Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Army's decision to issue black berets to all of its forces in just eight months placed enormous demands on the military's procurement system. To meet this challenge, the Department of Defense (DOD) increased the domestic supplier's production, awarded contracts to known foreign sources, and procured berets from additional sources. This testimony discusses DOD's contracting strategy, including (1) the contracting procedures DOD used to buy the berets and (2) the circumstances surrounding waivers to the Berry Amendment, a statutory requirement to buy clothing from domestic suppliers. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) took several steps to expedite award of the contracts. However, DLA failed to (1) provide for full and open competition as required by the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 or (2) obtain a review of these contract actions from the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office for possible small business participation. GAO also found that authority to waive the Berry Amendment was delegated to DLA's Director and Senior Procurement Executive by the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), but later canceled to ensure that any request for a waiver to the Berry …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "DOD faces growing challenges in carrying out realistic training at installations and training ranges--land, air, and sea--because of encroachment by outside factors. These include urban growth, competition for radio frequencies or airspace, air or noise pollution, unexploded ordnance and munition components, endangered species habitat, and protected marine resources. Building on work reported on in 2002, GAO assessed (1) the impact of encroachment on training ranges, (2) DOD's efforts to document the effect on readiness and cost, and (3) DOD's progress in addressing encroachment."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the expenditures by the Departments of Defense (DOD), Veterans Affairs (VA), and Health and Human Services (HHS) on Gulf War veterans' illnesses, focusing on the : (1) amount of money that these three departments spent in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 on research and investigation into Gulf War veterans' illnesses and health concerns; (2) results of the research and investigation spending; (3) extent of coordination between the Coordinating Board's Research Working Group and DOD's Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses; and (4) management of contracts supporting DOD's Office of the Special Assistant."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Air Force is developing the F/A-22 aircraft to replace its fleet of F-15 air superiority aircraft. The F/A-22 is designed to be superior to the F-15 by being capable of flying at higher speeds for longer distances, less detectable, and able to provide the pilot with substantially improved awareness of the surrounding situation. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 requires us to annually assess the F/A-22 development program and determine whether the program is meeting key performance, schedule, and cost goals. We have issued six of these annual reports to Congress. We have also reported on F/A-22 production program costs over the last 3 years. Most recently, we reported on F/A-22 production and development in February and March 2003 respectively. This testimony summarizes our work on the F/A-22 program, covering performance, cost, and scheduling issues."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the economic state of the airline industry. Many, but not all, major U.S. passenger airlines are experiencing their second consecutive year of record financial losses. In 2001, the U.S. commercial passenger airline industry reported losses in excess of $6 billion. For 2002, some Wall Street analysts recently projected that U.S. airline industry losses will approach $7 billion, and noted that the prospects for recovery during 2003 are diminishing. Carriers have taken many actions to lower their costs and restructure their operations. Since September 2001, carriers have furloughed 100,000 staff, renegotiated labor contracts, and streamlined their fleets by retiring older, costlier aircraft. Carriers have reduced capacity by operating fewer flights or smaller aircraft. In some cases, carriers eliminated all service to communities. As the aviation industry continues its attempts to recover, Congress will be confronted with a need for increased oversight of a number of public policy issues. First, airlines' reactions to financial pressures will affect the domestic industry's competitive landscape. Second, airlines' reductions in service will likely place additional pressure on federal programs supporting air service to small communities, where travel options are already limited. …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses what can be accomplished with FirstGov.gov and identifies challenges that should be addressed as it continues to be developed and refined. Under FirstGov, an important and previously unavailable capability--searching the entire government's web pages--was rapidly and successfully put into place. The FirstGov Board of Directors needs to address the following four issues: (1) improving site security, (2) assessing and acting upon information in the Fed-Search database that might facilitate malicious activity, (3) addressing issues regarding private sector sponsorship, and (4) developing plans for the future. An overall management plan for FirstGov.gov would be a useful vehicle for setting expectations about what general functions are likely to be achievable for FirstGov in the near term, how the site will be managed on an ongoing basis, and how progress toward the larger goals set forth in the President's December 1999 memorandum will be measured."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Air Force started developing the F-22 aircraft in 1991, and plans to complete development in September 2003. The Air Force plans to procure 333 production aircraft at a cost now capped at $37.6 billion. The law does not specify the total number of aircraft to be procured. This testimony discusses (1) potential cost reduction plans, (2) production cost estimates by the Air Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and (3) the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to implement GAO's earlier recommendations (see GAO/NSIAD-00-178, August 2000). GAO found that the F-22 contractors' estimated amount of cost reduction plans total about $26.5 billion. Both the Air Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense cost estimators projected in late 2000 that F-22 production costs would still exceed the $37.6 billion congressional cost limitation if the Air Force were to procure 333 F-22s. DOD plans to reconcile the number of F-22s needed with the amount of the congressional cost limitation on F-22 production as part of the next Quadrennial Defense Review."