Resource Type

Federal Courthouse Construction: Nationwide Space and Cost Issues Are Applicable to L.A. Courthouse Project (open access)

Federal Courthouse Construction: Nationwide Space and Cost Issues Are Applicable to L.A. Courthouse Project

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2000, as part of a multibillion-dollar courthouse construction initiative, the judiciary requested and the General Services Administration (GSA) proposed building a new courthouse in Los Angeles to increase security, efficiency, and space--but construction never began. About $400 million was appropriated for the L.A. courthouse project. For this testimony, GAO was asked to report on (1) the status of the L.A. courthouse project, (2) challenges GAO has identified affecting federal courthouses nationwide, and (3) the extent to which these challenges are applicable to the L.A. courthouse project. This testimony is based on GAO-10-417 and GAO's other prior work on federal courthouses, during which GAO analyzed courthouse planning and use data, visited courthouses, modeled courtroom sharing scenarios, and interviewed judges, GSA officials, and others. In GAO-10-417, GAO recommended that (1) GSA ensure that new courthouses are constructed within their authorized size or, if not, that congressional committees are notified, (2) the Judicial Conference of the United States retain caseload projections to improve the accuracy of its 10-year-judge planning, and (3) the Conference establish and use courtroom sharing policies based on scheduling and use data. GSA and the judiciary agreed …
Date: November 4, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Part D: CMS Conducted Fraud and Abuse Compliance Plan Audits, but All Audit Findings Are Not Yet Available (open access)

Medicare Part D: CMS Conducted Fraud and Abuse Compliance Plan Audits, but All Audit Findings Are Not Yet Available

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Medicare Part D program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), provides a voluntary, outpatient prescription drug benefit for eligible individuals 65 years and older and eligible individuals with disabilities. CMS contracts with private companies--such as health insurance companies and companies that manage pharmacy benefits--to provide Part D prescription drug plans for Medicare beneficiaries. These companies are referred to as Part D sponsors. About 27 million individuals were enrolled in Medicare Part D as of December 2009, and estimated Medicare Part D spending was $51 billion in fiscal year 2009. Because of Medicare's vulnerability to fraud, waste, and abuse, GAO has designated Medicare as a high-risk program. We and HHS's Inspector General have previously reported that the size, nature, and complexity of the Part D program make it a particular risk for fraud, waste, and abuse. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which established the Part D program, requires all Part D sponsors to have programs to safeguard Part D from fraud, waste, and abuse. CMS is responsible for managing and overseeing …
Date: February 18, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drug Shortages: FDA's Ability to Respond Should Be Strengthened (open access)

Drug Shortages: FDA's Ability to Respond Should Be Strengthened

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "What GAO Found"
Date: December 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Readiness: Navy's Report to Congress on the Impact of Training and Crew Size on Surface Force Material Readiness (open access)

Military Readiness: Navy's Report to Congress on the Impact of Training and Crew Size on Surface Force Material Readiness

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2000, the Navy has undertaken a number of initiatives to achieve greater efficiencies and reduce costs. For example, it reduced the workforce requirements for some of its ships and transitioned away from instructor-led training programs to more computer-based training. In June 2010, we reported the Navy lacked a firm analytical basis for some of the reductions it made to ship crew sizes and therefore could not be assured it had appropriately sized its crews to maintain material readiness and accomplish necessary tasks aboard its ships. We also reported the Navy lacked outcome-based performance measures to evaluate the impact of changes to training on trainees' job performance, knowledge, skills, and abilities once they report to their ships and therefore could not fully determine the effectiveness of the training changes it implemented and whether further adjustments were necessary. We recommended the Navy validate the underlying assumptions and standards it uses to calculate workforce requirements and, as necessary, based on this assessment, reevaluate its cruiser and destroyer workload requirements. We also recommended the Navy develop additional metrics to measure the effectiveness of its training. The Navy concurred with our recommendations. …
Date: July 7, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Diplomatic Security: Expanded Missions and Inadequate Facilities Pose Critical Challenges to Training Efforts (open access)

Diplomatic Security: Expanded Missions and Inadequate Facilities Pose Critical Challenges to Training Efforts

