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Export-Import Bank: Background and Legislative Issues (open access)

Export-Import Bank: Background and Legislative Issues

This report discusses the Export-Import Bank (Ex-In Bank), the chief U.S. government agency that helps finance American exports of manufactured goods and services with the objective of contributing to the employment of U.S. workers. This report discusses the Bank's budget and related legislation, including the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, signed by President Barack Obama and authorizing spending limitations for the Bank.
Date: March 17, 2009
Creator: Ilias, Shayerah
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Governmentwide Purchase Cards: Actions Needed to Strengthen Internal Controls to Reduce Fraudulent, Improper, and Abusive Purchases (open access)

Governmentwide Purchase Cards: Actions Needed to Strengthen Internal Controls to Reduce Fraudulent, Improper, and Abusive Purchases

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past several years, GAO has issued numerous reports and testimonies on internal control breakdowns in certain individual agencies' purchase card programs. In light of these findings, GAO was asked to analyze purchase card transactions governmentwide to (1) determine whether internal control weaknesses existed in the government purchase card program and (2) if so, identify examples of fraudulent, improper, and abusive activity. GAO used statistical sampling to systematically test internal controls and data mining procedures to identify fraudulent, improper, and abusive activity. GAO's work was not designed to determine the overall extent of fraudulent, improper, or abusive transactions."
Date: March 14, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Management: More Transparency Needed over the Financial and Human Capital Operations of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (open access)

Defense Management: More Transparency Needed over the Financial and Human Capital Operations of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Improvised explosive devices (IED) have been and continue to be a significant threat to U.S. forces. The Department of Defense (DOD) expanded efforts to defeat IEDs with the establishment of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) in January 2006. GAO was asked to review JIEDDO's management and operations. For this second report in its series, GAO determined (1) the extent to which JIEDDO's management processes provide adequate assurances that its financial information is accurate and provides transparency over its operations and (2) the extent to which JIEDDO identifies, records, tracks, and reports numbers of all personnel, including contractors. GAO analyzed data for the first half of fiscal year 2007, which included 47 funding transactions totaling $1.34 billion for 24 initiatives to address these objectives."
Date: March 6, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pigford Settlement: The Role of the Court-Appointed Monitor (open access)

Pigford Settlement: The Role of the Court-Appointed Monitor

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1997, three African-American farmers filed a class action civil rights lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These farmers alleged that USDA had willfully discriminated against them and other African-American farmers by denying their applications for farm loans and benefit programs, or by delaying the processing of their applications, and had failed to properly investigate and resolve their complaints of discrimination. This lawsuit, Pigford v. Glickman, was certified by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia as a class action suit on October 9, 1998. On April 14, 1999, District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman approved and entered a consent decree settling this lawsuit. In doing so, the court noted USDA's long-standing discriminatory practices. The court stated that for decades USDA discriminated against African-American farmers by denying, delaying, or otherwise frustrating African-American farmers' applications for farm loans and other credit and benefit programs. The court also noted that USDA disbanded its Office of Civil Rights in 1983, and stopped responding to claims of discrimination. Finally, the court observed that the consent decree would not undo all that had been done to African-American …
Date: March 17, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Infrastructure: Army and Marine Corps Grow the Force Construction Projects Generally Support the Initiative (open access)

Defense Infrastructure: Army and Marine Corps Grow the Force Construction Projects Generally Support the Initiative

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In January 2007 the President announced an initiative, referred to as Grow the Force, to increase the end strength in the Army by more than 74,000 by 2013 and the Marine Corps by 27,000 personnel by 2011 to enhance U.S. forces, reduce stress on deployable personnel, and provide necessary forces for success in the Global War on Terrorism. The Department of Defense (DOD) estimates that it will need more than $17 billion for facilities to accommodate the planned personnel increases. GAO was asked to review (1) the process the Army and Marine Corps used to develop construction projects associated with Grow the Force, (2) the extent to which the projects submitted in DOD's budget requests for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 support the initiative, and (3) whether the Army and Marine Corps plan to use temporary facilities while construction projects are completed. GAO reviewed the construction projects associated with Grow the Force in DOD's budget requests for fiscal years 2007 and 2008, reviewed stationing documents, and interviewed officials at Army and Marine Corps headquarters and six installations on the process used to develop projects. In comments …
Date: March 6, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections (open access)

Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It provides the dates of the last and next elections for the head of government and the national independence date for each country.
Date: March 10, 2009
Creator: Gomez-Granger, Julissa & Sullivan, Mark P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections (open access)

Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It provides the dates of the last and next elections for the head of government and the national independence date for each country.
Date: March 27, 2009
Creator: Gomez-Granger, Julissa & Sullivan, Mark P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nanotechnology: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure Accurate Reporting of Federal Research Focused on Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks (open access)

Nanotechnology: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure Accurate Reporting of Federal Research Focused on Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), administered by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), is a multiagency effort intended to coordinate the nanotechnology-related activities of 25 federal agencies that fund nanoscale research or have a stake in the results. Nanotechnology is the ability to control matter at the scale of a nanometer--one billionth of a meter. A key research area funded by some federal agencies relates to potential environmental, health, and safety (EHS) risks that may result from exposure to nanoscale materials. Because of concerns about federal efforts to fund and prioritize EHS research, GAO was asked to determine (1) the extent to which selected agencies conducted such research in fiscal year 2006; (2) the reasonableness of the agencies' and the NNI's processes to identify and prioritize such federal research; and (3) the effectiveness of the agencies' and the NNI's process to coordinate this research. GAO reviewed quantitative and qualitative data from five federal agencies that provided 96 percent of fiscal year 2006 funding for EHS research."
Date: March 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cargo Container Inspections: Preliminary Observations on the Status of Efforts to Improve the Automated Targeting System (open access)

Cargo Container Inspections: Preliminary Observations on the Status of Efforts to Improve the Automated Targeting System

A statement of record issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Automated Targeting System (ATS)--a computerized model that CBP officers use as a decision support tool to help them target oceangoing cargo containers for inspection--is part of CBP's layered approach to securing oceangoing cargo. GAO reported in February 2004 on challenges CBP faced in targeting oceangoing cargo containers for inspection and testified before Congress in March 2004 about the findings in that report. The report and testimony outlined recommendations aimed at (1) better incorporating recognized modeling practices into CBP's targeting strategy, (2) periodically adjusting the targeting strategy to respond to findings that occur during the course of its operation, and (3) improving implementation of the targeting strategy. This statement for the record discusses preliminary observations from GAO's ongoing work related to ATS and GAO's 2004 recommendations addressing the following questions: (1) What controls does CBP have in place to provide reasonable assurance that ATS is effective at targeting oceangoing cargo containers with the highest risk of smuggled weapons of mass destruction? (2) How does CBP systematically analyze security inspection results and incorporate them into ATS? and (3) What steps has …
Date: March 30, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Aviation Security: Secure Flight Development and Testing Under Way, but Risks Should Be Managed as System Is Further Developed (open access)

Aviation Security: Secure Flight Development and Testing Under Way, but Risks Should Be Managed as System Is Further Developed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Among its efforts to strengthen aviation security, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is developing a new passenger prescreening system--known as Secure Flight. As required by Congress, TSA is planning to assume, through Secure Flight, the prescreening function currently performed by the air carriers. This report assesses the (1) status of Secure Flight's development and implementation, (2) factors that could influence the effectiveness of Secure Flight, (3) processes used to oversee and manage the Secure Flight program, and (4) efforts taken to minimize the impacts on passengers and protect passenger rights. In conducting this assessment, we addressed the 10 specific areas of congressional interest related to Secure Flight outlined in Public Law 108-334."
Date: March 28, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Financial Statement Audit Report for the Reserve Officers Association of the United States for Fiscal Year 2005 (open access)

Federally Chartered Corporation: Financial Statement Audit Report for the Reserve Officers Association of the United States for Fiscal Year 2005

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Reserve Officers Association of the United States for fiscal year 2005. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards."
Date: March 9, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tobacco Settlement: States' Allocations of Fiscal Year 2004 and Expected Fiscal Year 2005 Payments (open access)

Tobacco Settlement: States' Allocations of Fiscal Year 2004 and Expected Fiscal Year 2005 Payments

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the 1990s, states sued major tobacco companies to obtain reimbursement for health impairments caused by the public's use of tobacco. In 1998, 46 states and four of the nation's largest tobacco companies signed a Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) that requires the tobacco companies to make annual payments to the states in perpetuity as reimbursement for past tobacco-related health care costs. The MSA commits the tobacco companies to pay the states approximately $206 billion over the first 25 years. Some of the states have arranged to receive upfront proceeds based on the amounts that tobacco companies owe by issuing bonds backed by future payments. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 requires GAO to report annually on the amount of MSA payments that states receive through fiscal year 2006. This fourth report provides information on (1) the payments the 46 states received in fiscal year 2004 and expect to receive in fiscal year 2005 and (2) states' allocations of these funds to various program categories and changes from prior years. To conduct this study, GAO surveyed the 46 states."
Date: March 21, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transmittal of Comptroller General Decision on the Transportation Security Administration's Time and Attendance Approval System (open access)