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The District of Columbia (DC) Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) is responsible for protecting thousands of foster care children at risk of abuse and neglect and ensuring that critical services are provided for them and their families. Representative Tom Davis, Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, asked GAO to discuss the extent to which CFSA has taken actions to address the requirements of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 and other selected performance criteria, adopted and implemented child protection and foster care placement policies, and enhanced its working relationship with the D.C. Family Court."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The General Services Administration (GSA) has responsibility for more than 8,000 owned and leased buildings nationwide, together encompassing about 338 million square feet of space. Understanding construction and operating costs for these buildings is important, as the increased federal budget deficit has led to intensified competition for federal resources and recent events have highlighted security needs. GAO examined (1) factors that have affected GSA's construction, leasing, and operating costs and (2) our designation of federal real property as a high-risk area."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 reauthorizes and expands the information security, evaluation, and reporting requirements enacted in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001. Concerned that pervasive information security weaknesses place federal operations at significant risk of disruption, tampering, fraud, and inappropriate disclosures of sensitive information, Congress enacted the Government Security Reform Act (GISRA) for more effective oversight. The Federal Information Security Management Act also changes and clarifies information security issues noted in the first-year implementation of GISRA. In particular, the bill requires the development, promulgation of, and compliance with minimum mandatory management controls for securing information and information systems; requires annual agency reporting to both the Office of Management and Budget and the Comptroller General; and defines the evaluation responsibilities for national security systems. To ensure that information security receives appropriate attention and resources and that known deficiencies are addressed, it will be necessary to delineate the roles and responsibilities of the numerous entities involved; obtain adequate technical expertise to select, implement, and maintain controls; and allocate enough agency resources for information security."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The challenges posed by homeland security exceed the capacity and authority of any one level of government. Protecting the nation against these threats calls for a truly integrated approach, bringing together the resources of all levels of government. The proposed Department of Homeland Security will have a central role in efforts to enhance homeland security. The proposed consolidation of homeland security programs has the potential to reduce fragmentation, improve coordination, and clarify roles and responsibilities. However, formation of a department should not be considered a replacement for the timely issuance of a national homeland security strategy to guide implementation of the complex mission of the department. Appropriate roles and responsibilities within and between the government and private sector need to be clarified. New threats are prompting a reassessment and shifting of long-standing roles and responsibilities, but these shifts are being considered on a piecemeal and ad hoc basis without benefit of an overarching framework and criteria. A national strategy could provide guidance by more systematically identifying the unique capacities and resources at each level of government to enhance homeland security and by providing increased accountability within the intergovernmental …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) progress in implementing the taxpayer rights and protection mandates of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 and IRS' ongoing efforts to modernize its organizational structure, performance management system, and information systems."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its views on the Department of Energy's (DOE) Implementation Plan for the newly created National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The importance of the role of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is illustrated by the situation in California. Wholesale electricity prices in California rose sharply in May 2000 and have remained high. California also saw disruptions in service this winter and spring. GAO reviewed FERC's outage study and two other studies that examined possible exercise of market power in California's electricity industry. GAO found that FERC's study was not thorough enough to support its conclusion that audited generators were not physically withholding electricity to influence prices. FERC's study largely focused on determining whether or not the outages were caused by actual physical problems, such as leaks in cooling tubes that required maintenance or repairs. Two other studies GAO examined found evidence that electricity generators exercised market power to boost electricity prices in California. These studies sought broader evidence of the exercise of market power in the entire market by comparing wholesale electricity prices to the estimated costs of producing electricity. In doing so, they found that prices were higher than would be expected if the generators were acting competitively. None of the studies was thorough enough to …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Social Security Administration (SSA) provided $450 billion in benefits to 50 million recipients in fiscal year 2001. Since 1995, when SSA became an independent agency, GAO has called for effective leadership and sustained management attention to several unresolved management challenges, including the redesign of its disability claims process, management and oversight problems with its SSI program, future service delivery demands, and implementing its information technology and research and policy development capacity. SSA has much more to do and will need to take bolder action or make more fundamental changes to existing programs."