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the training efforts of the U.S. Department of State's (State) Bureau of Diplomatic Security (Diplomatic Security). The testimony is based on our report, which is being released today. Diplomatic Security is responsible for the protection of people, information, and property at over 400 embassies, consulates, and domestic locations and, as we reported in previous testimony, experienced a large growth in its budget and personnel over the last decade. Diplomatic Security trains its workforce and others to address a variety of threats, including crime, espionage, visa and passport fraud, technological intrusions, political violence, and terrorism. To meet its training needs, Diplomatic Security relies primarily on its Diplomatic Security Training Center (DSTC), which is an office of Diplomatic Security's Training Directorate and is the primary provider of Diplomatic Security training. Diplomatic Security's training budget grew steadily from fiscal years 2006 to 2010--increasing from approximately $24 million in fiscal year 2006 to nearly $70 million in fiscal year 2010. In fiscal year 2010, DSTC conducted 342 sessions of its 61 courses and trained 4,739 students. Our prior work identified the challenges that Diplomatic Security experienced as a result …
Date: June 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard: Observations on Acquisition Management and Efforts to Reassess the Deepwater Program (open access)

Coast Guard: Observations on Acquisition Management and Efforts to Reassess the Deepwater Program

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Coast Guard manages a broad major acquisition portfolio. GAO has reported extensively on the Coast Guard's significant challenges with its major acquisition programs, including its Deepwater Program. GAO has also recognized steps the Coast Guard has taken to improve acquisition management. Additionally, GAO has recommended that the Coast Guard complete a review of the Deepwater Program to clarify the mix of assets that are needed to meet mission needs and trade-offs while considering fiscal constraints, because the program had exceeded its $24.2 billion baseline. This testimony updates (1) Coast Guard efforts to manage major acquisitions, (2) challenges programs are facing in the areas of cost and schedule, and (3) the status of the Deepwater fleet mix analysis. This statement is largely based on GAO-11-480, which is being issued today. In that report, GAO recommended that the Coast Guard formalize its database of agreements with the Department of Defense (DOD). The Department of Homeland Security agreed with the recommendation. This statement also draws from prior GAO reports and ongoing work related to Deepwater. GAO reviewed the first phase of the Coast Guard's fleet mix analysis, contract documents, …
Date: April 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Commercial Launch Vehicles: NASA Taking Measures to Manage Delays and Risks (open access)

Commercial Launch Vehicles: NASA Taking Measures to Manage Delays and Risks

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created the strategy for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) project in 2005, the space landscape has changed significantly--the Space Shuttle program is retiring and the Ares I will not be available--increasing the importance of the timely development of COTS vehicles. The lack of alternatives for supplying the International Space Station and launching science missions have all contributed to an increased need for the COTS vehicles. The two COTS project partners, Orbital and SpaceX, have made progress in the development of their respective vehicles; however, both providers are behind schedule. As a result, the project recently received an additional $300 million to augment development efforts with risk reduction milestones. This testimony focuses on: (1) COTS development activities, including the recent funding increase; (2) the extent to which any COTS demonstration delays have affected commercial resupply services (CRS) missions and NASA's plans for meeting the space station's cargo resupply needs; and (3) lessons learned from NASA's acquisition approach for COTS. To prepare this statement, GAO used its prior relevant work and conducted additional audit work, such as analyzing each partner's agreement …
Date: May 26, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Aviation Security: TSA Is Taking Steps to Validate the Science Underlying Its Passenger Behavior Detection Program, but Efforts May Not Be Comprehensive (open access)

Aviation Security: TSA Is Taking Steps to Validate the Science Underlying Its Passenger Behavior Detection Program, but Efforts May Not Be Comprehensive

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."
Date: April 6, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Warfighter Support: DOD Should Have a More Comprehensive Approach for Addressing Urgent Warfighter Needs (open access)

Warfighter Support: DOD Should Have a More Comprehensive Approach for Addressing Urgent Warfighter Needs

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the challenges that the Department of Defense (DOD) faces in fulfilling urgent operational needs identified by our warfighters. Over the course of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces have encountered changing adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures, which challenged DOD to quickly develop and provide new equipment and new capabilities to address evolving threats. Further, U.S. troops faced shortages of critical items, including body armor, tires, and batteries. DOD's goal is to provide solutions as quickly as possible to meet urgent warfighter needs to prevent mission failure or loss of life. To meet its urgent needs, DOD had to look beyond traditional acquisition procedures, expand the use of existing processes, and develop new processes and entities designed to be as responsive as possible to urgent warfighter requests. In addition to requests for equipment from DOD's existing stocks, warfighters have requested new capabilities, such as: technology to counter improvised explosive devices (IED); technology related to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to provide increased situational awareness; and equipment related to command and control to enhance operations on the battlefield. In meeting urgent needs, it is important …
Date: March 1, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
United States Postal Service: Strategy Needed to Address Aging Delivery Fleet (open access)

