Testimony given by Julian C. Stanley to the House Appropriations Committee in Annapolis, Maryland, on February 13, 1988, in which he gives advice to an evolving residential high school in Maryland.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In brief, GAO found that (1) VHA's reported outpatient medical appointment wait times are unreliable, (2) there was inconsistent implementation of certain elements of VHA's scheduling policy that could result in increased wait times or delays in scheduling timely medical appointments, and (3) VHA is implementing or piloting a number of initiatives to improve veterans' access to medical appointments. Specifically, VHA's reported outpatient medical appointment wait times are unreliable because of problems with correctly recording the appointment desired date--the date on which the patient or provider would like the appointment to be scheduled--in the VistA scheduling system. Since, at the time of our review, VHA measured medical appointment wait times as the number of days elapsed from the desired date, the reliability of reported wait time performance is dependent on the consistency with which VA medical centers (VAMC) schedulers record the desired date in the VistA scheduling system. However, aspects of VHA's scheduling policy and related training documents on how to determine and record the desired date are unclear and do not ensure replicable and reliable recording of the desired date by the large number of staff across …

A statement of record issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Limitations in the intelligence community's (IC) inventory of contract personnel hinder the ability to determine the extent to which the eight civilian IC elements—the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and six components within the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, Justice, State, and the Treasury—use these personnel. The IC Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) conducts an annual inventory of core contract personnel that includes information on the number and costs of these personnel. However, GAO identified a number of limitations in the inventory that collectively limit the comparability, accuracy, and consistency of the information reported by the civilian IC elements as a whole. For example, changes to the definition of core contract personnel limit the comparability of the information over time. In addition, the civilian IC elements used various methods to calculate the number of contract personnel and did not maintain documentation to validate the number of personnel reported for 37 percent of the records GAO reviewed. GAO also found that the civilian IC elements either under- or over-reported the amount of contract obligations by more than 10 percent …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to incur unsustainable operating deficits, has not made required payments of $11.1 billion to prefund retiree health benefits, and has reached its $15 billion borrowing limit. Thus far, USPS has been able to operate within these constraints, but now faces a critical shortage of liquidity that threatens its financial solvency and ability to finance needed capital investment. USPS had an almost 25 percent decline in total mail volume and net losses totaling $40 billion since fiscal year 2006. While USPS achieved about $15 billion in savings and reduced its workforce by about 168,000 over this period, its debt and unfunded benefit liabilities grew to $96 billion by the end of fiscal year 2012. USPS expects mail volume and revenue to continue decreasing as online bill communication and e-commerce expand."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's prior work has identified a number of lessons from federal responses to seasonal influenza vaccine shortages and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic that carry implications for future influenza seasons or another influenza pandemic. These lessons include the value of planning that involves the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); the importance of effective communication among all levels of government and with the public; and the difficulty of matching vaccine supply with the public's demand for it. First, planning is critical to an effective response, and it particularly helped in responding to the H1N1 pandemic. Planning activities, such as exercises and interagency meetings, built relationships that positioned the government to respond effectively. Second, clear and consistent communication, especially regarding the availability of vaccine, is key. The failure to effectively manage public expectations of vaccine availability can undermine government credibility and contribute to individuals' failure to seek or receive an influenza vaccination. Recognizing the importance of sharing updated information, HHS's influenza website includes a vaccine finder for individuals, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website helps providers find vaccine available for purchase. Third, predicting all of …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As a result of widespread congressional and public interest in the federal response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we conducted a limited investigation into allegations that military Meal, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) rations intended for use in the hurricane relief efforts were instead sold to the public on the Internet auction site eBay. We focused our efforts on confirming whether selected MREs being offered for sale on eBay were military issue and, if so, interviewing the sellers to determine how they obtained the MREs."