on Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, March 12, 2000
This GAO testimony covers " the Government Information Security Act of 1999, which seeks to strengthen information security practices throughout the federal government. Such efforts are necessary and critical. Our work has shown that almost all government agencies are plagued by poor computer security. Recent events such as the denial of service attacks last month indicate the damage that can occur when an organization's computer security defenses are breached. However, Mr. Chairman, let me emphasize that the potential for more serious disruption is significant. As I stated in recent testimony, our nation's computer-based infrastructures are at increasing risk of severe disruption. The dramatic increase of computer interconnectivity, while beneficial in many ways, has provided pathways among systems that, if not properly secured, can be used to gain unauthorized access to data and operations from remote locations. Government officials are increasingly worried about attacks from individuals and groups with malicious intentions, such as terrorists and nations engaging in information warfare.1 S. 1993 provides opportunities to address this problem. It updates the legal framework that supports federal information security requirements and addresses widespread federal information security weaknesses. In particular, the bill provides for a risk-based approach to information security and independent annual audits of security controls. Moreover, it approaches security from a governmentwide perspective, taking steps to accommodate the significantly varying information security needs of both national security and civilian agency operations."
United States. General Accounting Office
Brock, Jack L.
2000-03-02
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Information Security: Fundamental Weaknesses Place EPA Data and Operations at Risk. Statement of David L. McClure Associate Director, Governmentwide and Defense Information Systems, Accounting and Information Management Division
"Overall, our review found serious and pervasive problems that essentially render EPA's agencywide information security program ineffective. Current security program planning and management is largely a paper exercise that has done little to substantively identify, evaluate, and mitigate risks to the agency's data and systems. Moreover, our tests of computer-based controls have concluded that the computer operating systems and the agencywide computer network that support most of EPA's mission-related and financial operations are riddled with security weaknesses. Of particular concern is that many of the most serious weaknesses we identified--those related to inadequate protection from intrusions via the Internet and poor security planning--had been previously reported to EPA management in 1997 by EPA's Inspector General (IG)."
United States. General Accounting Office
2000-02-17
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Aviation Safety: FAA Has Increased Efforts to Address Runway Incursions, Statement of Gerald L. Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, before the Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
"Despite a recent reduction in air traffic due to economic factors, congestion on airport runways remains a safety concern. The nation's aviation system is still expected to grow and become more crowded in the coming years, exacerbating concerns about ground safety issues, including runway incursions, which occur when aircraft enter runways without authorization. This statement addresses (1) recent trends in runway incursions, (2) steps taken to improve runway safety, and (3) what more could be done. This statement is based on GAO's November 2007 report issued to this Subcommittee on runway safety. GAO's work on that report included surveying experts on the causes of runway incidents and accidents and the effectiveness of measures to address them, reviewing safety data, and interviewing agency and industry officials. This statement also contains information from FAA on recent incursions and actions taken since November 2007."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2008-09-25
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Visa Waiver Program: Actions Are Needed to Improve Management of the Expansion Process, and to Assess and Mitigate Program Risks, Statement of Jess T. Ford, Director, International Affairs and Trade, before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security, Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate
"The Visa Waiver Program, which enables citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States without first obtaining a visa, has many benefits, but also has risks. In 2006, GAO found the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needed to improve efforts to assess and mitigate these risks. In August 2007, Congress passed the 9/11 Act, which provides DHS the authority to consider expanding the program to countries whose shortterm business and tourism visa refusal rates were between 3 and 10 percent in the prior fiscal year, if certain conditions are met. This testimony discusses GAO's recent report on the Visa Waiver Program. Specifically, it examines DHS's process for expanding the Visa Waiver Program and evaluates the extent to which DHS is assessing and mitigating program risks. GAO reviewed relevant laws and procedures; and interviewed agency officials in Washington, D.C., and in U.S. embassies in eight aspiring and three Visa Waiver Program countries."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2008-09-24
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Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, 'The Upcoming Transition: GAO's Efforts to Assist the 111th Congress and the Next Administration', Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States
This document is a testimony Before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, on 'The Upcoming Transition: GAO's Efforts to Assist the 111th Congress and the Next Administration'. It is the statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States. The statement was given on September 24, 2008. "This testimony provides an overview of GAO's objectives for assisting the 111th Congress and the next administration in their all-important transition efforts. […]Objectives for GAO's transition efforts [are to] provide insight into pressing national issues, highlight the growing need for innovative, integrated approaches to solve national and global challenges, document targeted opportunities to conserve resources that can be applied to new initiatives, underscore critical capacity-building needs in individual agencies that will affect implementation of whatever new priorities are pursued, help inform the management improvement agendas of Congress and the new administration, [and] monitor the implementation of the Presidential Transition Act provisions and identify potential improvements for future transitions."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Comptroller
Dodaro, Gene L.