United States Postal Service: Strategy Needed to Address Aging Delivery Fleet

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States Postal Service (USPS) is in financial crisis. It also has the world's largest civilian fleet, with many of its delivery vehicles reaching the end of their expected 24- year operational lives. USPS is subject to certain legislative requirements governing the federal fleet, including a requirement that 75 percent of USPS's vehicle acquisitions be capable of operating on an alternative fuel other than gasoline. This testimony addresses (1) USPS's financial condition; (2) USPS's delivery fleet profile, including how USPS has responded to alternative fuel vehicle requirements and its experiences with these vehicles; (3) trade-offs of USPS's approach for addressing its delivery fleet needs; and (4) options to fund a major acquisition of delivery vehicles. This testimony is primarily based on GAO-11-386, which is being released today. For that report, GAO analyzed USPS data, visited USPS facilities, and interviewed USPS and other officials. GAO recommended in that report that USPS should develop a strategy for addressing its delivery fleet needs that considers the effects of likely operational changes, legislative fleet requirements, and other factors. USPS agreed with the recommendation. For this testimony, GAO also drew upon past …
Date: May 17, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: Continued Attention Needed to Accurately Report Federal Spending and Improve Management (open access)

Information Technology: Continued Attention Needed to Accurately Report Federal Spending and Improve Management

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A long-standing goal of Congress has been to improve the performance and transparency of the federal government through the use of information technology (IT). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plays a key role in improving the transparency and oversight of federal investments. Given the size of these investments and their importance to the health, economy, and security of the nation, it is critical for OMB and federal agencies to provide appropriate program oversight and ensure adequate transparency. GAO was asked to testify on IT systems used by federal agencies to report spending. To prepare this statement, GAO drew on previously published work on two government reporting mechanisms--an IT Dashboard and USAspending.gov. These public Web sites were deployed by OMB in June 2009 and December 2007, respectively. The Dashboard provides detailed information on approximately 800 major federal IT investments, including assessments of these investments' performance against cost and schedule targets (referred to as ratings). USAspending.gov contains data on federal awards (e.g., contracts, loans, and grants) across the federal government."
Date: July 14, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
FEMA and the Corps Have Taken Steps to Establish a Task Force, but FEMA Has Not Assessed the Costs of Collecting and Reporting All Levee-Related Concerns (open access)

FEMA and the Corps Have Taken Steps to Establish a Task Force, but FEMA Has Not Assessed the Costs of Collecting and Reporting All Levee-Related Concerns

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recent catastrophic flooding in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee caused levee breaches and forced mandatory evacuations; while record flooding along the Mississippi and lower Ohio River valleys prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to rupture the Bird's Point-New Madrid Levee, resulting in the flooding of more than 130,000 acres of Missouri farmland. The destruction is estimated to have caused hundreds of millions in property damages. These events underscore the importance of the nation's levee system and the role federal agencies play in assessing levee integrity and assisting communities in the aftermath of levee failure. Levees are found in approximately 22 percent of U.S. counties, where almost half of the U.S. population resides and are, for the most part, owned and maintained by the locality in which they are located. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for mapping flood-prone areas across the country and issuing levee accreditations for the purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Under the NFIP regulations, FEMA requires that levee owners or community officials seeking to demonstrate the flood protection …
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicaid and CHIP: Reports for Monitoring Children's Health Care Services Need Improvement (open access)

Medicaid and CHIP: Reports for Monitoring Children's Health Care Services Need Improvement

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)--two joint federal-state health care programs for low-income families and children--play a critical role in addressing the health care needs of children. In 2008, more than 36 million children in the United States received health care coverage through Medicaid or CHIP. Like all children, children covered by Medicaid and CHIP may have health care conditions that could warrant care from primary care or specialist providers. At the same time, a significant number of children in Medicaid and CHIP may not be receiving basic preventive care, which these programs generally cover. For example, we reported in 2009 that, on the basis of parents' reports in national surveys, about 40 percent of children in Medicaid and CHIP had not had a well-child checkup over a 2-year period. Many state Medicaid and CHIP programs and other health care purchasers have started initiatives to improve care coordination for children and provide children with access to networks of care. For the purposes of this report, care coordination is broadly defined as a process in which an individual or group helps to arrange a patient's primary and …
Date: April 5, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Uniforms: Issues Related to the Supply of Flame Resistant Fibers for the Production of Military Uniforms (open access)

Military Uniforms: Issues Related to the Supply of Flame Resistant Fibers for the Production of Military Uniforms

