Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of The American Society of International Law for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report contains the auditor's opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO examined the underlying records for the net excise tax revenue distributed to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) for fiscal year 2001. GAO (1) did a detailed test of transactions that represent the underlying basis of amounts distributed to AATF, (2) reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) quarterly AATF certifications, (3) reviewed the Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service adjustments to AATF for fiscal year 2001, (4) reviewed procedures in the Office of Tax Analysis' process for estimating amounts to be distributed to AATF for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2001, (5) compared net excise tax distributions to AATF during fiscal year 2001 and amounts reported in the financial statements prepared by the Bureau of the Public Debt for AATF and the Federal Aviation Administration's consolidated financial statements, and (6) reviewed key reconciliations of IRS records to Treasury records."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Citing the desire to "ensure that the President's appointees have the opportunity to review any new or pending regulations," the White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card, Jr. sent a memorandum to the heads of all executive agencies on January 20, 2001, directing them to (1) not send proposed or final regulations to the Office of the Federal Register, (2) withdraw regulations that had been sent to the Office but not yet published in the Federal Register, and (3) postpone for 60 days the effective date of regulations that had been published in the Federal Register but had not yet taken effect. GAO found that federal agencies delayed the effective dates for 90 of the 371 final rules that were subject to the memorandum. The effective dates for the remaining 281 rules were either not delayed or GAO could find no indication in the Federal Register of a delay."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Because the activities of the Congressional side of the Census Monitoring Board (CMBC) ceased to exist on September 30, 2001, CMBC entered into an interagency agreement with the Government Printing Office (GPO) to pay CMBC bills and to provide administrative support services. GAO examined CMBC documents to determine financial cutoff procedures and conducted other audits as necessary. GAO found four CMBC personnel were present at CMBC's former office on October 1, 2001, but performed no substantive government action. More than $14,000 was obligated and paid for telephone, cable, Internet, computer, copier, and water services to be provided after CMBC's statutory termination date. These prepayments were improper and should not have been certified and paid. GPO was requesting reimbursement from vendors for services that were not properly provided. GPO acquired CMBC property and supplies after September 30, 2001. A November 2001 GPO inventory found that some CMBC property had not been returned, was reported stolen, or was missing. The use of government owned property after CMBC termination was not proper, and GPO is seeking the return of some property. GPO was arranging for CMBC records disposal. CMBC internal controls …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the American Council of Learned Societies for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century changes the budgetary treatment of programs financed by the Highway Trust Fund. In particular, the act guaranteed annual funding levels for most highway and transit programs and linked highway user tax receipts, such as those from motor fuel and truck tire taxes, to the annual funding levels for highway programs. Revenue aligned budget authority adjustments are made to the annual guaranteed funding level provided in the act as highway account receipt levels change. For the first time, the adjustment for fiscal year 2003 is negative--decreasing the guaranteed level of highway funding by $4.369 billion. GAO found that the amounts distributed to the Highway Trust Fund for the first nine months of fiscal year 2001, as adjusted based on the Internal Revenue Service's certifications, were reasonable and adequately supported based on available information."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO helped the Department of Transportation to determine whether the net excise tax revenue distributed to the Highway Trust Fund for fiscal year 2001 was supported by the underlying records. In performing the agreed-upon procedures, GAO did its work in accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards, which incorporate financial audit and attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Fugitive felons are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will, upon request, provide law enforcement agencies with the current addresses and Social Security numbers of fugitive felons who are SSI recipients. The Privacy Act of 1974 generally prohibits federal agencies from disclosing to anyone, including other government agencies, information they have on file on individuals. When the head of a law enforcement agency asks SSA for information on an individual as part of civil or criminal investigations, SSA has the authority under the Privacy Act to disclose this information but is not required to do so. The Social Security Act does not give SSA the authority to determine if individuals are ineligible for Old Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance benefits because they are fugitive felons."