Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The attempted passenger aircraft bombing of Northwest flight 253 on December 25, 2009, provided a vivid reminder that the civil aviation system remains an attractive terrorist target. To enhance aviation security, in October 2003 the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began testing of its Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program to identify persons who may pose a risk to aviation security. The SPOT program utilizes behavior observation and analysis techniques to identify potentially high-risk passengers. This testimony provides information on (1) the extent to which TSA has validated the scientific basis for SPOT and (2) other operational challenges. This statement is based on a prior report GAO issued in May 2010 on SPOT, including selected updates made in March 2011. For the updates, GAO reviewed documentation on TSA's progress in implementing the report's recommendations."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In a letter dated July 22, 2010, Congress requested that we conduct an audit of the Senate Gift Shop's cash receipts and cash disbursements recorded in the Senate Gift Shop Revolving Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. In the letter, Congress also requested that we review the inventory accounting procedures of the Gift Shop. The Senate Gift Shop was established on October 6, 1992, to sell gift items to members of the Senate, Senate staff, and the general public. All sales receipts are taken to the Senate Disbursing Office for deposit into the Senate Gift Shop Revolving Fund in the U.S. Treasury. The Gift Shop then uses the cash receipts to purchase inventory items for resale, supplies, shipping, and other related services expenses. The Senate Disbursing Office maintains the money and makes payments on behalf of the Senate Gift Shop Revolving Fund. Salaries and benefits of Senate employees who work in the Gift Shop are not paid from the revolving fund; rather, they are paid from the "Salaries, Officers, and Employees" appropriation account of the Senate. Additional costs of the Gift Shop such as rent …

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the Federal government's use of suspensions and debarments. In 2010, spending on contracted goods and services was more than $535 billion. To protect the government's interests, federal agencies are required to award contracts only to responsible sources--those that are determined to be reliable, dependable, and capable of performing required work. One way to do so is through the use of suspensions and debarments, which are actions taken to exclude firms or individuals from receiving contracts or assistance based on various types of misconduct. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) prescribes overall policies and procedures governing the suspension and debarment of contractors by agencies and directs agencies to establish appropriate procedures to implement them. This flexibility enables each agency to establish a suspension and debarment program suitable to its mission and structure. Even though the FAR specifies numerous causes for suspensions and debarments, including fraud, theft, bribery, tax evasion, or lack of business integrity, the existence of one of these does not necessarily require that the party be suspended or debarred. Agencies are to establish procedures for prompt reporting, investigation, and referral to the agency suspension …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In a letter dated July 22, 2010, Congress requested that we conduct an audit of the Senate Stationery Room's cash receipts and cash disbursements recorded in the Senate Stationery Room Revolving Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010. In the letter, Congress also requested that we review the inventory accounting procedures of the Stationery Room. The Senate Stationery Room provides for the sale of stationery to members of the Senate, Senate offices, and other Senate committees and authorized organizations. This includes the sale of office and administrative supplies, personalized stationery, flags, and special order items such as business cards. All sales receipts are taken to the Senate Disbursing Office for deposit into the Senate Stationery Room Revolving Fund in the U.S. Treasury. The Stationery Room then uses the cash receipts to purchase inventory items and emergency supplies for resale, and to pay for other services expenses. The Senate Disbursing Office maintains the money and makes payments on behalf of the Senate Stationery Room Revolving Fund. Salaries and benefits of Senate employees who work in the Stationery Room are not paid from the revolving fund; rather, they …

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Business Systems Modernization (BSM) program is a multi-billion dollar, high-risk, highly complex effort that involves the development and delivery of a number of modernized systems that are intended to replace the agency's aging business and tax processing systems. As required, IRS submitted its fiscal year 2011 expenditure plan in May 2011 to the House and Senate appropriations committees, requesting approximately $352 million from the BSM account. In response to a mandate, GAO's objectives in reviewing the expenditure plan were to (1) determine whether it satisfies the applicable statutory conditions, (2) determine IRS's progress in implementing prior expenditure plan review recommendations, and (3) provide additional observations about the plan and the BSM program. To accomplish the objectives, GAO analyzed the plan, reviewed related documentation, and interviewed IRS officials."

