A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Each year, the Department of Defense (DOD) ships inventory worth billions of dollars to locations around the world. DOD has had longstanding difficulty tracking this inventory from origin to destination. GAO reviewed six draft plans developed by the four military services, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the U.S. Transportation Command to overcome this problem. The six draft plans have significantly improved on DOD's original plan for tracking inventory. They are, however, inconsistent in content and do not reflect a coordinated, DOD-wide approach to correcting the lack of visibility over inventory being shipped. These draft plans also lack detailed performance measures for monitoring progress and determining the effectiveness of the actions after they are implemented. They do not address how DOD will ensure appropriate coordination among the military services and DOD commands in the implementation of the corrective actions or how DOD will monitor future progress. Lastly, the Office of the Secretary of Defense has not established a deadline for when the plans should be finalized."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on issues relating to the arbitration process in the securities industry, focusing on: (1) whether arbitration forums had implemented recommendations made in GAO's 1992 report and whether the changes were effective; (2) how investors fared in award decisions; and (3) the extent to which investors were paid the amounts awarded by arbitration panels."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the structural problems that exist in the Medicare claims processing system, focusing on: (1) what the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) proposals have been designed or initiated to measure Medicare improper payments; and (2) the status of these proposals and initiatives and how will they enhance HCFA's ability to comprehensively measure improper Medicare payments and the frequency of kickbacks, false claims, and other inappropriate provider practices."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report documents GAO's concurrence with the findings of PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) report on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) financial management operations. To effectively monitor and evaluate PwC's work, GAO reviewed PwC's methodology for conducting its work, its collection techniques, resulting analysis, and the draft and final reports. Overall, PwC found significant weaknesses in CDC's financial management procedures, operations, systems, and staff. PwC stated that CDC's financial management capabilities has not kept pace with its expanding mission and funding growth. GAO notes that PwC's report provided CDC with both a framework and critical steps for beginning a long-term upgrading effort, and CDC should use this report as a guide."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program standards, focusing on: (1) the impact of increasing CAFE standards on oil consumption, the environment, and automobile safety in the United States; and (2) other issues that affect the CAFE discussion."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) reviewed two major AmeriCorps programs--AmeriCorps State/National and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC); (2) compared cost data for NCCC with similar data from the Department of Labor's Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCC) and reasons for any major differences; (3) compared AmeriCorps participant benefits with those afforded entry-level military personnel; and (4) described information available on the results of AmeriCorps programs."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the use of personal watercraft and snowmobile use on federal lands, focusing on: (1) the extent to which personal watercraft and snowmobiles are used in federal units that are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Park Service (NPS), and the Forest Service; (2) the bases for agency decisions to authorize or prohibit the use of these vehicles; (3) whether restrictions exist on vehicle operations in places where their use is allowed, and how are these restrictions enforced; and (4) the extent to which federal agencies assessed the impact of such use."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Air Force F-22 Raptor production cost estimate, focusing on: (1) the status of cost reduction plans, including some plans not yet implemented, and Air Force procedures for reporting on the plans; and (2) a comparison of the 1999 production cost estimates with the congressional cost limitation."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Transportation Office of Pipeline Safety's (OPS) performance in regulating pipeline safety, focusing on: (1) the extent of major pipeline accidents from 1989 through 1998; (2) OPS' implementation of the 1996 Accountable Pipeline Safety and Partnership Act's risk management demonstration program; (3) OPS' inspection and enforcement efforts since the act's implementation; and (4) OPS' responsiveness to recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and to statutory requirements designed to improve pipeline safety."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Since Title IX of the Education Amendments was enacted in 1972, women's participation in higher education academic programs has increased significantly. Women's participation in predominantly male fields such as business, law, and medicine has also increased greatly, although changes in other predominantly male fields, such as engineering and physical science, have been smaller. In some predominantly female fields, including elementary education and nursing, there have been increases in the proportion of men receiving degrees. In the 1995-96 school year, first-year college men and women were about as likely to receive financial aid and received about the same average amounts of grant and loan aid. Men continue to outnumber women on faculties in predominantly male fields at colleges and universities. Women's participation in intercollegiate sports at four-year colleges and universities has increased while men's participation has dropped slightly, although they still participate at a higher rate than do women. On average, in the 1998-99 school year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association member schools spent more per male intercollegiate sports participant than female participant in recruiting, coaches' salaries, and operations. However, they spent more on athletic scholarships for …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Air Force's Expeditionary Aerospace Force Concept."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO evaluated the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) financial management activities to determine if they are sufficient to resolve financial management weaknesses identified through annual financial statement audits and other management-type reviews of HCFA's Medicare activities."