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Federal, state, and local governments share responsibility for terrorist attacks. However, local government, including police and fire departments, emergency medical personnel, and public health agencies, is typically the first responder to an incident. The federal government historically has provided leadership, training, and funding assistance. In the aftermath of September 11, for instance, one-quarter of the $40 billion Emergency Response Fund was earmarked for homeland security, including enhancing state and local government preparedness. Because the national security threat is diffuse and the challenge is highly intergovernmental, national policymakers must formulate strategies with a firm understanding of the interests, capacity, and challenges facing those governments. The development of a national strategy will improve national preparedness and enhance partnerships between federal, state, and local governments. The creation of the Office of Homeland Security is an important and potentially significant first step. The Office of Homeland Security's strategic plan should (1) define and clarify the appropriate roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local entities; (2) establish goals and performance measures to guide the nation's preparedness efforts; and (3) carefully choose the most appropriate tools of government to implement the national strategy …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed S. 1993, the Government Information Security Act of 1999 and its impact on strengthening the information security practices throughout the federal government, focusing on: (1) potential improvements in federal agency performance in addressing computer security issues; (2) the need for better-defined control standards; and (3) centralized leadership."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Last year, President Bush proposed that the World Bank and other development banks replace half of all future loans to the world's poorest countries with grants. The goal of the proposal was to relieve poor countries' long term debt burdens. The World Bank estimates that the proposal would result in a financial loss of $100 billion dollars to it during the next 40 years. GAO found that the proposal would help poor countries reduce their debt burdens and that the World Bank would lose only $15.6 billion, which could be financed through relatively small increases in donor contributions. This testimony is based on an April report. (See GAO-02-593.)"

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the National Environmental Performance Partnership System (NEPPS), focusing on: (1) grants and agreements made under NEPPS between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and states; (2) progress that EPA and the states have made in developing results-oriented performance measures to be incorporated into NEPPS agreements and grants to the states; (3) how EPA oversight may or may not have been changing in states that were participating in NEPPS; and (4) the extent to which the use of these performance partnership agreements and grants had achieved the benefits envisioned for the states and the public."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the efforts being undertaken by the Department of Transportation's (DOT) newly established Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reduce the number of large truck-related fatalities."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the role of incentive programs in motivating and rewarding federal employees to achieve high performance that supports agency missions and goals."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Of the approximately 700,000 veterans of the Persian Gulf War, many have undiagnosed illnesses. The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have concluded, using computer plume modeling, that no U.S. troops were exposed to hazardous substances because plumes--clouds of chemical warfare agents--could not have reached the troops. GAO was asked to assess DOD and CIA plume modeling to determine whether DOD's conclusions could be supported. GAO's final assessment will be reported at a later date."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the management challenges that continue to face the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These challenges include (1) computer security, (2) financial management, (3) organizational modernization and performance management, and (4) business systems modernization management. IRS must make progress in all four areas to improve the agency's efficiency and to significantly improve service to taxpayers. IRS has taken important steps in all of these areas, but significant obstacles remain. In the area of computer security, IRS corrected many previously reported weaknesses and is launching a computer security management program that should help it manage its risks in this area. However, serious weaknesses persist that could impair IRS' ability to perform vital functions. In financial management, IRS was able to prepare financial statements this year that received an unqualified opinion. However, this achievement came through the use of substantial, costly, and time-consuming processes to work around IRS' system deficiencies. IRS has reorganized into four taxpayer-focused divisions and has developed a performance management approach consistent with management principles contained in the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act and the Government Performance and Results Act. However, much work remains to be …

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report has been superseded by GAO-05-35G, GAO's Agency Protocols. This document contains GAO's Agency Protocols that GAO is launching in a pilot phase starting in December 2002. These protocols are intended to govern GAO's work with executive branch agencies and to provide clearly defined and transparent policies and practices on how GAO will interact with agencies in the performance of its work."