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The Nation's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: January 2007 Update (open access)

The Nation's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: January 2007 Update

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1992, GAO has published long-term fiscal simulations of what might happen to federal deficits and debt levels under varying policy assumptions. GAO developed its long-term model in response to a bipartisan request from Members of Congress who were concerned about the long-term effects of fiscal policy. In 1992 GAO said: "The federal budget is structurally unbalanced. This will do increasing damage to the economy and is unsustainable in the long term. Regardless of the approach chosen, prompt and meaningful action is essential. The longer it is delayed, the more painful it will be." These words are as relevant today as when GAO first published them. GAO updates its simulations three times a year as new estimates become available from the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) Budget and Economic Outlook (January), Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports (early spring), and CBO's Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update (late summer)."
Date: February 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Navy Faces Challenges Constructing the Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford within Budget (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Navy Faces Challenges Constructing the Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford within Budget

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Navy is investing over $3 billion to develop technologies for a new type of aircraft carrier--the Ford class--and it expects to spend almost $11 billion to design and construct the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)--the lead ship of the class. New technologies are to improve the carrier's performance and reduce crew size. The Navy requested authorization of CVN 78 in its fiscal year 2008 budget. GAO was asked to assess the Navy's ability to meet its goals for developing the new carrier. Specifically, this report assesses (1) the extent to which technology development could affect the capability and construction of CVN 78, (2) the status of efforts to achieve design stability, and (3) the challenges to building CVN 78 within budget. To accomplish this, our work includes analysis of test reports, development schedules, and ship progress reviews; interviews with Navy and other officials; and examinations of cost estimates and our own past work."
Date: August 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Project Bioshield: Actions Needed to Avoid Repeating Past Problems with Procuring New Anthrax Vaccine and Managing the Stockpile of Licensed Vaccine (open access)

Project Bioshield: Actions Needed to Avoid Repeating Past Problems with Procuring New Anthrax Vaccine and Managing the Stockpile of Licensed Vaccine

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The anthrax attacks in September and October 2001 highlighted the need to develop medical countermeasures. The Project BioShield Act of 2004 authorized the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to procure countermeasures for a Strategic National Stockpile. However, in December 2006, HHS terminated the contract for a recombinant protective antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine because VaxGen failed to meet a critical contractual milestone. Also, supplies of the licensed BioThrax anthrax vaccine already in the stockpile will start expiring in 2008. GAO was asked to identify (1) factors contributing to the failure of the rPA vaccine contract and (2) issues associated with using the BioThrax in the stockpile. GAO interviewed agency and industry officials, reviewed documents, and consulted with biodefense experts."
Date: October 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Debt Collection: Measuring Taxpayer Opinions Regarding Private Collection Agencies (open access)

Tax Debt Collection: Measuring Taxpayer Opinions Regarding Private Collection Agencies

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Every year the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not collect tens of billions of dollars in delinquent taxes. In 2004, Congress authorized IRS to use private collection agencies (PCA) to help collect some of these debts. To ensure that taxpayers are treated properly and that the program achieves the desired results, IRS contracted with a consulting company to perform a survey of right party contacts--those individuals who confirmed their identity and tax debt to PCAs over the telephone. The consulting company reported overall taxpayer satisfaction ratings from 94 to 96 percent for contacts made from November 2006 through February 2007. At the request of the Chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means, GAO attempted to obtain, for the period September 2006 through February 2007, the number of tax debt cases IRS referred to PCAs, right party contacts who were offered the taxpayer survey, and right party contacts who took the survey. GAO was also asked to report any other key observations related to the PCA program and taxpayer survey. To perform this work, GAO collected information and interviewed officials from IRS, the consulting group that administered the survey, …
Date: May 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Telecommunications: GSA Has Accumulated Adequate Funding for Transition to New Contracts but Needs Cost Estimation Policy (open access)

Telecommunications: GSA Has Accumulated Adequate Funding for Transition to New Contracts but Needs Cost Estimation Policy