2008-09-24
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Mass Care in Disasters: FEMA Should Update the Red Cross Role in Catastrophic Events and More Fully Assess Voluntary Organizations' Mass Care Capabilities, Statement of Cynthia M. Fagnoni, Managing Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
"Voluntary organizations have traditionally played a major role in the nation's response to disasters, but the response to Hurricane Katrina raised concerns about their ability to handle large-scale disasters. This testimony examines the roles of five voluntary organizations in providing mass care and other services, the steps they have taken to improve service delivery, their current capabilities for responding to mass care needs, and the challenges they face in preparing for large-scale disasters. This testimony is based on GAO's previous report (GAO-08-823) that reviewed the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, the Southern Baptist Convention, Catholic Charities USA, and United Way of America; interviewed officials from these organizations and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); reviewed data and laws; and visited four high-risk metro areas-Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C. In its previous report, GAO recommended that FEMA update and document the Red Cross's role in catastrophic events, take steps to incorporate voluntary organizations' capabilities in its assessments, and clarify funding guidance for certain disaster preparedness grants. FEMA disagreed with the recommendation to better incorporate voluntary organizations in assessments. We continue to believe such efforts are important for preparedness."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Fagnoni, Cynthia M.
2008-09-23
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Combating Nuclear Smuggling: Recent Testing Raises Issues about the Potential Effectiveness of Advanced Radiation Detection Portal Monitors, Statement of Gene Aloise, Director Natural Resources and Environment, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives
"The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is responsible for addressing the threat of nuclear smuggling. Radiation detection portal monitors are key elements in the nation's defenses against such threats. DHS has sponsored testing to develop new monitors, known as advanced spectroscopic portal (ASP) monitors, to replace radiation detection equipment being used at ports of entry. DNDO expects that ASPs may offer improvements over current-generation portal monitors, particularly the potential to identify as well as detect radioactive material and thereby to reduce both the risk of missed threats and the rate of innocent alarms, which DNDO considers to be key limitations of radiation detection equipment currently used by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at U.S. ports of entry. However, ASPs cost significantly more than current generation portal monitors. Due to concerns about ASPs' cost and performance, Congress has required that the Secretary of Homeland Security certify that ASPs provide a significant increase in operational effectiveness before obligating funds for full-scale ASP procurement. In May 2009, GAO issued a report (GAO-09-655) on the status of the ongoing ASP testing round. This testimony (1) discusses the principal findings and recommendations from GAO's May report on ASP testing and (2) updates those findings based on information from DNDO and CBP officials on the results of testing conducted since the report's issuance. DHS, DNDO, and CBP's oral comments on GAO's new findings were included as appropriate."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-11-17
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Homeland Security: Greater Attention to Key Practices Would Help Address Security Vulnerabilities at Federal Buildings, Statement of Mark L. Goldstein, Director Physical Infrastructure Issues, Testimony Before the House Committee on Homeland Security
"The Federal Protective Service (FPS) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for providing law enforcement and related security services for nearly 9,000 federal facilities under the control and custody of the General Services Administration (GSA). In 2004 GAO identified a set of key protection practices from the collective practices of federal agencies and the private sector, which included allocation of resources using risk management, strategic management of human capital, leveraging of technology, information sharing and coordination, and performance measurement and testing. This testimony is based on past reports and testimonies and discusses (1) limitations FPS faces in protecting GSA buildings and resulting vulnerabilities; and (2) actions FPS is taking. To perform this work, GAO used its key practices as criteria, visited a number of GSA buildings, surveyed tenant agencies, analyzed pertinent laws and DHS and GSA documents, conducted covert testing at 10 judgmentally selected high-security buildings in four cities, and interviewed officials from DHS, GSA, and tenant agencies, and contractors and guards. [...] GAO makes no new recommendations in this testimony. DHS concurred with GAO's past recommendations for FPS, but FPS has not completed many related corrective actions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Goldstein, Mark L.