Transmittal of Comptroller General Decision on the Transportation Security Administration's Time and Attendance Approval System

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This letter is to highlight internal control advice we offered in our December 2002 decision to four certifying officers of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Their July 24, 2002 letter had requested a Comptroller General decision related to certifying payroll payments. Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3529, the four certifying officers asked us whether the method of approving an employee's time and attendance (T&A) information in the T&A system, to which the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is transitioning, meets the requirements of Title 6 of GAO's Policy and Procedures Manual for Guidance of Federal Agencies."
Date: March 11, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Laboratory Research: State of Tennessee Exempts DOE's Spallation Neutron Source Project From Sales and Use Taxes (open access)

Laboratory Research: State of Tennessee Exempts DOE's Spallation Neutron Source Project From Sales and Use Taxes

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the tax expenses associated with building the Department of Energy's Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project, focusing on whether it would be less expensive to build the project at any of the participating national laboratories."
Date: March 24, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Planning: Opportunities to Improve Strategic Reviews (open access)

Defense Planning: Opportunities to Improve Strategic Reviews

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "For several years, GAO has reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to strategically plan for the nation's defense needs and prepare related budgets. In particular, GAO evaluated DOD's methodology for conducting the 1993 Bottom-Up Review and the 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), and its preparation of several Future Years Defense Programs (FYDP). As DOD began a new effort to review its strategic priorities, GAO shared some observations on the importance of (1) using realistic assumptions and integrated analyses to reach force structure and modernization decisions, (2) preparing FYDPs that clearly link strategy and resources, and (3) ensuring DOD's review efforts carefully scrutinize opportunities to reduce support infrastructure and improve business processes."
Date: March 20, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Space Shuttle: Actions Needed to Better Position NASA to Sustain Its Workforce Through Retirement (open access)

Space Shuttle: Actions Needed to Better Position NASA to Sustain Its Workforce Through Retirement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The President's vision for space exploration (Vision) directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to retire the space shuttle following completion of the International Space Station, planned for the end of the decade. The retirement process will last several years and impact thousands of critically skilled NASA civil service and contractor employees that support the program. Key to implementing the Vision is NASA's ability to sustain this workforce to support safe space shuttle operations through retirement. Because of the potential workforce issues that could affect the safety and effectiveness of operations through the space shuttle's retirement, GAO was asked to identify (1) the progress of efforts to develop a strategy for sustaining the space shuttle workforce through retirement and (2) factors that may have impeded these efforts."
Date: March 9, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: American Battle Monuments Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2005 and 2004 (open access)

Financial Audit: American Battle Monuments Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2005 and 2004

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In accordance with 36 U.S.C. 2103, GAO is responsible for conducting audits of the agencywide financial statements of the American Battle Monuments Commission (the Commission). GAO audited the financial statements of the Commission for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2005, and 2004. The audits were done to determine whether, in all material respects, (1) the Commission's financial statements were reliable, and (2) Commission management maintained effective internal control over financial reporting and compliance with laws and regulations. Also, GAO tested Commission management's compliance with selected laws and regulations. The Commission was created in 1923 to commemorate the sacrifices and achievements of U.S. Armed Forces where they have served overseas since April 6, 1917, and at locations within the United States as directed by Congress. The Commission designs, administers, operates, and maintains 24 American military cemeteries on foreign soil and 25 federal memorials, monuments, and markers, 22 of which are on foreign soil. The Commission was also responsible for designing and constructing the national World War II Memorial on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C., and for maintaining six nonfederal memorials with funds provided by those …
Date: March 1, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Assistance: Enhanced Coordination and Better Methods to Assess the Results of U.S. International Basic Education Efforts Are Needed (open access)

Foreign Assistance: Enhanced Coordination and Better Methods to Assess the Results of U.S. International Basic Education Efforts Are Needed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pub. L. No. 109-102, section 567, mandated that GAO analyze U.S. international basic education efforts overseas. In this report, GAO (1) describes U.S. agencies' basic education activities and how the agencies plan them; (2) examines U.S. coordination of basic education efforts among U.S. agencies, and with host governments and international donors; and (3) examines how U.S. agencies assess the results of their basic education programs. In conducting this work, GAO obtained and analyzed relevant agencies' documents and met with U.S. and foreign government officials and nongovernmental organizations, traveling to selected recipient countries."
Date: March 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Logistics: Several Factors Limited the Production and Installation of Army Truck Armor during Current Wartime Operations (open access)

Defense Logistics: Several Factors Limited the Production and Installation of Army Truck Armor during Current Wartime Operations

