Federal Protective Service: Actions Needed to Resolve Delays and Inadequate Oversight Issues with FPS's Risk Assessment and Management Program (open access)

Federal Protective Service: Actions Needed to Resolve Delays and Inadequate Oversight Issues with FPS's Risk Assessment and Management Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Protective Service (FPS), which is within the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), is responsible for protecting the more than 1 million federal employees and members of the public who work in and visit the over 9,000 federal facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration (GSA) from a potential terrorist attack or other acts of violence. To accomplish its facility protection mission, FPS has about 1,200 full-time employees and approximately 13,200 contract security guards. FPS has an annual budget of about $1 billion and receives its funding from the revenues and collections of security fees charged to tenant agencies for protective services such as facility security assessments (FSA) and providing contract security guard services. Since 2008, we have issued numerous reports that address major challenges FPS faces in protecting federal facilities. For example, in 2009 and 2010 we reported that FPS had problems completing high-quality FSAs in a timely manner and did not provide adequate oversight of its contract guard program. In September 2007, FPS decided to address the challenges with its legacy security assessment and guard management systems …
Date: July 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fish and Wildlife Service: Agency Needs to Inform Congress of Future Costs Associated With Land Acquisitions (open access)

Fish and Wildlife Service: Agency Needs to Inform Congress of Future Costs Associated With Land Acquisitions

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its recent report on how the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decides to establish and expand refuges, focusing on: (1) the financial effect of establishing refuges by means other than appropriations; and (2) differences in the priority-setting processes for acquiring land using the land and water and migratory bird funds."
Date: February 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Developing Countries: Challenges Confronting Debt Relief and IMF Lending to Poor Countries (open access)

Developing Countries: Challenges Confronting Debt Relief and IMF Lending to Poor Countries

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and the International Monetary Fund's concessional (below-market terms) lending facility--the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility--are two multilateral programs intended to help spur economic growth and reduce poverty in low-income countries, most notably countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The HIPC Initiative represents a step forward in the international community's efforts to relieve poor countries of their heavy debt burdens. It does so by seeking to include all creditors and by providing significant debt relief to recipient countries. Unless strong, sustained economic growth is achieved, however the initiative will not likely provide recipient countries with a lasting exit from their debt problems. Furthermore, as long as the initiative links debt relief to poverty reduction strategies, the tension between quick debt relief and comprehensive country-owned strategies is likely to persist. These issues should not be seen, however, as a reason to abandon efforts to provide debt relief to eligible countries. Heavily indebted poor countries continue to carry unsustainable debt burdens that are unlikely to be lessened without debt relief, but participants and observers need to be more realistic about what the initiative may ultimately achieve. …
Date: May 15, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security: Need to Consider VA's Role in Strengthening Federal Preparedness (open access)

Homeland Security: Need to Consider VA's Role in Strengthening Federal Preparedness

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In the event of a domestic terrorist attack or other major disasters, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to provide backup medical resources to the military health system and local communities. VA now assists other federal agencies that have lead responsibility for responding to disasters, including terrorism. Its areas of responsibility include disaster simulation exercises and maintaining medical stockpiles. VA's efforts in these areas have enhanced national emergency preparedness by improving medical response procedures and by strengthening the security of federal pharmaceutical stockpiles to ensure rapid response to local authorities. VA also has resources that could play a role in future federal homeland security efforts. Its assets include the bricks, mortar, and human capital components of its health care system; graduate medical education programs; and expertise involving emergency backup and support activities. In managing large-scale medical emergencies arising from terrorist attacks, VA's emergency response capabilities have strengths and weaknesses. Determining how VA can best contribute to homeland security is especially timely given the extraordinary level of federal activity underway to manage large-scale disasters."
Date: October 15, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Infrastructure: Historic Properties within the Department of Defense (open access)