2009-11-18
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Coast Guard: Update on Deepwater Program Management, Cost, and Acquisition Workforce, Statement of John P. Hutton, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, April 22, 2009
"The Deepwater Program is intended to recapitalize the Coast Guard's fleet and includes efforts to build or modernize five classes each of ships and aircraft, and procure other key capabilities. In 2002, the Coast Guard contracted with Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) to manage the acquisition as systems integrator. After the program experienced a series of failures, the Coast Guard announced in April 2007 that it would take over the lead role, with future work on individual assets to be potentially bid competitively outside of the existing contract. A program baseline of $24.2 billion was set as well. In June 2008, GAO reported on the new approach and concluded that while these steps were beneficial, continued oversight and improvement was necessary. The Coast Guard has taken actions to address the recommendations in that report. This testimony updates key issues from prior work: Coast Guard program management at the overall Deepwater Program and asset levels; how cost, schedules, and capabilities have changed from the 2007 baseline and how well costs are communicated to Congress; and Coast Guard efforts to manage and build its acquisition workforce. GAO reviewed Coast Guard acquisition program baselines, human capital plans and other documents, and interviewed officials. For information not previously reported, GAO obtained Coast Guard views. The Coast Guard generally concurred with the findings."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Hutton, John P.
2009-04-22
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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: GAO's Role in Helping to Ensure Accountability and Transparency, Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States, Testimony before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, March 5, 2009
"This testimony discusses GAO's plans to carry out its oversight role related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The Recovery Act funds are provided for purposes including: preserving and creating jobs and promoting economic recovery; assisting those most impacted by the recession; investing in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure to provide long-term economic benefits; and stabilizing state and local government budgets. The Recovery Act assigns GAO a range of responsibilities to help promote accountability and transparency. Some are recurring requirements such as providing bimonthly reviews of the use of funds by selected states and localities. Others include targeted studies in several areas such as small business lending, education, and trade adjustment assistance. This statement discusses GAO's plans to carry out its responsibilities under the Recovery Act, how GAO's responsibilities relate to other oversight authorities, such as the Inspectors General (IG) and the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (Board), and the challenges posed in ensuring accountability over the use of funds and associated lessons learned and best practices that can be helpful in addressing those challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2009-03-05
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Emergency Preparedness: Improved Planning and Coordination Necessary for Development of Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, Statement of Mark L. Goldstein, Director, Physical Infrastructure, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, September 30, 2009
The document contains the testimony of Mark L. Goldstein of the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management on September 30, 2009 on the topic of planning for the development of an integrated public alert and warning system in the United States. This testimony accompanies a regular GAO report on the topic published on the same day.
United States. Government Accountability Office
Goldstein, Mark L.
2009-09-30
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Emergency Management: Preliminary Observations on FEMA's Community Preparedness Programs Related to the National Preparedness System, Statement of William O. Jenkins, Jr., Director Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
"By preparing their families and property before an event, individuals can reduce a disaster's impact on them and their need for first responder assistance, particularly in the first 72 hours following a disaster. By law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is to develop a national preparedness system (NPS)--FEMA includes community preparedness programs as part of the NPS. FEMA's budget to operate these programs made up less than one half of 1 percent of its $7.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2009. These programs include the Citizen Corps program and its partner programs, such as Fire Corps, and rely on volunteers to coordinate efforts and assist first responders in local communities. DHS's Ready Campaign promotes preparedness through mass media. This testimony provides preliminary observations on (1) challenges FEMA faces in measuring the performance of Citizen Corps, its partner programs, and the Ready Campaign and (2) actions FEMA has taken to develop a strategy to encompass how Citizen Corps, its partner programs, and the Ready Campaign operate within the context of the NPS. This testimony is based on work conducted from February 2008 to October 2009. GAO analyzed documents, such as FEMA's strategic plan, and compared reported performance data with observations from 12 site visits, selected primarily based on the frequency of natural disasters. The results are not projectable, but provide local insights."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-10-01
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Personnel Security Clearances: An Outcome-Focused Strategy and Comprehensive Reporting of Timeliness and Quality Would Provide Greater Visibility over the Clearance Process, Statement of Brenda S. Farrell, Director Defense Capabilities and Management, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives
"Personnel security clearances are used to verify that national security information--which in some cases could cause exceptionally grave damage to U.S. national defense or foreign relations if disclosed--is entrusted only to individuals who have proven reliability and loyalty to the nation. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the nation's defense and intelligence needs grew, prompting increased demand for personnel with security clearances. According to officials from the Joint Reform Team, about 2.4 million people--excluding some of those with clearances who work in areas of national intelligence--currently hold clearances, and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) conducted about 750,000 national security investigations in fiscal year 2008. We have previously reported on delays and backlogs in security clearance processing, lack of reciprocity among agencies, and incomplete investigations. As a result of these long-standing issues, we have designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) personnel security clearance program a high-risk area since 2005. In response to concerns about delays in processing clearances and other issues, Congress, including the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, set goals and established requirements for improving the clearance process in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA)."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-10-01
