Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the next 5 years the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) expects to invest $49 billion in the Ballistic Missile Defense System's (BMDS) development and fielding. MDA's strategy is to field new capabilities in 2-year blocks. In January 2006, MDA initiated its second block--Block 2006--to protect against attacks from North Korea and the Middle East. Congress requires GAO to assess MDA's progress annually. GAO's March 2007 report addressed MDA's progress during fiscal year 2006 and followed up on program oversight issues and the current status of MDA's quality assurance program. GAO assessed the progress of each element being developed by MDA, examined acquisition laws applicable to major acquisition programs, and reviewed the impact of implemented quality initiatives."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the midst of the global war on terrorism and recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Defense (DOD) is working to make U.S. forces more agile and expeditionary. This transformation involves a shift from a Cold War era defense posture to a military that can surge quickly to trouble spots around the globe. In order to accomplish this transformation, it is vital for U.S. forces to train as they intend to fight. New advances in technology, coupled with this shift in force posture, mean that DOD needs to continually update and maintain its training ranges. Military training ranges vary in size from a few acres--for small arms training--to over a million acres for large maneuver exercises and weapons testing, as well as broad open ocean areas that provide for offshore training and testing. These ranges face ever increasing limitations and restrictions on land, water, and airspace as residential, commercial, and industrial development continues to expand around and encroach upon once remote military training and testing installations. Section 366 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, dated December 2, 2002, required …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In terrorists' hands, weapons-grade nuclear material--known as Category I special nuclear material when in specified forms and quantities--can be used to construct an improvised nuclear device capable of producing a nuclear explosion. Responsibility for the security of Category I special nuclear material is divided between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Specifically, DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within DOE, are responsible for overseeing physical security at government-owned and contractor-operated sites with Category I special nuclear material. NRC, which is responsible for licensing and overseeing commercially owned facilities with nuclear materials, such as nuclear power plants, is responsible for regulating physical security at those licensees that store and process Category I special nuclear material under contract, primarily for DOE. Because of the risks associated with Category I special nuclear material, both DOE and NRC recognize that effective security programs are essential. The key component in both DOE's and NRC's security programs is each agency's design basis threat (DBT)--classified documents that identify the potential size and capabilities of terrorist threats to special nuclear material. To counter the threat …

A statement of record issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal inspectors general (IG) play a critical role in addressing mismanagement of scarce taxpayer dollars. In the coming years, as we enter a period of escalating deficits and increasingly limited resources, GAO believes that the greatest single source of savings will come from bold, decisive efforts to transform what government does and how it does business, and to hold it accountable for results. Therefore, it is important that an independent, objective, and reliable IG structure be in place to ensure adequate audit and investigative coverage of federal programs and operations. This statement offers GAO's views on (1) the principles of independence and how they apply to IG offices, (2) leveraging IG work as a part of overall federal oversight, (3) structural streamlining of IG offices for resource efficiencies, and (4) matters discussed in a GAO forum on IG issues. This statement draws on provisions of the IG Act, professional auditing standards, prior GAO reports and testimony, and information reported by the IGs."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For Census 2010, automation and information technology (IT) are expected to play a critical role. The Census Bureau plans to spend about $3 billion on automation and technology that are to improve the accuracy and efficiency of census collection, processing, and dissemination. From February 2006 through June 2009, the Bureau is holding a ''Dress Rehearsal'' during which it plans to conduct operational testing that includes decennial systems acquisitions. In October 2007, GAO reported on its review of four key 2010 Census IT acquisitions to (1) determine the status and plans, including schedule and cost, and (2) assess whether the Bureau is adequately managing associated risks. This testimony summarizes GAO's report on these key acquisitions and describes GAO's preliminary observations on the performance of handheld mobile computing devices used during the Dress Rehearsal."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In November 2006, we issued our report on the results of our audit of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) financial statements as of, and for the fiscal years ending, September 30, 2006, and 2005, and on the effectiveness of its internal controls as of September 30, 2006. We also reported our conclusions on IRS's compliance with significant provisions of selected laws and regulations and on whether IRS's financial management systems substantially comply with requirements of the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996. A separate report on the implementation status of recommendations from our prior IRS financial audits and related financial management reports, including this one, will be issued shortly. The purpose of this report is to discuss issues identified during our audit of IRS's financial statements as of, and for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, regarding internal controls that could be improved for which we do not currently have any recommendations outstanding. Although not all of these issues were discussed in our fiscal year 2006 audit report, they all warrant management's consideration. This report contains 21 recommendations that we are proposing IRS implement to improve …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Rising prescription drug spending has led the United States and other countries to seek ways to negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers. Currently, the Medicare Part D benefit, which offers outpatient prescription drug benefits to beneficiaries including elderly and certain disabled people, comprises competing prescription drug plans overseen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from interfering with price negotiations between Part D plan sponsors and drug manufacturers and pharmacies. Some Members of Congress have proposed amending the statute to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers on behalf of Part D beneficiaries. GAO was asked to describe how prescription drug prices are negotiated. This testimony provides an overview of such efforts (1) by governments in other countries; (2) by U.S. private payers, such as employer-based health plans; and (3) by federal programs other than Medicare Part D. This testimony is based on previous GAO reports from 2002 through 2006 on federal programs that purchase or cover prescription drugs and other relevant …