Defense Infrastructure: Historic Properties within the Department of Defense

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Office of the Secretary of Defense and the service headquarters provide overall policy guidance and negotiate agreements on the treatment of the military's historic properties. However, most decisions on historic properties are made at the installation level. The installations are responsible for identifying and evaluating properties to determine if they are eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as maintaining all properties that are listed on or have been determined eligible for listing on the National Register. The military lacks complete and reliable data on the number of its historic properties. None of the services have a centralized database that comprehensively identifies all of their respective historic properties. Data is not available on the costs to to maintain or repair historic properties. Cost data GAO examined at several installations showed that, overall, the day-to-day maintenance historic properties was similar to maintenance on non-historic properties."
Date: March 15, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Postal Service: Financial Outlook and Transformation Challenges (open access)

U.S. Postal Service: Financial Outlook and Transformation Challenges

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) faces major challenges that collectively call for a structural transformation if it is to remain viable in the 21st century. This testimony discusses USPS' current financial outlook, actions that USPS has taken or planned to take, and the transformation issues that will need to be addressed. GAO concludes that structural transformation is essential if USPS is to overcome its financial, operational, and human capital challenges. It is at a growing risk of being unable to continue providing universal postal service at reasonable rates while remaining self-supporting through postal revenues. Although USPS has announced steps to address its mounting problems, it lacks a comprehensive plan to address its various financial, operational, or human capital challenges. USPS needs to develop a transformation plan in conjunction with Congress and other stakeholders that would address the key transformation issues facing USPS."
Date: May 15, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Financial Management: Further Improvements Needed to Establish Adequate Financial Control and Accountability (open access)

Medicare Financial Management: Further Improvements Needed to Establish Adequate Financial Control and Accountability

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its review of the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) financial management activities for Medicare, focusing on challenges HCFA faces in establishing an adequate foundation for control and accountability over the Medicare program's financial operations."
Date: March 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Export Controls: Inadequate Justification for Relaxation of Computer Controls Demonstrates Need for Comprehensive Study (open access)

Export Controls: Inadequate Justification for Relaxation of Computer Controls Demonstrates Need for Comprehensive Study

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The President's January 2001 changes in the export control thresholds for high performance computer exports are not adequately justified. Although the President's report recognizes that high performance computing capabilities will become increasingly available to other countries through computer clustering, the report fails to address all military significant uses for computers at the new thresholds and assess the national security impact of such uses. The support for the President's policy proposal for relaxed U.S. computer controls also is not adequate. Although the new policy was based on the conclusion that computer hardware exports can no longer be controlled, the executive branch did not adequately assess alternative control options. GAO identified several implications of the changes to the control thresholds and the proposed change in U.S. computer export control policy related to increased risks for U.S. national security. For example, the inadequacies of the President's justifications demonstrate the need for a comprehensive study of the issues involved. Furthermore, the policy proposal would reduce information that might be useful in detecting patterns of exports to customers engaged in proliferation activities because it would eliminate an annual reporting requirement that provides information …
Date: March 15, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nursing Homes: Complaint Investigation Processes in Maryland (open access)

Nursing Homes: Complaint Investigation Processes in Maryland

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO discussed its recent findings on the effectiveness of federal and state nursing home complaint investigation processes, with a specific focus on its work in Maryland."
Date: June 15, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Voluntary Consensus Standards: Agencies' Compliance With the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (open access)

Voluntary Consensus Standards: Agencies' Compliance With the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed federal agencies' compliance with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, which directs federal agencies to use voluntary consensus standards, focusing on: (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) and the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) activities in carrying out their oversight responsibilities under the act; (2) federal agencies' efforts in reporting their standards activities; and (3) progress made specifically by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in complying with the act."
Date: March 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Administration: Weaknesses Identified in Management of the Title XI Loan Guarantee Program (open access)

Maritime Administration: Weaknesses Identified in Management of the Title XI Loan Guarantee Program