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our prior work on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program and database. IRIS is one of the most significant tools that EPA has developed to support its mission to protect people and the environment from harmful chemical exposures. The IRIS database contains EPA's scientific position on the potential human health effects that may result from exposure to more than 550 chemicals in the environment and is a critical component of EPA's capacity to support its mission. IRIS assessments provide the scientific input to risk management decisions, such as whether EPA should establish air and water quality standards to protect the public from exposure to toxic chemicals or set cleanup standards for hazardous waste sites. Consequently, IRIS assessments are a critical component of EPA's capacity to support scientifically sound decisions, policies, and regulations. EPA created IRIS in 1985 to help the agency develop consensus opinions within the agency about the health effects from chronic exposure to chemicals. Over time, the importance of the program has increased as EPA program offices, state and local environmental programs, and some international regulatory bodies …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report discusses the approach that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking to implement the Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) nationally. CMS developed the QIS--a new electronic process used to conduct nursing home inspections--to provide a more reliable assessment of the quality of care in nursing homes. Congress asked us to review the implementation of the QIS. As Congress requested, this report provides background information on the nursing home inspection process and describes the approach CMS is taking to implement the QIS."

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In a May 2011 testimony before this subcommittee (GAO-11-572T), based on a March 2011 report (GAO-11-250), GAO highlighted challenges for the Federal Recovery Coordination Program (FRCP), developed by the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to assist some of the most severely wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Specifically, GAO reported on challenges in FRCP enrollment, staffing needs, caseloads, and placement locations. GAO also cited challenges faced by the FRCP when coordinating with other VA and DOD programs, including DOD's Recovery Coordination Program (RCP), which can result in duplication of effort and enrollee confusion. In this statement, GAO examines the status of DOD and VA's efforts to (1) implement GAO's March 2011 recommendations and (2) identify and analyze potential options to functionally integrate the FRCP and RCP. This statement is based on GAO's March 2011 report and updated information obtained in September 2011."

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Cloud computing, an emerging form of computing where users have access to scalable, on-demand capabilities that are provided through Internet-based technologies, has the potential to provide information technology services more quickly and at a lower cost, but also to introduce information security risks. Accordingly, GAO was asked to testify on the security implications of cloud computing. This testimony describes (1) the information security implications of using cloud computing services in the federal government; (2) GAO's previous reporting on federal efforts and guidance to address cloud computing information security; and (3) GAO recommendations and subsequent actions taken by federal agencies to address federal cloud computing security issues. In preparing this statement, GAO summarized its May 2010 report on cloud computing security and assessed agency actions to implement its recommendations."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "By the end of this fiscal year--in less than one month--the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) projects that it will incur a $9 billion loss; reach its $15 billion borrowing limit; not make its $5.5 billion retiree health benefits payment; and thus, become insolvent. USPS recently summarized this situation as the equivalent of facing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In August 2011, USPS outlined new proposals to address the crisis. USPS seeks legislation to remove itself from the federal health benefit program and sponsor its own program; change pension benefits for new employees; and eliminate the layoff provisions it negotiated with its unions in collective bargaining to accelerate its delivery, processing, and retail network and workforce downsizing. Other USPS proposals, such as moving to 5-day delivery, and pending legislation include additional options for consideration. This statement discusses (1) updated information on USPS's financial crisis and (2) GAO's review and analysis of proposals to address this crisis, including USPS's new proposals, and options in current legislation. The testimony is based primarily on GAO's review of pending legislation, past and ongoing work related to postal issues, as well as USPS's recent financial results …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO added the 2010 Census to its list of high-risk programs in 2008 in part because of (1) long-standing weaknesses in the Census Bureau's (Bureau) information technology (IT) acquisition and contract management function, (2) difficulties in developing reliable life-cycle cost estimates, and (3) key operations that were not tested under operational conditions. These issues jeopardized the Bureau's readiness for the count. Moreover, societal trends, such as concerns over privacy, have made a cost-effective census an increasingly difficult challenge. At about $13 billion, 2010 was the costliest U.S. Census in history. As requested, this testimony focuses on lessons learned from the 2010 Census, and initiatives that show promise for producing a more cost-effective population count in 2020. This testimony is based on completed and ongoing work, including an analysis of Bureau documents, interviews with Bureau officials, and field observations of census operations in urban and rural locations across the country."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government holds more than 45,000 underutilized properties that cost nearly $1.7 billion annually to operate, yet significant obstacles impede efforts to close, consolidate, or find other uses for them. In January 2003, GAO designated federal real property management as a high-risk area, in part because of the number and cost of these properties. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for reviewing federal agencies' progress in real property management. In 2007, GAO recommended that OMB assist agencies by developing an action plan to address key obstacles associated with decisions related to unneeded real property, including stakeholder influence. The President's fiscal year 2012 budget proposed establishing a legislative framework for disposing of and consolidating civilian real property, referred to as a Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA), which may be designed to address stakeholder influences in real property decision making. This testimony identifies (1) obstacles to effectively managing federal real property, (2) actions designed to overcome those obstacles, including government actions and CPRA, and (3) key elements of the Department of Defense's (DOD) base realignment and closure (BRAC) process that are designed to help DOD close …