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report reviews the Farm Credit Administration's (FCA) oversight of the safety and soundness of the Farm Credit System (FCS). GAO found that FCA's oversight and supervision appeared to be timely, comprehensive, and effective. FCA required FCS institutions to take appropriate and timely corrective actions to address any identified weaknesses and closely monitored the institutions' compliance. FCA had special supervisory and enforcement procedures in place and used them when it found more serious weaknesses at FCS institutions. In addition, off-site monitoring efforts included timely analyses of relevant qualitative and quantitative information that allowed FCA to identify, monitor, evaluate, and proactively address risks faced by FCS institutions. FCA follows processes designed to ensure the quality and reliability of its safety and soundness examination process through periodic quality assurance reviews and the Inspector General's audits and inspection reports."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Agricultural Hall of Fame for fiscal years 2000, and 1999. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO studied several leading companies in the private sector that have made dramatic changes to their process for acquiring services. GAO found that these changes generally began with a corporate decision to pursue a more strategic approach to acquiring services--from developing a better picture of what the company was actually spending on services to developing new ways of doing business. The Defense Department (DOD), the government's largest purchaser of services, already has some elements in place that are essential to such a strategic approach, such as a commitment by top management to adopting best practices. However, DOD has yet to conduct a comprehensive analysis of its spending on services or thoroughly assess it's current structure, processes, and roles. DOD's size, the range and complexity of the services that it acquires, the capacity of its information and financial systems, and the unique requirements of the federal government are among the factors that DOD will need to consider as it tailors a strategic approach to its diverse needs."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To help build and rehabilitate multifamily rental housing, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) provides lenders with mortgage insurance, or guarantees, for multifamily loans. In fiscal year 2001, FHA provided guarantees for all multifamily projects--regardless of program--on a first-come, first-served basis until the total budget authority for the multifamily programs was exhausted. FHA had obligated $81 million of the $101 million of its credit subsidy budget authority for the fiscal year by April 2001 and suspended issuing commitments for additional loans. FHA obligated most of its fiscal year 2001 subsidy budget authority by April 2001 because of unexpectedly high demand--five times FHA's estimate--for mortgage insurance under the Section 221(d)(3) Program, which is limited to nonprofit developers and cooperatives and has a higher subsidy rate than do other programs. FHA has taken steps to avoid this situation in the future. When most of the fiscal year 2001 credit subsidy budget authority was obligated, FHA placed several multifamily projects on a waiting list until funding became available. Most of these projects were funded using the remaining budget authority and credit subsidy from projects approved earlier that were later terminated or required …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statement of the Disabled American Veterans for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report included the auditors' opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Inc. for fiscal years 2000 and 1999. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report included the auditors' opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly on a modified cash basis of accounting."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) lacks management control of the Standard Procurement System (SPS). DOD has not (1) ensured that accountability and responsibility for measuring progress against commitments are clearly understood, performed, and reported; (2) demonstrated, on the basis of reliable data and credible analysis, that the proposed system solution will produce economic benefits commensurate with costs; (3) used data on progress against project cost, schedule, and performance commitments throughout a project's life cycle to make investment decisions; and (4) divided this large project into a series of incremental investment decisions to spread the risks over smaller, more manageable components. GAO found that DOD lacks the basic information needed to make informed decisions on how to proceed with the project. Nevertheless, DOD continues to push forward in acquiring and deploying additional versions of SPS. This testimony summarizes a July report (GAO-01-682)."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Congress established an Indian trust fund account reconciliation requirement in 1987 in response to tribes' concerns that the Department of the Interior had not consistently provided them with statements on their account balances, their trust fund accounts had never been reconciled, and Interior planned to contract with a third party to manage the accounts. Congress required that the accounts be audited and reconciled before the Bureau of Indian Affairs transferred funds to a third party. Interior's fiscal year 1990 appropriations act added a requirement that the accounts be reconciled to the earliest possible date and that Interior obtain an independent certification of the reconciliation work. The American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 required Interior to provide tribes with reconciled account statements as of September 30, 1995. To fulfill these requirements, Interior contracted with two major independent public accounting firms, one to reconcile the trust accounts and the other to do an independent certification of the reconciliation. When Interior's reconciliation project was completed in January 1996, each tribe was provided a report that included unreconciled account statements with schedules of proposed adjustments based on results for …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently established a medical surveillance system to respond to the health care needs of both military personnel and veterans. A medical surveillance system involves the ongoing collection and analysis of uniform information on deployments, environmental