Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Elderly persons use drugs at a higher rate than younger persons, in part because elderly persons experience higher rates of certain diseases--such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, and heart disorders. Elderly persons--those age 65 and older--are also more likely than younger adults to experience complications when taking some prescription drugs. For example, because of their decreased liver and kidney functions, elderly persons often lack the ability to eliminate drugs from their bodies as efficiently as younger adults, making elderly persons more likely to experience side effects associated with drugs. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that it is important that drugs be studied for use by elderly persons during the clinical drug trials--that is, those drug studies conducted by drug sponsors before they submit an application to have a drug approved for marketing. FDA is responsible for oversight of clinical drug trials and deciding whether to approve new drugs for marketing in the United States. This responsibility includes determining if drugs are safe and effective for the people expected to use them, including elderly persons. To implement its responsibilities, FDA issues guidance and regulations …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1992, GAO has published long-term fiscal simulations of what might happen to federal deficits and debt levels under varying policy assumptions. GAO developed its long-term model in response to a bipartisan request from Members of Congress who were concerned about the longterm effects of fiscal policy. GAO's simulations were updated with the CBO's August budget projections and economic assumptions and continue to indicate that the long-term federal fiscal outlook remains unsustainable. This update combined with our analysis of the fiscal outlook of state and local governments demonstrates that the fiscal challenges facing all levels of government are linked and should be considered in a strategic and integrated manner. GAO updates its simulations three times a year as new estimates become available from: CBO's Budget and Economic Outlook (January), Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports (spring), and CBO's Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update (late summer). This product responds to congressional interest in receiving updated simulation results."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In January 2007, the President stated that the high levels of violence in Iraq had overwhelmed the political gains that the Iraqis had made and required a new U.S. strategy for stabilizing the country. The new strategy recognized that until the Iraqi people have a basic measure of security, they would not be able to make significant and sustainable political and economic progress. To help Iraqi leaders provide security for their population, the United States deployed about 30,000 additional troops to Iraq during the spring of 2007, bringing the total number of U.S. military personnel up to about 160,000 as of mid-June 2007. Enemy-initiated attacks data are a key indicator of progress in improving Iraq's security situation, an important condition that, according to the administration, must be met before the United States can reduce its military presence in Iraq. While attacks data alone may not provide a complete picture of Iraq's security situation, Department of Defense (DOD) and Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I) officials state that the data provide a reasonably sound depiction of general security trends in the country. Since 2004, we have periodically provided this information to Congress …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal executive boards (FEB) bring together federal agency and community leaders in major metropolitan areas outside Washington, D.C., to discuss issues of common interest, including pandemic influenza. This testimony addresses the FEBs' emergency support roles and responsibilities, their potential role in pandemic influenza preparedness, and some of the key challenges they face in providing emergency support services. The issues discussed in the testimony are based on the GAO report, The Federal Workforce: Additional Steps Needed to Take Advantage of Federal Executive Boards' Ability to Contribute to Emergency Operations (GAO-07- 515, May 2007). GAO selected 14 of the 28 FEBs for review because they coordinate the greatest number of federal employees or had recent emergency management experience. In this report, GAO recommended that the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to formally define the FEBs' role in emergency planning and response. In completing the FEB strategic plan, OPM should also establish accountability for the boards' emergency support activities and develop a proposal to address the uncertainty of funding sources for the boards. While not commenting specifically on the …

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether, in light of the equal protection guarantees of the United States and Texas constitutions, the Texas Municipal Police Association, an entity credentialed by and under contract with the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education to provide continuing education to peace officers, may reduce tuition for its members (RQ-0578-GA)