A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The October 12, 2000, attack against the Navy destroyer U.S.S. Cole in the port of Aden illustrated the danger of unconventional threats to U.S. ships in seaports. The September 11, 2001, attacks further heightened the need for a significant change in conventional antiterrorist thinking, particularly regarding threats to the U.S. homeland. The new security paradigm assumes that all U.S. forces, be they abroad or at home, are vulnerable to attack, and that even those infrastructures traditionally considered of little interest to terrorists, such as commercial seaports in the continental United States, are now commonly recognized as highly vulnerable to potential terrorist attack. Of the more than 300 seaports in the United States, the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Transportation have designated 17 as "strategic," because in the event of a large-scale military deployment, DOD would need to transport more than 95 percent of all equipment and supplies needed for military operations by sea. If the strategic ports were attacked, not only could massive civilian casualties be sustained, but DOD could also lose precious cargo and time and be forced to rely heavily on its overburdened airlift …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our report to this committee on climate change adaptation and the role strategic federal planning could play in government decision making. Changes in the climate attributable to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases may have significant impacts in the United States and internationally. For example, climate change could threaten coastal areas with rising sea levels. In recent years, climate change adaptation--adjustments to natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate change--has begun to receive more attention because the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere are expected to continue altering the climate system into the future, regardless of efforts to control emissions. According to a recent report by the National Research Council (NRC), however, individuals and institutions whose futures will be affected by climate change are unprepared both conceptually and practically for meeting the challenges and opportunities it presents. In this context, adapting to climate change requires making policy and management decisions that cut across traditional economic sectors, jurisdictional boundaries, and levels of government. This testimony is based on our October 2009 report, which is being publicly released today, and addresses three issues: (1) …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Harmful invasive species--nonnative plants and animals that are spreading throughout the United States--have caused billions of dollars in damage to natural areas, businesses, and consumers. In 2001, the federal government issued a National Invasive Species Management Plan to focus attention on invasive species and coordinate a national control effort involving the 20 or so federal agencies that are responsible for managing them. This report discusses the economic impacts of invasive species, implementation of the management plan, and coordination of U.S. and Canadian efforts to control invasive species, including those introduced to the Great Lakes via the ballast water of ships."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses taxpayers' use of the First-time Homebuyer Credit (FTHBC) and the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) implementation and compliance challenges. As an important part of the recent economic stimulus efforts, Congress enacted the FTHBC to assist the struggling real estate market and encourage taxpayers to purchase their first home. The credit initially was enacted by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Housing Act) and revised by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The 2008 FTHBC provided taxpayers a credit of up to $7,500 that must be paid back over 15 years. The Recovery Act increased the maximum credit for the 2009 FTHBC to $8,000, with no payback required unless the home ceases to be the taxpayer's principal residence within 3 years. This $8,000 credit is a refundable tax credit that is paid out even if there is no tax liability or the credit exceeds the amount of any tax due. The 2009 FTHBC was enacted into law on February 17, 2009, but eligibility was made retroactive for homes purchased beginning January 1, 2009. This testimony today, based on on-going work, describes …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The recent growth in specialty hospitals that are largely for-profit and owned, in part, by physicians, has been controversial. Advocates of these hospitals contend that the focused mission and dedicated resources of specialty hospitals both improve quality and reduce costs. Critics contend that specialty hospitals siphon off the most profitable procedures and patient cases, thus eroding the financial health of neighboring general hospitals and impairing their ability to provide emergency care and other essential community services. Critics also contend that physician ownership of specialty hospitals creates financial incentives that may inappropriately affect physicians' clinical and referral behavior. In April 2003, GAO reported on certain aspects of specialty hospitals, including the extent of physician ownership and the relative severity of patients treated (GAO-03-683R). For this report, GAO was asked to examine (1) state policies and local conditions associated with the location of specialty hospitals, (2) how specialty hospitals differ from general hospitals in providing emergency care and serving a community's other medical needs, and (3) how specialty and general hospitals in the same communities compare in terms of market share and financial health."