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Federal Real Property: An Update on High Risk Issues, Statement of Mark L. Goldstein, Director, physical Infrastructure Issues, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
"In January 2003, GAO [Government Accountability Office] designated federal real property as a high-risk area because of long-standing problems with excess and underutilized property, deteriorating facilities, unreliable real property data, over-reliance on costly leasing, and security challenges. In January 2009, GAO found that agencies have taken some positive steps to address real property issues but that some of the core problems that led to the designation of this area as high risk persist. This testimony focuses on (1) progress made by major real property-holding agencies to strategically manage real property, (2) ongoing problems GAO has identified in recent work regarding agencies' efforts to address real property issues, and (3) underlying obstacles GAO has identified through prior work as hampering agencies' real property reform efforts governmentwide. This testimony is largely based on GAO's extensive body of work on real property high-risk issues, including reports on efforts by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and executive branch agencies to address real property issues. No new recommendations are being made."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-07-15
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Climate Change: Observations on Federal Efforts to Adapt to a Changing Climate, Statement of John Stephenson, Director National Resources and Environment, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Emery and Environment, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives
"Changes in the climate attributable to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases may have significant environmental and economic impacts in the United States. For example, climate change could threaten coastal areas with rising sea levels, alter agricultural productivity, and increase the intensity and frequency of floods and storms. Federal, state, and local agencies are tasked with a wide array of responsibilities that will be affected by a changing climate, such as managing natural resources. Furthermore, climate change could increase the cost of federal programs, such as crop and flood insurance, and place new stresses on infrastructure. Greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere will continue altering the climate system into the future regardless of emissions control efforts. Therefore, adaptation- defined as adjustments to natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate change-is an important part of the response to climate change. This testimony summarizes GAO's prior and ongoing work examining (1) actions that federal, state, local, and international authorities are taking to adapt to a changing climate, (2) the challenges that federal, state, and local officials face in their efforts to adapt, and (3) actions that the Congress and federal agencies could take to help address these challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Stephenson, John D.
2009-03-25
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Federal Contracting: Observations on the Government's Contracting Data Systems, Statement of William T. Woods, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, before the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
"The federal government relies heavily on contractors to carry out its missions, with fiscal year 2008 spending on contractor products and services of approximately $518 billion. Federal contracting data systems provide information on how these funds are being spent and how well the contractors are performing. GAO's testimony, which is based on prior reports, describes three governmentwide contracting data systems and the weaknesses GAO has identified with these systems. While GAO is not making recommendations in this testimony, GAO in the past has made recommendations to help improve governmentwide contracting data systems, such as the electronic submission of data to the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG). The relevant government agencies have generally concurred with these recommendations and in many cases have taken actions to improve the systems. The result has been improved system reliability, but additional improvements can be made."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Woods, William T.
2009-09-29
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2010 Census: Census Bureau Continues to Make Progress in Mitigating Risks to a Successful Enumeration, but Still Faces Various Challenges, Statement of Robert Goldenkoff, Director, Strategic Issues, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security and Government Affairs, U.S. Senate
"The decennial census is a constitutionally-mandated activity that produces data used to apportion congressional seats, redraw congressional districts, and help allocate billions of dollars in federal assistance. In March 2008, GAO designated the 2010 Census a high-risk area in part because of information technology (IT) shortcomings. The U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) has since strengthened its risk management efforts and made other improvements; however, in March 2009, GAO noted that a number of challenges and uncertainties remained. This testimony discusses the Bureau's readiness for 2010 and covers: (1) the delivery of key IT systems, (2) preliminary findings on the results of address canvassing and the lessons learned from that operation that can be applied to subsequent field operations, and (3) the Bureau's progress in improving its cost estimation abilities. The testimony is based on previously issued and ongoing GAO work. GAO is not making new recommendations, but past reports recommended the Bureau improve its cost estimation procedures, ensure the accuracy of its address list, and conduct end-to-end testing of IT systems. The Bureau generally agreed with the recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-10-07
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Biosafety Laboratories: BSL-4 Laboratories Improved Perimeter Security Despite Limited Action by CDC, Statement of Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, Testimony before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, September 22, 2009
"Biosafety laboratories are primarily regulated by either the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), depending on whether the substances they handle pose a threat to the health of humans or plants, animals, and related products, respectively. Currently, all operational biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) labs are overseen by HHS's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). BSL-4 labs handle the world's most dangerous agents and toxins that cause incurable and deadly diseases. This testimony summarizes GAO's previously issued reports on perimeter security at the nation's BSL-4 laboratories that were issued in September 2008 (GAO-08-1092) and July 2009 (GAO-09-851). Specifically, this testimony describes the findings and recommendation on key perimeter security controls at five of the nation's operational BSL-4 labs, CDC efforts to address our recommendation, improvements that have been made to the perimeter security controls at the two labs found to be deficient, and other observations about the BSL-4 labs GAO assessed."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Kutz, Gregory D.