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Prior to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Department of Defense (DOD) personnel with flame resistant (FR) uniforms were mainly aviators, fuel handlers, and tank crews. With the growing prevalence of the improvised explosive device (IED) threat, all ground forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have been exposed to the possibility of fire-related injuries. The Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 extended to 2015 the authority to procure fire resistant rayon fiber for the production of uniforms from certain foreign countries, provided by section 829 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and originally set to expire in 2013. This letter discusses the briefing developed in response to the requirement in the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 to report on the supply chain for FR fiber for the production of military uniforms. Specifically, the act required GAO to analyze several elements of the supply chain, including the current and anticipated sources of FR rayon fiber; actions DOD has taken to identify alternatives to FR rayon fiber; impediments to the use of such alternatives; and the …
Date: June 30, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hospital Emergency Departments: Health Center Strategies That May Help Reduce Their Use (open access)

Hospital Emergency Departments: Health Center Strategies That May Help Reduce Their Use

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hospital emergency departments are a major component of the nation's health care safety net as they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and generally are required to medically screen all people regardless of ability to pay. From 1997 through 2007, U.S. emergency department per capita use increased 11 percent. In 2007, there were approximately 117 million visits to emergency departments; of these visits, approximately 8 percent were classified as nonurgent. The use of emergency departments, including use for nonurgent conditions, may increase as more people obtain health insurance coverage as the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) are implemented. Some nonurgent visits are for conditions that likely could be treated in other, more cost-effective settings, such as health centers--facilities that provide primary care and other services to individuals in communities they serve regardless of ability to pay. Care provided in an emergency department may be substantially more costly than care provided in a health center. The average amount paid for a nonemergency visit to the emergency department was seven times more than that for a health center visit, according to …
Date: April 11, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Climate Change Adaptation: Federal Efforts to Provide Information Could Help Government Decision Making (open access)

Climate Change Adaptation: Federal Efforts to Provide Information Could Help Government Decision Making

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Climate change is a complex, crosscutting issue that poses risks to many existing environmental and economic systems, including agriculture, infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health. A 2009 assessment by the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) found that climate-related changes--such as rising temperature and sea level--will combine with pollution, population growth, urbanization, and other social, economic, and environmental stresses to create larger impacts than from any of these factors alone. According to the National Academies, USGCRP, and others, greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere will continue altering the climate system into the future, regardless of emissions control efforts. Therefore, adaptation--defined as adjustments to natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate change--is an important part of the response to climate change. This testimony addresses (1) the data challenges that federal, state, and local officials face in their efforts to adapt to a changing climate, (2) the actions federal agencies could take to help address these challenges, and (3) federal climate change strategic planning efforts. The information in this testimony is based on prior work, largely on GAO's recent reports on climate change adaptation (GAO-10-113) and …
Date: November 16, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Future Ground-Based Vehicles and Network Initiatives Face Development and Funding Challenges (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Future Ground-Based Vehicles and Network Initiatives Face Development and Funding Challenges

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "After the Army canceled the Future Combat System in June of 2009, it began developing modernization plans, including developing a new Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) and additional network capability. At the same time, the Army was considering options on how to improve its light tactical vehicles. This statement addresses potential issues related to developing (1) the new GCV, (2) a common information network, and (3) the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) in a constrained budget environment. The statement is based largely on previous GAO work conducted over the last year in response to congressional requests and results of other reviews of Army modernization. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed program documentation, strategies, and test results; interviewed independent experts and Army and Department of Defense (DOD) officials; and witnessed demonstrations of current and emerging network technologies. DOD reviewed the facts contained in this statement and provided technical comments, which were incorporated as appropriate."
Date: October 26, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Part D Formularies: CMS Conducts Oversight of Mid-Year Changes; Most Mid-Year Changes Were Enhancements (open access)

Medicare Part D Formularies: CMS Conducts Oversight of Mid-Year Changes; Most Mid-Year Changes Were Enhancements

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Medicare voluntary outpatient prescription drug insurance program, known as Medicare Part D, provided prescription drug coverage for about 23 million beneficiaries--eligible individuals 65 years and older and eligible individuals with disabilities--enrolled in the program in 2010. Under Part D, Medicare beneficiaries may enroll in prescription drug plans offered by private companies, known as sponsors, that contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that administers the Medicare program. Sponsors may have multiple contracts with CMS to provide drug coverage, with each contract offering one or more distinct Part D plans. Sponsors compete for beneficiary enrollment on the basis of plan premiums and benefit designs. Sponsors also vary in the content of their formularies--the list of covered drugs and associated utilization management (UM) requirements. UM requirements include (1) step therapy, which requires that a beneficiary try lower-cost drugs before a sponsor will cover a more costly drug; (2) prior authorization, which requires a beneficiary to obtain the sponsor's approval before a drug is covered for that individual; and (3) quantity limits, which restrict the dosage or number …
Date: June 30, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Private Pensions: Little Information Available on Qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (open access)