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During fiscal year 2011, OFS addressed several of the internal control issues related to the significant deficiency we reported for fiscal year 2010 concerning its accounting and financial reporting processes. However, remaining uncorrected control deficiencies along with other control deficiencies that we identified in this area in fiscal year 2011 collectively represented a continuing significant deficiency in OFS’s internal control over its accounting and financial reporting processes. Specifically, while OFS improved its review and approval process for preparing its financial statements, notes, and Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) for TARP for fiscal year 2011, we continued to identify incorrect amounts and inconsistent disclosures in OFS’s draft financial statements, notes, and MD&A that were significant, but not material, and that were not detected by OFS. For fiscal year 2011, we also identified deficiencies in other OFS accounting and financial reporting procedures related to: (1) recording of noncash transactions, (2) recording of warrant adjustments, and (3) accounting for Public-Private Investment Fund (PPIF) equity distributions."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As a result of widespread congressional and public interest in the federal response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, GAO conducted an audit of the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) under Comptroller General of the United States statutory authority. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed homes and displaced millions of individuals. In the wake of these natural disasters, FEMA faced the challenge of providing assistance quickly and with minimal "red tape," while having sufficient controls to provide assurance that benefits were paid only to eligible individuals and households. In response to this challenge, FEMA provided $2,000 in IHP payments to affected households via its Expedited Assistance (EA) program. Victims who received EA may qualify for up to $26,200 in IHP assistance. As of mid-December 2005, IHP payments totaled about $5.4 billion, with $2.3 billion provided in the form of EA. These payments were made via checks, electronic fund transfers, and a small number of debit cards. GAO's testimony will provide the results to date related to whether (1) controls are in place and operating effectively to limit EA to qualified applicants, (2) indications exist of fraud and abuse in the …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) maintains approximately 2.5 million security clearances on servicemembers, federal DOD civilian employees, industry personnel for DOD and 23 other federal agencies, and employees in the legislative branch. Delays in determining eligibility for a clearance can heighten the risk that classified information will be disclosed to unauthorized sources, increase contract costs, and pose problems in attracting and retaining qualified personnel. In this statement, GAO addresses: (1) the status of DOD's efforts to improve its projections of the numbers of clearances needed for industry personnel, and (2) other long-standing challenges that have a negative effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of DOD's personnel security clearance program for industry personnel. This statement is based on a report GAO is issuing today (GAO-08-350) and other prior work, which included reviews of clearance-related documents and interviews of senior officials at DOD and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The use of information technology (IT) is crucial to the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) mission to promote the health, welfare, and dignity of all veterans in recognition of their service to the nation. In this regard, the department's fiscal year 2009 budget proposal includes about $2.4 billion to support IT development, operations, and maintenance. VA has, however, experienced challenges in managing its IT projects and initiatives, including cost overruns, schedule slippages, and performance problems. In an effort to confront these challenges, the department is undertaking a realignment to centralize its IT management structure. This testimony summarizes the department's actions to realign its management structure to provide greater authority and accountability over its IT budget and resources and the impact of these actions to date. In developing this testimony, GAO reviewed previous work on the department's realignment and related budget issues, analyzed pertinent documentation, and interviewed VA officials to determine the current status and impact of the department's efforts to centralize the management of its IT budget and operations."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The 2005 London subway bombings and 2006 rail attacks in Mumbai, India highlighted the vulnerability of passenger rail and other surface transportation systems to terrorist attack and demonstrated the need for greater focus on securing these systems. This testimony is based primarily on GAO's September 2005 passenger rail security report and selected program updates obtained in January 2007. Specifically, it addressees (1) the extent to which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has assessed the risks facing the U.S. passenger rail system and developed a strategy based on risk assessments for securing all modes of transportation, including passenger rail; (2) the actions that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other federal agencies have taken to enhance the security of the U.S. passenger rail system, improve federal coordination, and develop industry partnerships; and (3) the security practices that domestic and selected foreign passenger rail operators have implemented to enhance security."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations in March 2003 with missions that include preventing terrorist attacks from occurring within the United States, reducing U.S. vulnerability to terrorism, minimizing damages from attacks that occur, and helping the nation recover from any attacks. GAO has reported that the implementation and transformation of DHS is an enormous management challenge and that the size, complexity, and importance of the effort make the challenge especially daunting and critical to the nation's security. GAO's prior work on mergers and acquisitions found that successful transformations of large organizations, even those faced with less strenuous reorganizations than DHS, can take at least 5 to 7 years to achieve. This testimony is based on GAO's August 2007 report evaluating DHS's progress between March 2003 and July 2007, selected reports issued since July 2007, and our institutional knowledge of homeland security issues."