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This is the companion product to GAO-07-413. This document presents selected results of GAO's survey of the departments of transportation (DOT) in 50 states and the District of Columbia to obtain information on the extent to which states have implemented practices to make roads safer for older drivers. The questions in our survey were posed to obtain information on the extent to which states have incorporated Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recommendations to design roads with features to enhance safety for older drivers, reasons for state DOTs rejecting FHWA recommendations, the proportion of practitioners that have been trained in state DOTs to implement FHWA recommendations, and the extent to which states have developed plans and programmed projects for older driver safety. The survey was e-mailed to DOT officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and we obtained a response from each of the survey recipients. We do not include responses for all survey questions. Specifically, this document does not include narrative responses that we received. Additionally, this document does not contain responses to questions 4 and 6 because many states did not answer these …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony, given by David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States before the Senate Committee on the Budget, addresses the nation's long-term fiscal outlook and the challenge it presents. However, the outlook is not good. Continuing down this current fiscal path would gradually erode, if not suddenly damage, out economy, our standard of living, and ultimately even our domestic tranquility and national security. The five major points of the testimony are: (1) The current fiscal condition is worse than advertised, (2) the long-term fiscal outlook is both imprudent and unsustainable, (3) improvements in information and processes are needed and can help, (4) meeting out long-term fiscal challenge will require tough choices, bi-partisan cooperation, and compromise, and lastly (5) the time for action is now."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Environmental satellites provide data and imagery that are used by weather forecasters, climatologists, and the military to map and monitor changes in weather (including severe weather such as hurricanes), climate, the oceans, and the environment. Two current acquisitions are the $12.5 billion National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program--which is to replace two existing polar-orbiting environmental satellite systems--and the planned $7 billion Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R (GOES-R) program, which is to replace the current series of satellites due to reach end of their useful lives in approximately 2012. GAO was asked to summarize its past work on the progress and challenges facing these key environmental satellite acquisitions."

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 a member of the Legislature may provide insurance services to a state university (RQ-0576-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 the special filing fee in Local Government Code section 133.154 must be collected for cases filed in a statutory probate court (RQ-0577-GA)

Email from Al Daniels to Jimmy Rocha on August 11, 2007, discussing TSDC Board Meeting and a General Meeting on September 8th in Austin.

Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus 2006 through 2008 Executive Committee list of contact information, club information, and website links. There are Officer and Director names highlighted.

Email from Lisa Thomas to multiple recipients on July 11, 2007 addressing TSDC conference call and attached bylaws.

A document listing the events hosted by the UNT Multicultural Center through the 2006-2007 school year. It separates the events by month and includes a short description, date and time, location, and the planner's first name. There are spaces that aren't filled out yet reserved for events that are being planned.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) is the world's largest museum complex and research organization. The age of the Smithsonian's structures, past inattention to maintenance needs, and high visitation levels have left its facilities in need of revitalization and repair. This testimony discusses our prior work on some effects of the condition of the Smithsonian's facilities and whether the Smithsonian has taken steps to maximize facility resources. It also discusses the current estimated costs of the Smithsonian's needed facilities projects. In addition, it describes preliminary results of GAO's ongoing work on the extent to which the Smithsonian developed and implemented strategies to fund these projects, as GAO recommended in prior work. The work for this testimony is based on GAO's 2005 report, Smithsonian Institution: Facilities Management Reorganization Is Progressing, but Funding Remains a Challenge; GAO's review of Smithsonian documents and other pertinent information; and interviews with Smithsonian officials."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has the primary federal responsibility for reducing crashes involving large trucks and buses. FMCSA uses its "SafeStat" tool to select carriers for reviews for compliance with its safety regulations based on the carriers' crash rates and prior safety violations. FMCSA then conducts these compliance reviews and can place carriers out of service if they are found to be operating unsafely. This statement is based on a recent report (GAO-07-585) and other nearly completed work. GAO assessed (1) the extent to which FMCSA identifies carriers that subsequently have high crash rates, (2) how FMCSA ensures that its compliance reviews are conducted thoroughly and consistently, and (3) the extent to which FMCSA follows up with carriers with serious safety violations. GAO's work was based on a review of laws, program guidance, and analyses of data from 2004 through early 2006."

A collated printed page of the 2007 budget, income, and expenditure reports described using yellow and orange coded spreadsheets. The page was printed as of September 11th, 2007 as an unofficial report for internal use only.

Steering Committee meeting agenda dated September 11, 2007, followed by two blank forms for liability and assumption of risk and minor release of liability agreement. The meeting agenda, printed in blue, covers financials, registration, upcoming dates, and committee reports focused on the following two weeks. On the bottom of the page a handwritten note with underlines and bullets reads "Ride info to riders" and "Michael says close of business tomorrow".

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Leo Charles Kimble. He discusses his childhood growing up during the great depression and what led him to join the US Navy. He describes his experiences int he Pacific Theatre during World War Two.