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, as amended, is intended to help promote growth and modernization of the U.S. merchant marine and U.S. shipyards by enabling owners of eligible vessels and shipyards to obtain financing at attractive terms. The program has guaranteed more than $5.6 billion in ship construction and shipyard modernization costs since 1993, but has experienced several large-scale defaults over the past few years. One borrower, American Classic Voyages, defaulted on five loan guarantees in amounts totaling $330 million, the largest of which was for the construction of Project America cruise ships. Because of concerns about the scale of recent defaults, GAO was asked to (1) determine whether MARAD complied with key program requirements, (2) describe how MARAD's practices for managing financial risk compare to those of selected private-sector maritime lenders, and (3) assess MARAD's implementation of credit reform. We are currently considering a number of recommendations to reform the Title XI program. Because of the fundamental flaws we have identified, we question whether MARAD should approve new loan guarantees without first addressing these program weaknesses."
Date: May 15, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security: Analysis of Issues and Selected Reform Proposals (open access)

Social Security: Analysis of Issues and Selected Reform Proposals

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Social Security not only represents the foundation of our retirement income system; it also provides millions of Americans with disability insurance and survivors' benefits. As a result, Social Security provides benefits that are critical to the current and future well-being of tens of millions of Americans. However, the system faces both solvency and sustainability challenges in the longer term. In their 2002 report, the Trustees emphasized that while the program's near-term financial condition has improved slightly, Social Security faces a substantial financial challenge in the not-too-distant future that needs to be addressed soon. In essence, the program's long-term outlook remains unchanged. Without reform, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are unsustainable, and the long-term impact of these entitlement programs on the federal budget and the economy will be dramatic. Over the past few years, a wide array of proposals has been put forth to restore Social Security's long-term solvency, and a commission established by the President has presented three models for modifying the current program. The Commission's final report called for a period of discussion lasting at least a year before legislative action is taken to strengthen and restore …
Date: January 15, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard: Budget Challenges for 2001 and Beyond (open access)

Coast Guard: Budget Challenges for 2001 and Beyond

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the challenges that the Coast Guard faces in its fiscal year 2001 and future budget requests, focusing on: (1) the Coast Guard's progress in justifying and managing its Deepwater Capability Replacement Project; and (2) opportunities for improving the Coast Guard's operating efficiencies."
Date: March 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Managing For Results: Next Steps to Improve the Federal Government's Management and Performance (open access)

Managing For Results: Next Steps to Improve the Federal Government's Management and Performance

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."
Date: February 15, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
IRS Management: Business and Systems Modernization Pose Challenges (open access)

IRS Management: Business and Systems Modernization Pose Challenges

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the management challenges facing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and its progress in implementing its new restructuring initiative."
Date: April 15, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Paperwork Reduction Act: Burden Increases and Unauthorized Information Collections (open access)

Paperwork Reduction Act: Burden Increases and Unauthorized Information Collections

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)."
Date: April 15, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
H-2A Agricultural Guestworkers: Status of Efforts to Improve Program Services (open access)

H-2A Agricultural Guestworkers: Status of Efforts to Improve Program Services

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the status of the Department of Labor's (DOL) efforts to improve the H-2A agricultural guestworker program services."
Date: June 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ambulance Services: Changes Needed to Improve Medicare Payment Policies and Coverage Decisions (open access)

Ambulance Services: Changes Needed to Improve Medicare Payment Policies and Coverage Decisions

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 required Medicare to change its payment system for ambulance services. In response, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), now called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), proposed a fee schedule to standardize payments across provider types on the basis of national rates for particular services. Under the act, the fee schedule was to have applied to ambulance services furnished on or after January 1, 2000. HCFA published a proposed rule in September 2000 and has received public comment, but it has not yet issued a final rule. This testimony discusses the unique concerns of rural ambulance providers and the likely effects of the proposed fee schedule on these providers. Many rural ambulance providers face a set of unique challenges in implementing an appropriate payment policy. Rural providers--particularly those serving large geographic areas with low population density--tend to have high per-trip costs compared with urban and suburban providers. The proposed Medicare fee schedule does not sufficiently distinguish the providers serving beneficiaries in the most isolated rural areas and may not appropriately account for the higher costs of low-volume providers."
Date: November 15, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health Insurance: Proposals for Expanding Private and Public Coverage (open access)