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The General Services Administration (GSA) and its customer agencies are preparing to transition new governmentwide telecommunications contracts known as the Networx program. GSA estimated the costs for which it is responsible to be $151.5 million. This report addresses (1) the soundness of the analysis GSA used to derive the estimate of funding that would be required for the transition and (2) whether GSA will have accumulated adequate funding to pay for transition costs. In performing this work, GAO reviewed cost estimation best practices, analyzed relevant GSA documents, and performed an uncertainty analysis on GSA's estimate."
Date: February 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Compliance: Inflation Has Significantly Decreased the Real Value of Some Penalties (open access)

Tax Compliance: Inflation Has Significantly Decreased the Real Value of Some Penalties

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Civil tax penalties are an important tool to encourage taxpayer compliance with the tax laws. A number of civil tax penalties have fixed dollar amounts--a specific dollar amount, a minimum or maximum amount--that are not indexed for inflation. Because of Congress's concerns that civil penalties are not effectively achieving their purposes, we agreed to (1) determine the potential effect of adjusting civil tax penalties for inflation on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) assessment and collection amounts and (2) describe the likely administrative impact of regularly adjusting civil tax penalties on IRS and tax practitioners. GAO examined IRS data on civil tax penalties and conducted interviews with IRS employees and tax practitioners."
Date: August 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Capital: Three Entities' Implementation of Capital Planning Principles Is Mixed (open access)

Federal Capital: Three Entities' Implementation of Capital Planning Principles Is Mixed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2005, the federal government spent nearly $117 billion on capital investments intended to yield long-term benefits for its operations. Effective capital planning ensures that the sizable investments made by federal agencies result in the most efficient return to taxpayers. Accordingly, GAO evaluated (1) how well selected entities followed the planning phase principles of GAO's Executive Guide and the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Capital Programming Guide, (2) OMB's actions to encourage all agencies to conform with capital planning principles, and (3) what capital planning information is received by or would be useful to congressional decision makers. Based on missions, asset types, and capital spending, we selected three entities to review within the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Homeland Security (DHS)."
Date: February 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Highway Emergency Relief: Reexamination Needed to Address Fiscal Imbalance and Long-term Sustainability (open access)

Highway Emergency Relief: Reexamination Needed to Address Fiscal Imbalance and Long-term Sustainability

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1972, Congress has authorized $100 million a year for highway disaster recovery needs through the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Emergency Relief (ER) program. Increasingly, the program's actual costs have exceeded this amount, and Congress has provided additional funding. Because of this fiscal imbalance between program funding and program needs, we reviewed ER under the Comptroller General's authority to determine the (1) total funding, distribution of funds among the states, and disaster events funded; (2) sources of funding provided and financial challenges facing the program; and (3) scope of activities eligible for funding and how the scope of eligible activities has changed in recent years. GAO's study is based on financial data, document analysis, stakeholder interviews, and site visits, among other methods."
Date: February 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: Significant Internal Control Weaknesses Remain in the Preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the U.S. Government (open access)

Financial Audit: Significant Internal Control Weaknesses Remain in the Preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the U.S. Government

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For the past 10 years, since GAO's first audit of the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS), certain material weaknesses in internal control and in selected accounting and financial reporting practices have prevented GAO from expressing an opinion on the CFS. GAO has consistently reported that the U.S. government did not have adequate systems, controls, and procedures to properly prepare the CFS. GAO's December 2006 disclaimer of opinion on the fiscal year 2006 CFS included a discussion of continuing weaknesses related to the preparation of the CFS. The purpose of this report is to (1) provide details of continuing and new weaknesses, (2) recommend improvements, and (3) describe the status of corrective actions on 143 open recommendations related to the preparation of the CFS that GAO reported in April 2006."
Date: July 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Programs: Evolution of Performance Measurement Systems to Measure Progress (open access)

Public Health and Hospital Emergency Preparedness Programs: Evolution of Performance Measurement Systems to Measure Progress

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the anthrax incidents during the fall of 2001, Hurricane Katrina, and concerns about the possibility of an influenza pandemic have raised public awareness and concerns about the nation's public health and medical systems' ability to respond to bioterrorist events and other public health emergencies. From 2002 to 2006, the Congress appropriated about $6.1 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support activities to strengthen state and local governments' emergency preparedness capabilities under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Preparedness and Response Act). HHS has distributed funds annually to 62 recipients, including all 50 states and 4 large municipalities, through cooperative agreements under two programs--the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, and the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program. The common goal of CDC's and HRSA's preparedness programs is to improve state and local preparedness to respond to bioterrorism and other large-scale public health emergencies, such as natural disasters or outbreaks of infectious disease. Annually, both CDC and HRSA develop and issue …
Date: March 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment: Service Contract Management Is Improving, but Challenges Remain (open access)

VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment: Service Contract Management Is Improving, but Challenges Remain

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program provides services such as vocational counseling and job training to assist veterans with service-connected disabilities obtain and maintain suitable employment and achieve maximum independence in daily living. In fiscal year 2006, the VR&E program obligated about $702 million and served about 89,000 veterans. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), which administers the VR&E program, provides some services to veterans through two types of contracts--national contracts and local contracts. In fiscal year 2003, VA adopted the National Acquisition Strategy (NAS) to award contracts at the national level to ensure that veterans have access to the same quality and types of VR&E services across regional offices. These national contracts, once awarded, are implemented by VA's regional offices. Services available under these national contracts include initial evaluations, case management, and employment placement assistance. In fiscal year 2006, VR&E spent about $15 million through national contracts. There are 165 national contracts currently active in fiscal year 2007. Regional offices also can negotiate and implement local contracts for services that are not provided through national contracts such as tutoring and computer skills …
Date: April 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: Treasury Needs to Strengthen Its Investment Board Operations and Oversight (open access)

Information Technology: Treasury Needs to Strengthen Its Investment Board Operations and Oversight

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of the Treasury relies extensively on information technology (IT) to carry out its mission. For fiscal year 2007, Treasury requested about $2.8 billion--the third largest planned IT expenditure among civilian agencies. GAO's objectives included (1) assessing Treasury's capabilities for managing its IT investments and (2) determining any plans the agency has for improving its capabilities. GAO used its IT investment management framework (ITIM) and associated methodology to address these objectives, focusing on the framework's stages related to the investment management provisions of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996."
Date: July 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
September 11: HHS Needs to Ensure the Availability of Health Screening and Monitoring for All Responders (open access)

September 11: HHS Needs to Ensure the Availability of Health Screening and Monitoring for All Responders

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Responders to the World Trade Center (WTC) attack were exposed to many hazards, and concerns remain about long-term health effects of the disaster and the availability of health care services for those affected. In 2006, GAO reported on problems with the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) WTC Federal Responder Screening Program and on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) distribution of treatment funding. GAO was asked to update its 2006 testimony. GAO assessed the status of (1) services provided by the WTC Federal Responder Screening Program, (2) efforts by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to provide services for nonfederal responders residing outside the New York City (NYC) area, and (3) NIOSH's awards to grantees for treatment services and efforts to estimate service costs. GAO reviewed program documents and interviewed HHS officials, grantees, and others."
Date: July 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Procurement of Pumping Systems for the New Orleans Drainage Canals (open access)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Procurement of Pumping Systems for the New Orleans Drainage Canals

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To avoid flooding in New Orleans after a rain storm, the city's Sewerage and Water Board pumps rainwater from the city into three drainage canals which then flow unrestricted into Lake Pontchartrain. While critical to prevent flooding from rainfall, these canals are vulnerable to storm surge from Lake Pontchartrain during a hurricane, and consequently are lined with floodwalls along both sides to protect storm surge from overtopping the canals and flooding the city. However, during Hurricane Katrina, several breaches occurred in the canal floodwalls allowing significant amounts of water to enter New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain. In its efforts to restore pre-Katrina levels of hurricane protection to New Orleans by the June 1st start of the 2006 hurricane season, in late 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) considered strengthening the drainage canal floodwalls but decided to postpone this effort due to cost and time constraints. Instead, the Corps decided to install three interim closure structures (gates) at the points where the canals meet the lake. These gates would be closed during major storm events to prevent storm surge from entering the canals and potentially breaching the …
Date: May 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vocational Rehabilitation: Improved Information and Practices May Enhance State Agency Earnings Outcomes for SSA Beneficiaries (open access)

Vocational Rehabilitation: Improved Information and Practices May Enhance State Agency Earnings Outcomes for SSA Beneficiaries