health threats, disease monitoring, medical assessments, and medical encounters and its timely dissemination to military commanders, medical personnel, and others. GAO and others have reported extensively on weaknesses in DOD's medical surveillance capability and performance during the Gulf War and Operation Joint Endeavor. Investigations into the unexplained illnesses of Gulf War veterans revealed DOD's inability to collect, maintain, and transfer accurate data on the movement of troops, potential exposures to health risks, and medical incidents during deployment. DOD improved its medical surveillance system under Operation Joint Endeavor, which provided useful information to military commanders and medical personnel. However, several problems persist. DOD has several efforts under way to improve the reliability of deployment information and enhance its information technology capabilities. Although its recent policies and reorganization reflect a commitment to establish a comprehensive medical surveillance system, much needs to be done …

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program's current financial management initiatives, activities, and practices."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO published its 2001 Performance and Accountability Report, which combines an assessment of its accomplishments in fiscal year 2001 with its plans for continued progress through fiscal year 2003. GAO noted that (1) its financial reporting is reliable, (2) GAO is in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and (3) its performance reporting is reliable."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies need to work with other governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, both domestically and internationally, to achieve results. By focusing on accountable, results-oriented management, the federal government can use this network to deliver economical, efficient, and effective programs and services to the American people. The administration's plan to use the Executive Branch Management Scorecard to highlight agencies' progress in achieving management and performance improvements outlined in the President's Management Agenda is a promising first step. However, many of the challenges facing the federal government are long-standing and complex and will require sustained attention. Using broad standards, the scorecards in the president's budget grade agencies on the following five governmentwide initiatives: (1) strategic management of human capital, (2) competitive sourcing, (3) improved financial performance, (4) expanded electronic government, and (5) budget and performance integration. These initiatives cannot be addressed in an isolated or piecemeal fashion separate from other management challenges and high-risk areas."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The collapse of the Enron Corporation and the resulting loss of employee retirement savings highlighted several key vulnerabilities in the nation's private pension system. Asset diversification was a crucial lesson, especially for defined contribution plans, in which employees bear the investment risk. The Enron case underscores the importance of encouraging employees to diversify. Workers need clear and understandable information about their pension plans to make sound decisions on retirement savings. Although disclosure rules require plan sponsors to provide participants with a summary of their plan benefits and rights and to notify them when benefits are changed, this information is not always clear, particularly in the case of complex plans like floor-offset arrangements. Employees, like other investors, also need reliable and understandable information on a company's financial condition and prospects. Fiduciary standards form the cornerstone of private pension protections. These standards require plan sponsors to act solely in the interest of plan participants and beneficiaries. The Enron investigations should determine whether plan fiduciaries acted in accordance with their responsibilities."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has projected that the failure of Superior Bank could cost the deposit insurance fund as much as $526 million. A major reason for the failure was Superior Bank's business strategy of originating and securing subprime loans on a large scale. In addition to the concentration in risky assets, the bank did not properly value and account for the interests that it had retained in pooled home mortgages. Superior's external auditor, Ernst & Young, also failed to detect the improper valuation of Superior's retained interest until the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) and FDIC insisted that the issue be reviewed by the auditor's national office. Federal regulators did not identify and act on the bank's problems early enough to prevent a loss to the deposit insurance fund. Both OTS and FDIC were aware of the substantial concentration of retained interests that Superior held, but they took little action because of the apparently high level of earnings, the apparently adequate capital, and the belief that the bank's management was conservatively managing the institution."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Created to correct long-standing and widely recognized management and security problems at the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) manages the nation's nuclear weapons, nonproliferation, and naval reactors programs. Although NNSA announced a new headquarters organization in May 2001, it did not meet the Administrator's promise of implementing a new structure for the entire organization by October 2001. Furthermore, NNSA lost momentum during the summer in its effort to implement a comprehensive planning, programming, and budgeting process. NNSA has used only 19 of the 300 excepted service positions authorized by Title 32 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000. NNSA expects to report to Congress next month on its plans for using its excepted service authority. However, NNSA lacks a long-term strategic approach to ensure a well-managed, properly sized, and skilled workforce over the long run."