Health Insurance: Proposals for Expanding Private and Public Coverage

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Various approaches have been proposed to increase private and public health care coverage of uninsured persons. The success of these proposals will depend on several key factors. The impact of tax subsidies on promoting private health insurance will depend on whether the subsidies reduce premiums enough to induce uninsured low-income individuals to buy health insurance and on whether these subsidies can be made available at the time the person needs to pay premiums. The effectiveness of public program expansions will depend on states' ability and willingness to use any new flexibility to cover uninsured residents as well as develop effective outreach to enroll the targeted populations. Although crowd-out is a concern with any of the approaches, some degree of public funds going to those currently with private health insurance may be inevitable to provide stable health coverage for some of the 42 million uninsured Americans."
Date: March 15, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
2000 Census: Status of Key Operations (open access)

2000 Census: Status of Key Operations

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its recent reports regarding the operational uncertainties of the status of the 2000 Census, focusing on: (1) achieving the Bureau of the Census' mail response rate objective; (2) collecting accurate and timely data from nonrespondents; and (3) conducting data capture operations."
Date: February 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Action Needed to Ensure Continued Delivery of Veterans Benefits and Health Care Services (open access)

Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Action Needed to Ensure Continued Delivery of Veterans Benefits and Health Care Services

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) year 2000 readiness, focusing on: (1) VA's ability to deliver benefits and health care services through the turn of the century; and (2) the readiness of automated systems that support such delivery, the compliance status of biomedical equipment used in patient care, and the year 2000 readiness of the pharmaceutical and medical-surgical manufacturers upon which VA relies."
Date: April 15, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Health Care: Observations on Proposed Benefit Expansion and Overcoming TRICARE Obstacles (open access)

Defense Health Care: Observations on Proposed Benefit Expansion and Overcoming TRICARE Obstacles

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed proposed changes and improvements to the military health system (MHS), focusing on: (1) the various proposals to expand the military health care benefit, especially those for older retirees, including describing the nature of the enhancement, the present or potential challenges in implementing these proposals, and overall cost implications; (2) the broader perspective of the appropriate size and structure of the military health system; and (3) the obstacles that impede improvements in the TRICARE program, particularly in terms of accessing appointments and claims processing."
Date: March 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agent Orange: Persisting Problems With Communication of Ranch Hand Study Data and Results (open access)

Agent Orange: Persisting Problems With Communication of Ranch Hand Study Data and Results

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its recent reports on the Air Force's Ranch Hand study, which was designed to investigate whether exposure to herbicides in Vietnam led to or would lead to adverse health effects, focusing on: (1) what impact the study has had on veterans' compensation decisions; and (2) how the study disseminated results and data, communicated its limitations, and implemented measures to ensure that it was conducted with scientific independence and appropriate outside scientific oversight."
Date: March 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intercity Passenger Rail: Increasing Amtrak's Accountability for Its Taxpayer Relief Act Funds (open access)

Intercity Passenger Rail: Increasing Amtrak's Accountability for Its Taxpayer Relief Act Funds

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the National Railroad Passenger Corporation's (Amtrak) use of Taxpayer Relief Act (TRA) funds, focusing on: (1) how much Amtrak has spent in TRA funds and what types of activities it has funded; (2) whether Amtrak used the funds in accordance with the act; (3) to what extent the Amtrak Reform Council and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have overseen Amtrak's use of TRA funds; and (4) observations on Amtrak's capital needs, its progress toward reaching operational self-sufficiency, and the administration's fiscal year 2001 budget request for Amtrak."
Date: March 15, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library