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the efforts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and states to provide effective drug abuse treatment programs, focusing on: (1) activities supported by SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant and Knowledge Development and Application (KDA) grant funds for drug abuse treatment; (2) SAMHSA and state mechanisms for monitoring fund use; and (3) SAMHSA and state efforts to determine the effectiveness of drug abuse treatment supported with SAPT block grant funds."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the workforce and safety issues facing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its shuttle program, focusing on the: (1) impact of workforce reductions on the shuttle program; (2) challenges NASA faces in addressing workforce issues; and (3) status of planned shuttle safety and supportability upgrades."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the alternative minimum tax (AMT) system, focusing on: (1) the rationale for establishing AMT; (2) how AMT affects taxpayers' tax liability; (3) the expected increase in AMT coverage and additional tax liability and the major reasons for the increase; and (4) the impact of the projected increase in AMT coverage on taxpayers' compliance burden and economic incentives and on the distribution of the tax burden."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) and how it enables citizens to interact with the federal government electronically, focusing on: (1) the status of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) efforts to develop guidance implementing GPEA; and (2) major challenges or impediments that might affect successful GPEA implementation."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1993, the United States agreed to buy 500 metric tons of highly enriched uranium from Russia. This uranium was extracted from dismantled nuclear weapons over a 20-year period. USEC, Incorporated, (the company that acts as an executive agent for the United States) paid Russia about $1.6 billion for more than 3,000 metric tons of low enriched uranium blended from highly enriched uranium. Five of these deliveries to USEC have been delayed because, among other reasons, Russia was dissatisfied with the revenue it ws getting from the sales. By the end of 1999, USEC had received about 19 metric tons less than the agreement called for at that point in the contract. The U.S. government and USEC expect that the shortfall will be made up in the next few years. In addition to the uranium obtained from dismantled nuclear weapons, Russia is also proposing that the United States buy newly produced uranium processed in its commercial facilities. GAO recommends that this arrangement be assessed to determine its impact on the nuclear fuel industry and national security."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the financial and management issues related to the depot maintenance activity group of the Air Force Working Capital Fund."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Water Quality Inventory, focusing on whether: (1) the information in EPA's National Water Quality Inventory is reliable and representative of water quality conditions nationwide; and (2) available data are sufficient to allow state officials to make key decisions about activities required by the Clean Water Act, such as identifying waters that do not meet water quality standards and developing strategies to address those waters."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on rural housing programs, focusing on: (1) the physical condition of today's rural housing and rural households' access to affordable housing credit; (2) the rural housing programs offered by the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) and the ways in which RHS' programs have adapted to changes in the level of federal housing assistance; (3) any overlap between RHS' programs and the programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other federal, state, and private organizations; and (4) options for maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal role in rural housing."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In May 2000, two of the nation's largest airlines, United Airlines and US Airways, proposed merging. As part of the agreement, United and US Airways also proposed divesting some of the US Airways' assets at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to create an airline to be known as DC Air. The Justice Department is now reviewing the proposal to determine if the merger would violate U.S. antitrust laws and, if so, whether the proposed divestiture constitutes an adequate remedy. GAO reviewed the proposed merger and found that it would create an airline so large that it would spur further industry consolidation. The new airline would have more than 25 percent of the total U.S. market and would take in almost $9 billion more than the next largest airline. Although the proposed merger may benefit consumers by boosting competition in some areas, it could also eliminate competition in other areas and reduce consumer choice. DC Air would face significant competitive challenges from other airlines. DC Air would offer smaller aircraft and less frequent service but would seek to compete with other airlines by reducing its fares."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) calendar years 1997 and 1998 accounting reports for the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, which provides assistance to the former Soviet Union, focusing on each report's: (1) compliance with its respective deadline for submission to Congress; and (2) accuracy and completeness."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the Department of the Interior's effort to acquire and develop its new Trust Asset and Accounting Management System (TAAMS), focusing on: (1) actions Interior has taken in response to GAO's previous reviews and recommendations; and (2) the business and technical risks and challenges still confronting Interior as it begins to deploy TAAMS."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Forest Service's ecosystem planning efforts, including the Great Lakes Ecological Assessment, focusing on the: (1) views of the Forest Service, other federal agencies, and GAO on key elements that broad-scale ecosystem based assessments should contain to maximize their value to the forest planning process; (2) extent to which the Forest Service has incorporated these elements into the Great Lakes Ecological Assessment and whether it has integrated the assessment into the forest planning process; and (3) extent to which the Forest Service's proposed planning regulations ensure that future broad-scale assessments contain these elements and are integrated into the forest planning process."