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Fiscal sustainability presents a national challenge shared by all levels of government. Since 2007, GAO has published long-term fiscal simulations for the state and local government sector. These simulations show that, like the federal government, the state and local sector faces persistent and long-term fiscal pressures. Using the Bureau of Economic Analysis's National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) as the primary data source, GAO's model projects the level of receipts and expenditures for the sector until 2060 based on current and historical spending and revenue patterns. GAO assumes the current set of policies in place across federal, state, and local governments remains constant. The model simulates the long-term fiscal outlook for the state and local sector as a whole and, while the model incorporates the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) economic projections, adjustments are made to capture the budgetary effects of near-term cyclical swings in the economy. Because the model covers the sector in the aggregate, the fiscal outcomes for individual states and localities cannot be captured. This product is part of a body of work on the nation's long-term fiscal challenges. Related products can be found …

Interview with Thomas Jasper "Jack" Moore, III, a lumberyard from Kerrville, Texas. Mr. Moore describes lives of three generations of the Moore family who owned a general store in Ingram, Texas, and later lumberyards and/or ranches. He also discusses how ranchers deal with coyotes. The interview transcript includes photos of Mr. Moore and his family, on pages 24-26.

Interview with Kathryn Mitchell, former elementary school teacher in Dallas Independent School District and activist. Mitchell discusses her early life, her experience organizing a PTA at Kramer Elementary in Dallas, and how she navigated integration as an elementary school teacher.

Interview with Rosie C. Sorrells, educator and activist. Sorrells discusses her early life, education, activism, and work within Dallas Independent School District to improve the quality of education for students.

Interview with Roy Williams, civil rights activist who fought against police brutality. Williams discusses his upbringing, his time in the Navy, and activism against police brutality.

Transcript of an oral interview with Major General John R.D. Cleland. Cleland joined the Army after he finished high school in 1943 because he wanted to be a paratrooper. He took basic training at Fort Hood, Texas and discusses several aspects of it. He eventually was accepted into jump school and describes training to be a paratrooper. After jump school, Cleland went to Parachute demolition school. He graduated top of his class and then went to Officer Candidate School. In November, 1944, he graduated as a second lieutenant from OCS. He finally joined the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team in June, 1945 in the Philippines. He got there aboard the USS Pondera (APA-191). Shortly after arriving on Negros, the Japanese surrendered and Cleland set up and command a prison camp for them. By October, all his prisoners had been shipped out and he went to Japan for occupation duty. While on occupation duty, Cleland was gathered surrendered weapons and demolished ammunition stockpiles. Cleland returned to the US in 1947 and stayed in the service. He describes his participation in the war in Korea. He served as a rifle company commander and was wounded in a night attack. He was evacuated …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Betty Blalock. Blalock joined the Navy in 1945 and received basic training in Yonkers. She was assigned to the hospital corps and sent to the amputee ward at Quantico. Once a day, an airplane would arrive with amputees whom Blalock would visit and encourage. She remembers them as having good morale. After the war, she was discharged and married a tech sergeant, Hugh Blalock, who went on to serve in the Air Force for 30 years. She and her husband spent 10 years with Air America in Laos, Saigon, and Bangkok. While there she opened three kindergartens, taking a 12-hour train, a bicycle ride, and a boat taxi twice each week to teach classes. Blalock says that she’s led an interesting life and has gone around the world about five times.

Jean Nelson describing an epiphany she had following a stroke.

A payment receipt for a special event permit from the City of Fort Worth for the 2011 Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS. The receipt is made out for Jerry Calumn for the amount of $150 to the address of the Lone Star Ride headquarters.

Application materials submitted to the Texas Historical Commission requesting a historic marker for the New York Store, in Hebbronville, Texas. The materials include the inscription text of the marker, original application, narrative, floor plans, and photographs.

Blog post about renovations to the Sam Rayburn House Museum in Bonham, Texas.