GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated Army body armor, taxation, and food safety; and posted testimony on healthcare for veterans, and posted presentations by the acting comptroller general, among other topics. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.


Reports

Warfighter Support: Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding. GAO-10-119, October 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-119
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10119high.pdf

Energy-Water Nexus: Improvements to Federal Water Use Data Would Increase Understanding of Trends in Power Plant Water Use. GAO-10-23, October 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-23
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1023high.pdf

Tax Administration: Opportunities Exist for IRS to Enhance Taxpayer Service and Enforcement for the 2010 Filing Season. GAO-09-1026, September 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-1026

International Taxation: Study Countries That Exempt Foreign-Source Income Face Compliance Risks and Burdens Similar to Those in the United States. GAO-09-934, September 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-934
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09934high.pdf

Information Technology: Social Security Administration's Data Exchanges Support Current Programs, but Better Planning Is Needed to Meet Future Demands. GAO-09-966, September 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-966
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09966high.pdf

The Federal Government's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: Fall 2009 Update. GAO-10-137SP, October 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-137SP

Social Security Disability: Additional Outreach and Collaboration on Sharing Medical Records Would Improve Wounded Warriors' Access to Benefits. GAO-09-762, September 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-762
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09762high.pdf

Information Security: NASA Needs to Remedy Vulnerabilities in Key Networks. GAO-10-4, October 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-4
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d104high.pdf

Food Safety: Agencies Need to Address Gaps in Enforcement and Collaboration to Enhance Safety of Imported Food. GAO-09-873, September 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-873
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09873high.pdf

Defense Infrastructure: DOD Needs to Provide Updated Labor Requirements to Help Guam Adequately Develop Its Labor Force for the Military Buildup. GAO-10-72, October 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-72
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1072high.pdf

Tax Gap: Limiting Sole Proprietor Loss Deductions Could Improve Compliance but Would Also Limit Some Legitimate Losses. GAO-09-815, September 10.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-815
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09815high.pdf


Correspondence

NASA: Briefing on National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Programs and Associated Activities. GAO-10-87R, October 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-87R


Testimonies

Defense Management: Widespread DCAA Audit Problems Leave Billions of Taxpayer Dollars Vulnerable to Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Mismanagement, by Gregory D. Kutz, managing director, forensic audits and special investigations, before the Defense Acquisition Reform Panel, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-10-163T, October 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-163T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10163thigh.pdf

VA Health Care: Ineffective Medical Center Controls Resulted in Inappropriate Billing and Collection Practices, by Kay L. Daly, director, financial management and assurance, before the Subcommittee on Health, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. GAO-10-152T, October 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-152T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10152thigh.pdf

Clean Water Act: Longstanding Issues Impact EPA's and States' Enforcement Efforts, by Anu K. Mittal, director, natural resources and environment, before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-10-165T, October 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-165T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10165thigh.pdf

High Speed Passenger Rail: Developing Viable High Speed Rail Projects under the Recovery Act and Beyond, by Susan A. Fleming, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-10-162T, October 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-162T

Proprietary Schools: Improved Department of Education Oversight Needed to Help Ensure Only Eligible Students Receive Federal Student Aid, by George A. Scott, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, House Committee on Education and Labor. GAO-10-127T, October 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-127T

Equal Employment Opportunity: DHS Has Opportunities to Better Identify and Address Barriers to EEO in Its Workforce, by Yvonne D. Jones, director, strategic issues, before the House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-10-160T, October 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-160T


Presentations By The Acting Comptroller General

"Troubled Asset Relief Program: GAO's Oversight Role," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general of the United States, before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's accounting and auditing conference, in Arlington, Virginia. GAO-10-150CG, October 1, 2009 http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d10150cg.pdf

"The Role of the U.S. Government Accountability Office," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general of the United States, before a program for members of Parliament from Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Mongolia sponsored by the House Democracy Partnership. GAO-10-111CG, October 2, 2009.
http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d10111cg.pdf