Private Pensions: Little Information Available on Qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To raise private savings for workers' retirement, federal law provides tax incentives for contributions to pension plans. Company sponsors of private defined benefit (DB) pension plans can claim a tax deduction for their contribution amount to a tax-qualified pension plan, and employees' taxes on contributions and investment earnings are deferred until they retire and start receiving benefit payments. To achieve and maintain tax-qualified status, DB plans must comply with multiple federal requirements that are designed to ensure that executives and other highly compensated employees (HCE) do not receive excessively high benefits, both in an absolute sense and relative to nonhighly compensated employees (NHCE). These include limits on total benefit levels, limits on the amount of compensation that can be included in determining benefit levels, and limits on disparities in benefits between HCEs and NHCEs. The goal of the nondiscrimination requirements is to encourage expanded coverage and greater distribution of benefits between the highly paid and workers at lower earnings levels. To demonstrate compliance, plan sponsors may use an IRS preapproved plan or develop a customized plan, which must pass general nondiscrimination tests. These tests generally require a plan …
Date: May 12, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pakistan Assistance: Relatively Little of the $3 Billion in Requested Assistance Is Subject to State's Certification of Pakistan's Progress on Nonproliferation and Counterterrorism Issues (open access)

Pakistan Assistance: Relatively Little of the $3 Billion in Requested Assistance Is Subject to State's Certification of Pakistan's Progress on Nonproliferation and Counterterrorism Issues

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pakistan is central to U.S. efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and deny its resurgence in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. The United States has sought to secure these interests through counterterrorism and counterinsurgency cooperation, as well as through a long-term partnership anchored, in part, by increased civilian and military assistance. Since fiscal year 2002, the U.S. government has provided the Pakistani government almost $21 billion in assistance and reimbursements toward these goals. However, al Qaeda and other terrorists and violent extremists continue to promote instability and use safe havens in Pakistan's western border region to plan and train for attacks against U.S. interests. At the same time, the United States continues to be concerned with the ongoing effect of A. Q. Khan's illicit transfer of nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. To address these and other concerns, in October 2009, Congress enacted the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, which, among other things, limits certain security-related assistance to Pakistan each fiscal year from 2011 through 2014. Before the United States can provide security-related assistance to Pakistan in each of those fiscal years, the Secretary …
Date: July 19, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
FEMA Has Made Progress in Managing Regionalization of Preparedness Grants (open access)

FEMA Has Made Progress in Managing Regionalization of Preparedness Grants

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to Congress' March 2010 request related to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) efforts to delegate grants administration responsibilities to its regions. Specifically, we are reporting on (1) the extent to which FEMA has operationalized delegation of grants administration responsibilities for preparedness grants to the regions, and (2) the extent to which FEMA has assessed the regions' capacity to assume increased responsibility for administration of preparedness grants."
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans Administration Procurement: Protests Concerning Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Preferences Sustained (open access)

Veterans Administration Procurement: Protests Concerning Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Preferences Sustained

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984, GAO is required to consider protests filed by interested parties concerning the terms of solicitations or contract awards. In deciding protests, GAO makes a determination of whether the agency's actions complied with procurement statutes and regulations. Aldevera, an SDVOSB concern, argued that two solicitations issued by the Veterans Administration should have been set aside for SDVOSB concerns."
Date: November 30, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans' Reemployment Rights: Steps Needed to Ensure Reliability of DOL and Special Counsel Demonstration Project's Performance Information (open access)

Veterans' Reemployment Rights: Steps Needed to Ensure Reliability of DOL and Special Counsel Demonstration Project's Performance Information

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the wake of the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of current and former military servicemembers are undergoing a transition between their military service and their civilian employment. Congress enacted the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) to protect the employment and reemployment rights of federal and nonfederal employees when they leave their employment to perform military or other uniformed service. Among other rights, servicemembers who meet the statutory requirements are entitled to reinstatement to the positions they would have held if they had never left their employment or to positions of like seniority, status, and pay. USERRA applies to a wide range of employers, including federal, state, and local governments as well as private-sector firms. This report focuses on federal executive agencies. Under USERRA, an employee who believes that his or her USERRA rights have been violated may file a claim with the Department of Labor's (DOL) Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS), which investigates and attempts to resolve the claim. If DOL's VETS cannot resolve the claim and the servicemember is a federal government employee or applicant to a federal …
Date: June 10, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Management: Audit of the Senate Gift Shop Revolving Fund for Fiscal Year 2010 (open access)

Financial Management: Audit of the Senate Gift Shop Revolving Fund for Fiscal Year 2010

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 …
Date: April 6, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library