GAO Releases this week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such audits of public companies, defense acquisitions, and information security. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Audits of Public Companies: Continued Concentration in Audit Market for Large Public Companies Does Not Call for Immediate Action. GAO-08-163, January 9.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-163
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08163high.pdf
  
• Defense Acquisitions: Departmentwide Direction Is Needed for Implementation of the Anti-tamper Policy. GAO-08-91, January 11.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-91
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0891high.pdf
• Federal-Aid Highways: Increased Reliance on Contractors Can Pose Oversight Challenges for Federal and State Officials. GAO-08-198, January 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-198
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08198high.pdf
• Freight Transportation: National Policy and Strategies Can Help Improve Freight Mobility. GAO-08-287, January 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-287
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08287high.pdf
  
• Information Security: IRS Needs to Address Pervasive Weaknesses. GAO-08-211, January 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-211
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08211high.pdf
  
• Maritime Security: Federal Efforts Needed to Address Challenges in Preventing and Responding to Terrorist Attacks on Energy Commodity Tankers. GAO-08-141, December 10.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-141
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08141high.pdf
  
• Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE's Program to Assist Weapons Scientists in Russia and Other Countries Needs to Be Reassessed. GAO-08-189, December 12.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-189
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08189high.pdf
• Social Security Disability: Better Planning, Management, and Evaluation Could Help Address Backlogs. GAO-08-40, December 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-40
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0840high.pdf
  

Correspondence

• Posthearing Questions Related to Federal Agencies' Activities regarding the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. GAO-08-397R, January 9.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-397R
  

Special Publication / Related Product

• Audits of Public Companies: Survey of Public Accounting Firms and Public Companies (an E-supplement to GAO-08-163). GAO-08-164SP, January 9. [Internet only] http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-164SP

Presentation By The Comptroller General

• "U.S. Financial Condition and Fiscal Future Briefing," by David M. Walker, comptroller general of the United States, before the Rotary Club of Birmingham, Alabama. GAO-08-417CG, January 9, 2008 http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d08417cg.pdf