2009-09-22
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High-Containment Laboratories: National Strategy for Oversight Is Needed, Statement of Nancy Kingsbury, Ph.D., Managing Director, Applied Research and Methods, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, September 22, 2009
This document contains the testimony of Nancy Kingsbury of the U.S. General Accountability Office before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on September 22, 2009 on the topic of the need for a national strategy for oversight at high-containment laboratories in the United States. "We are pleased to be here to discuss our report on a national strategy for high-containment laboratories that deal with dangerous pathogens-also known as biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) laboratories and biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) laboratories-in the United States, which was released yesterday. The number of high-containment laboratories working with dangerous biological pathogens have proliferated in recent years. In 2007, we reported on several issues associated with the proliferation of high-containment laboratories in the United States, including risks posed by biosafety incidents that have occurred in the past. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's allegation in August 2008 that a scientist at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases was the sole perpetrator of the 2001 anthrax attacks raised additional concerns about the possibility of insider misuse of high-containment laboratory facilities, material, and technology. The public is concerned about these laboratories because the deliberate or accidental release of biological agents can have disastrous consequences by exposing workers and the public to dangerous pathogens. Highly publicized laboratory errors and controversies about where high-containment laboratories should be located have raised questions about whether the governing framework, oversight, and standards for biosafety and biosecurity measures are adequate."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Kingsbury, Nancy
2009-09-22
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Government Performance: Strategies for Building a Results-Oriented and Collaborative Culture in the Federal Government, Statement of Bernice Steinhardt, Director Strategic Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
"Since 1997, periodic GAO surveys indicate that overall, federal managers have more performance information available, but have not made greater use of this information for decision making. To understand the barriers and opportunities for more widespread use, GAO was asked to (1) examine key management practices in an agency in which managers' reported use of performance information has improved; (2) look at agencies with relatively low use of performance information and the factors that contribute to this condition; and (3) review the role the President and Congress can play in promoting a results-oriented and collaborative culture in the federal government. This testimony is primarily based on GAO's report, Results-Oriented Management: Strengthening Key Practices at FEMA and Interior Could Promote Greater Use of Performance Information, which is being released today. In this report, GAO made recommendations to the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Interior for improvements to key management practices to promote greater use of performance information at FEMA, the National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, as well as at Interior. Both DHS and Interior generally agreed with these recommendations. The testimony also draws from GAO's extensive prior work on the use of performance information and results-oriented management."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Steinhardt, Bernice
2009-09-24
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Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Efforts to Address Transparency and Accountability Issues, Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States, Testimony Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate, September 24, 2009
From Dodaro's statement: "I am pleased to be here today to discuss our work on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), under which the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), through the Office of Financial Stability (OFS), has the authority to purchase or insure almost $700 billion in troubled assets held by financial institutions.1 As you know, about 1 year ago, Treasury was granted this authority in response to the financial crisis that has threatened the stability of the U.S. banking system and the solvency of numerous financial institutions. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (the act) that authorized TARP on October 3, 2008, requires GAO to report at least every 60 days on findings resulting from our oversight of actions taken under the program.2 Our statement today draws on the 7 reports we have issued to date under this mandate and on ongoing work.3 Our next report, planned to be issued early next month, will include a detailed progress report of TARP programs and activities over the past year."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dodaro, Gene L.
2009-09-24
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Homeland Security: Federal Protective Service Has Taken Some Initial Steps to Address Its Challenges, but Vulnerabilities Still Exist, Statement of Mark L. Goldstein, Director Physical Infrastructure Team, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, September 23, 2009
"To accomplish its mission of protecting federal facilities, the Federal Protective Services (FPS), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), currently has a budget of about $1 billion, about 1,200 full-time employees, and about 15,000 contract security guards. This testimony is based on completed and ongoing work for this Subcommittee and discusses: (1) challenges FPS faces in protecting federal facilities and (2) how FPS's actions address these challenges. To perform this work, GAO visited FPS's 11 regions, analyzed FPS data, and interviewed FPS officials, guards, and contractors. GAO also conducted covert testing at 10 judgmentally selected level IV facilities in four cities. Because of the sensitivity of some of the information, GAO cannot identify the specific locations of incidents discussed. A level IV facility has over 450 employees and a high volume of public contact."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Goldstein, Mark L.
2009-09-23