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In April 2005, GAO reported on factors affecting the timely production of up-armored high-mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV) and add-on armor kits for HMMWVs, as well as other items critically needed by deployed forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Due to high interest by Congress and the public regarding vehicle armor, GAO initiated this subsequent engagement to examine issues affecting the production and installation of armor for medium and heavy trucks. The objectives were to (1) determine the extent to which truck armor was produced and installed to meet identified requirements, (2) identify what factors affected the time to provide truck armor, and (3) identify what actions the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Army have taken to improve the timely availability of truck armor. To address these objectives, GAO collected and analyzed supply data for medium and heavy tactical trucks used by Army forces."
Date: March 22, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2007 and 2006 (open access)

Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2007 and 2006

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As requested, we provided for audits of the financial statements of the U.S. Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund (the Fund) for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2007, and 2006, by contracting with the independent public accounting firm of Clifton Gunderson LLP. The contract required that the audit be conducted in accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards and the joint GAO/President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) Financial Audit Manual."
Date: March 7, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Durable Medical Equipment: Class III Devices Do Not Warrant a Distinct Annual Payment Update (open access)

Medicare Durable Medical Equipment: Class III Devices Do Not Warrant a Distinct Annual Payment Update

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Medicare fee schedule payments for durable medical equipment (DME) that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates as class III devices, those that pose the greatest potential risk, increased by 215 percent from 2001 through 2004. From 2004 through 2006, and for 2008, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) provided for a payment update for class III DME equal to the increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). For 2007, MMA requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to determine the payment update. MMA also requires that other DME receive a 0 percent update from 2004 through 2008. MMA directed GAO to report on an appropriate payment update for 2007 and 2008 for class III DME. In this report, GAO (1) examined whether class III devices have unique premarketing costs and (2) determined how the fee schedule rate-setting methodology accounts for the premarketing costs of such devices."
Date: March 1, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: American Battle Monuments Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2000 and 1999 (open access)

Financial Audit: American Battle Monuments Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2000 and 1999

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the financial statement audit reports for the American Battle Monuments Commission for fiscal years 2000 and 1999. GAO found that (1) the consolidating financial statements for fiscal year 2000 and comparative consolidated totals for fiscal year 1999 are presented fairly in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; (2) although internal controls should be improved, the Commission had effective internal control over financial reporting and compliance with laws and regulations as of September 30, 2000; and (3) there are no reportable instances of noncompliance with selected provisions of laws and regulations GAO tested. However, GAO noticed three deficiencies in internal controls over information technology systems."
Date: March 1, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Employees Compensation: Obstacles Remain in Processing Cases Efficiently and Ensuring a Source of Benefit Payments (open access)

Energy Employees Compensation: Obstacles Remain in Processing Cases Efficiently and Ensuring a Source of Benefit Payments

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy (Energy) and its predecessor agencies and contractors have employed thousands of people in the nuclear weapons production complex. Some employees were exposed to toxic substances, including radioactive and hazardous materials, during this work, and many subsequently developed illnesses. Subtitle D of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 allows Energy to help its contractor employees file state workers' compensation claims for illnesses determined by a panel of physicians to be caused by exposure to toxic substances in the course of employment at an Energy facility. Congress mandated that GAO study the effectiveness of the benefit program under Subtitle D of this Act. This testimony is based on GAO's ongoing work on this issue and focuses on four key areas: (1) the number, status, and characteristics of claims filed with Energy; (2) the extent to which Energy policies and procedures help employees file timely claims for these state benefits; (3) the extent to which there will be a "willing payer" of workers' compensation benefits, that is, an insurer who--by order from or agreement with Energy--will not contest these claims; and (4) a …
Date: March 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Justice Impact Evaluations: One Byrne Evaluation Was Rigorous; All Reviewed Violence Against Women Office Evaluations Were Problematic (open access)

Justice Impact Evaluations: One Byrne Evaluation Was Rigorous; All Reviewed Violence Against Women Office Evaluations Were Problematic

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Discretionary grants awarded under the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) Byrne Program help state and local governments make communities safe and improve criminal justice. Discretionary grants awarded under BJA's Violence Against Women Office (VAWO) programs are aimed at improving criminal justice system responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) awarded $6 million for five Byrne Program and five VAWO discretionary grant program evaluations between 1995 and 2001. Of the 10 programs evaluated, all five VAWO evaluations were designed to be both process and impact evaluations of the VAWO programs. Only one of the five Byrne evaluations was designed as an impact evaluation and the other four evaluations were process evaluations. GAO's in-depth review of the four impact evaluations since fiscal year 1995 showed that only one of these--the evaluation of the Byrne Children at Risk Program--was methodologically sound. The other three evaluations, all of which examined VAWO programs, had methodological problems."
Date: March 5, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library