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, under the Department of Education (Education), play a crucial role in helping individuals with disabilities prepare for and obtain employment, including individuals receiving disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In a prior report (GAO-05-865), GAO found that state VR agencies varied in the rates of employment achieved for SSA beneficiaries. To help understand this variation, this report analyzed SSA and Education data and surveyed state agencies to determine the extent to which (1) agencies varied in earnings outcomes over time; (2) differences in state economic conditions, client demographic traits, and agency strategies could account for agency performance; and (3) Education's data could be used to identify factors that account for differences in individual earnings outcomes."
Date: May 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ambulance Providers: Costs and Expected Medicare Margins Vary Greatly (open access)

Ambulance Providers: Costs and Expected Medicare Margins Vary Greatly

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2002, Medicare implemented a national fee schedule designed to standardize payments for ambulance services. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) required GAO to study ambulance service costs. GAO examined providers' costs of ground ambulance transports in 2004 and factors that contributed to cost differences; average Medicare ambulance payments expected under the national fee schedule in 2010 and how those payments will relate to providers' costs per transport; and changes that occurred in Medicare beneficiaries' use of ambulance transports from 2001 to 2004. GAO estimated costs of ambulance transports based on a nationally representative survey of 215 ambulance providers that did not share costs with nonambulance services. Providers that shared costs with other institutions or services and could not report their costs for ambulance services separately, such as fire departments, were excluded because their reported costs appeared unreliable. GAO used its survey, Medicare claims, and other data for its analyses."
Date: May 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Inspectors General: Activities of the Department of State Office of Inspector General (open access)

Inspectors General: Activities of the Department of State Office of Inspector General

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO was asked to review the Department of State Office of Inspector General (State IG) including its (1) organization, budget levels, and accomplishments; (2) audit and inspection coverage of the department; (3) role of inspections in the oversight of the department; (4) quality assurance process including assurance of independence; and (5) coordination of State IG investigations with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. GAO obtained information from State IG reports, interviews, and documentation for a sample of inspections."
Date: March 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Trade: National Security Reviews of Foreign Acquisitions of U.S. Companies Could Be Improved (open access)

Defense Trade: National Security Reviews of Foreign Acquisitions of U.S. Companies Could Be Improved

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Exon-Florio amendment to the Defense Production Act of 1950, enacted in 1988, authorized the President to suspend or prohibit foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies that pose a threat to national security. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States--chaired by the Department of Treasury with 11 other members, including the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Homeland Security--implements Exon-Florio through a four-step review process: (1) voluntary notice by the companies of pending or completed acquisitions; (2) a 30-day review to determine whether the acquisition could pose a threat to national security; (3) a 45-day investigation period to determine whether concerns require possible action by the President; and (4) a presidential decision to permit, suspend, or prohibit the acquisition. Over the past decade, GAO has conducted several reviews of the Committee's process and has found areas where improvements were needed. GAO's most recent work, conducted in 2005, indicated concerns remained."
Date: March 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Markets: Mergers and Other Factors That Influence Gasoline Prices (open access)

Energy Markets: Mergers and Other Factors That Influence Gasoline Prices

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Few issues generate more attention and anxiety among American consumers than the price of gasoline. The most current upsurge in prices is no exception. According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average retail price of regular unleaded gasoline in the United States has increased almost every week this year since January 29th and reached an all-time high of $3.21 the week of May 21st. Over this time period, the price has increase $1.05 per gallon and added about $23 billion to consumers' total gasoline bill, or about $167 for each passenger car in the United States. Given the importance of gasoline for the nation's economy, it is essential to understand the market for gasoline and the factors that influence gasoline prices. In this context, this testimony addresses the following questions: (1) what key factors affect the prices of gasoline and (2) what effects have mergers had on market concentration and wholesale gasoline prices?"
Date: May 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: Conditions in Iraq Are Conducive to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (open access)

Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: Conditions in Iraq Are Conducive to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses some of the systemic conditions in Iraq that contribute to the fraud, waste, or abuse of U.S.-provided funds. Since 2003, DOD has reported total costs of about $257.5 billion for military operations in Iraq; these have increased from about $38.8 billion in fiscal year 2003 to about $83.4 billion in fiscal year 2006. The largest increase has been in operation and maintenance expenses, including items such as support for housing, food, and services; the repair of equipment; and transportation of people, supplies and equipment. Many of the operation and maintenance expenses are for services. Other U.S. government agencies had reported obligations of $29 billion for Iraqi reconstruction and stabilization, as of October 2006. These funds have been used for, among other things, infrastructure repair of the electricity, oil, water, and health sectors; training and equipping of the Iraqi security forces; and administrative expenses. Specifically, the testimony focuses on (1) security, (2) management and reporting of the program to train and equip Iraqi security forces, (3) contracting and contract management activities, and (4) Iraqi capacity and commitment to manage and fund reconstruction and security efforts."
Date: April 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Highlights of a GAO Forum: Global Competitiveness: Implications for the Nation's Higher Education System (open access)

Highlights of a GAO Forum: Global Competitiveness: Implications for the Nation's Higher Education System

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States has long been one of the most desired higher education destinations for international students. Students from other countries bring needed skills to the increasingly knowledge-based U.S. economy, build bridges between the United States and their own countries, and make other valuable contributions. Yet recent trends and changes after September 11, 2001, have raised concerns about whether the United States will continue to attract an appropriate share of talented international students to its universities and to its workforce after they graduate. In order to better understand issues related to global competitiveness and international students, the Comptroller General convened selected national leaders and experts in September 2006 to discuss current trends in international student enrollment in the United States and abroad. Participants were asked to explore (1) what is known about the potential impact of these trends, (2) challenges the United States faces in attracting international students, and (3) policies and strategies the country can pursue to compete for international students while also maintaining the nation's security. Invitees to the forum included experts from government, universities, research institutions, higher education organizations, and industry."
Date: January 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Long-Term Budget Outlook: Deficits Matter--Saving Our Future Requires Tough Choices Today (open access)

Long-Term Budget Outlook: Deficits Matter--Saving Our Future Requires Tough Choices Today

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Comptroller General testified before Congress for a hearing entitled "Why Deficits Matter." The presentation touched on several points. First, the current financial condition in the United States is worse than is widely understood. Second, the current fiscal path is both imprudent and unsustainable. Third, improvements in information and processes are needed and can help. And finally, meeting the long-term fiscal challenge will require (1) significant entitlement reform to change the path of those programs; (2) reprioritizing, restructuring and constraining other spending programs; and (3) more revenues--hopefully through a reformed tax system. This will take bipartisan cooperation and compromise."
Date: January 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Project Bioshield: Actions Needed to Avoid Repeating Past Mistakes (open access)

Project Bioshield: Actions Needed to Avoid Repeating Past Mistakes

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The anthrax attacks in September and October 2001 highlighted the need to develop medical countermeasures. The Project BioShield Act of 2004 authorized the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to procure countermeasures for a Strategic National Stockpile. However, in December 2006, HHS terminated the contract for a recombinant protective antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine because VaxGen failed to meet a critical contractual milestone. Also, supplies of the licensed BioThrax anthrax vaccine already in the stockpile will start expiring in 2008. GAO was asked to testify on its report on Project BioShield, which is being released today. This testimony summarizes (1) factors contributing to the failure of the rPA vaccine contract and (2) issues associated with using the BioThrax in the stockpile. GAO interviewed agency and industry officials, reviewed documents, and consulted with biodefense experts."
Date: October 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internet Infrastructure: Challenges in Developing a Public/Private Recovery Plan (open access)

Internet Infrastructure: Challenges in Developing a Public/Private Recovery Plan

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since the early 1990s, growth in the use of the Internet has revolutionized the way that our nation communicates and conducts business. While the Internet originated as a U.S. government-sponsored research project, the vast majority of its infrastructure is currently owned and operated by the private sector. Federal policy recognizes the need to prepare for debilitating Internet disruptions and tasks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with developing an integrated public/private plan for Internet recovery. GAO was asked to summarize its report on plans for recovering the Internet in case of a major disruption (GAO-06-672) and to provide an update on DHS's efforts to implement that report's recommendations. The report (1) identifies examples of major disruptions to the Internet, (2) identifies the primary laws and regulations governing recovery of the Internet in the event of a major disruption, (3) evaluates DHS plans for facilitating recovery from Internet disruptions, and (4) assesses challenges to such efforts."
Date: October 23, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library