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA) of 1998 authorized certain Haitian nationals and their dependents to apply to adjust their status to legal permanent residence. Section 902(k) of the act requires the Comptroller General to report every six months on the number of Haitian nationals who have applied and been approved to adjust their status to legal permanent residence. The reports are to contain a breakdown of the numbers who applied and the number who were approved as asylum applicants, parolees, children without parents, orphaned children, or abandoned children; or as the eligible dependents of these applicants, including spouses, children, and unmarried sons or daughters. As of September 30, 2002, the Immigration and Naturalization Service had received a total of 36,774 HRIFA applications and had approved 8,410 of these applications. The Executive Office for Immigration Review had 339 applications filed and had approved 117 of them."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress and the administration set forth energy objectives for federal fleets with 20 or more vehicles. Agencies are to (1) acquire alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) as 75 percent of all new light-duty vehicle acquisitions; (2) use only alternative fuel in AFVs, unless granted a waiver; (3) increase overall alternative fuel use by 10 percent annually; (4) reduce petroleum consumption by 2 percent annually through 2015; and (5) purchase plug-in hybrid electric vehicles when available and at a reasonable cost. The first two objectives are requirements in the Energy Policy Acts (EPAct) of 1992 and 2005. The last three are goals set by Executive Order 13423. GAO was asked to determine agencies' compliance with these objectives for fiscal year 2007 and how agencies are poised to meet them in the future. GAO obtained and analyzed information from the Department of Energy's (DOE) automotive database and other sources and interviewed agency officials."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq--known as Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), respectively--have progressed, increasing numbers of OEF/OIF servicemembers have transitioned to veteran status and have begun receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA data show that as of March 2008, over 868,000 OEF/OIF servicemembers, including National Guard and Reserve members, had left active duty and become eligible for VA health care, and over 340,000-- about 40 percent--had accessed VA health care services. Returning OEF/OIF veterans may have a range of health care needs, such as treatment for mental health conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) or other injuries, or counseling to address difficulties readjusting from wartime military service to civilian life. Family members can play an important role in helping and supporting OEF/OIF veterans. For example, family members may notice symptoms the veteran has, such as anxiety or difficulty sleeping, and encourage the veteran to seek care. They may also help the veteran identify health care services and ensure that the veteran receives needed services. Family members may also provide emotional support--such …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For decades, numerous federal reports have described serious weaknesses in USDA's civil rights programs--in particular, in resolving discrimination complaints and providing minority farmers with access to programs. In 2002, Congress authorized the position of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) at USDA to provide leadership for resolving these long-standing problems. GAO was asked to assess USDA's efforts to (1) resolve discrimination complaints, (2) report on minority participation in farm programs, and (3) strategically plan its efforts. GAO also reviewed experiences of other federal agencies to develop options for addressing the issues. This report is based on new and prior work, including analysis of ASCR's discrimination complaint management, strategic planning, and interviews with officials of USDA and other agencies, as well as 20 USDA stakeholder groups."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 allows Haitian nationals and their dependents to apply to adjust their status to legal permanent residence. The act requires the Comptroller General to report every six months on the number of Haitian nationals who have applied and been approved for legal permanent residence status. GAO found that, as of September 30, 2001, the Immigration and Naturalization Service had received 35,946 applications and had approved 5,072 of them. The Executive Office for Immigration Review had 107 applications filed and had approved 87 of them."

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides health care services to American Indians and Alaskan Natives. For fiscal year 2009, Congress appropriated approximately $3.6 billion for health care services to be made available through IHS. The agency provides direct medical care, including primary care services, ancillary services, and some specialty services, through its network of facilities, including hospitals, health centers, and clinics. IHS also provides funding to direct care facilities that are operated by tribes. IHS headquarters oversees 12 area offices that cover 161 service units in 35 states. The Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 1976, as amended, authorizes IHS to collect reimbursement for services provided at IHS facilities from third-party insurers, including Medicare, the federal health insurance program for elderly and disabled individuals; Medicaid, a joint federal and state health financing program for certain low-income families and individuals; and private health insurers. IHS is allowed to retain funds collected from these insurers without a corresponding offset against its appropriations, so that all revenue collected by a facility remains with that facility, supplementing its appropriations. For fiscal …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Centennial of Flight Commission was created in 1998 to provide recommendations and advice to the President, Congress, and federal agencies on ways to encourage and promote national and international participation and sponsorships in commemoration of the centennial of powered flight. All 45 of the Commission's recorded financial transactions for fiscal years 2000 and 1999 were supported by documentation that was approved by management. The Commission recorded no donations, user fees, or in-kind donations for fiscal years 1999 and 2000. Also, the Commission's obligations exceeded its fiscal year 2000 appropriation of $600,000 by $29,729."