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), established in November 2001, has developed and implemented a variety of programs to secure the commercial aviation system. To implement these efforts, TSA funding related to aviation security has totaled about $20 billion since fiscal year 2004. Other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components, such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), also play roles in securing commercial aviation. In this testimony, we address the efforts TSA has taken or planned to strengthen aviation security, and the challenges that remain, in three key areas: airline passenger prescreening, airline passenger and checked baggage screening, and air cargo screening. GAO's comments are based on issued GAO reports and testimonies and our preliminary observations from ongoing work on TSA's passenger checkpoint screening procedures and technologies, and staffing standards for Transportation Security Officers (TSO)."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Easily concealed and transported, and virtually untraceable to their original source, diamonds are often used in lieu of currency in arms deals, money laundering, and other criminal activity. U.S. controls over diamond imports only require certification from the country of last import--and thus cannot identify diamonds from conflict sources. Although the United States bans diamonds documented as coming from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone, and Liberia--all of which are subject to U.N. sanctions--this does not prevent such diamonds from being shipped to a second country and mixed into parcels destined for the United States. GAO found that the Kimberley Process's proposal for international diamond certification incorporated some elements of accountability. However, it is not based on a risk assessment, and some high-risk activities are subject only to "recommended" controls. Also, from the time when rough diamonds enter the first foreign port until the final point of sale, there exists only a voluntary industry participation and self-regulated monitoring and enforcement system. These and other shortcomings significantly undermine efforts to deter trade in questionable diamonds."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "While aviation accidents in the United States are relatively infrequent, recent incidents have heightened concerns about safety on airport runways. As the nation's aviation system becomes more crowded every day, increased congestion at airports may exacerbate ground safety concerns. This statement discusses (1) the trends in runway incursions, (2) what FAA has done to improve runway safety, and (3) what more could be done. This statement is based on GAO's November 2007 report issued to this committee on runway safety. GAO's work on that report included surveying experts on the causes of runway incidents and accidents and the effectiveness of measures to address them, reviewing safety data, and interviewing agency and industry officials. This statement also contains information from FAA on recent incursions and actions taken since November 2007."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Caribbean Division was alleged recently to have taken inappropriate credit for arrests to gain more resources. To claim credit for drug-related arrests, DEA agents must be directly involved in domestic arrests and provide "substantial assistance" to host-country law enforcement officials in foreign arrests. DEA's Agents Manual defines substantial assistance as active participation or furnishing of information or funds that lead to an arrest. Agents must complete a "Personal History Report" on each person arrested and complete a "Report of Investigation" on the investigative activities leading to the arrest. DEA uses the Personal History Report to track the number of arrests. DEA officials told GAO that arrest data do not serve as a basis for requesting additional resources in the budget development process. DEA's internal control procedures and inspection programs include (1) on-site inspections of its domestic and foreign offices and (2) annual self-inspections by divisional offices. To ensure the validity of its arrest data, in August 2001, the then acting administrator changed DEA's inspection programs--from a review of a random sample of arrests to a comprehensive review of all arrests. GAO's reviews of …

Press release reporting on a meeting between NGLTF activists and the chairman of Bush's campaign.

Letter from N.B. Squires to Capt. Redway asking for Redway and his commissioned officers to sign a certificate of purchase and forward the signed certificates to him in Camp Piatt.

News bulletin from the Student National Coordinating Committee (S.N.C.C) ministry of information. It explains an altercation that occurred at Hawthorne Junior High School where five members of SNCC were arrested for disorderly conduct. Four of the five were later released with the exception of Mario Marcel Salas.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Education code section 54.208's exemption from tuition for students enrolled in fire science courses (RQ-0371-GA)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Eligibility of former and retires judges to sit by assignment (RQ-0377-GA)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether section 241.154(b) of the health and Safety Code or section 408.025(d) of the Labor Code governs the fees a hospital may charge a workers'compensation carrier to provide certain records in a workers' compensation proceeding (RQ-0382-GA)

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a company offering comprehensive complaint investigations must be licensed by the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies (RQ-980)

Letter opinion issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a county commissioners court, in distributing the corpus of the county permanent school fund pursuant to article VII, section 6b, of the Texas Constitution, should take into account the distribution of a neighboring county's fund, and related questions (RQ-997)