GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated a number of defense and military issues as well as other topics. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

Defense Infrastructure: DOD Needs to Take Actions to Address Challenges in Meeting Federal Renewable Energy Goals. GAO-10-104, December 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-104
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10104high.pdf

National Airspace System: Regional Airport Planning Could Help Address Congestion If Plans Were Integrated with FAA and Airport Decision Making. GAO-10-120, December 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-120
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10120high.pdf

Defense Contracting: Recent Law Has Impacted Contractor Use of Offshore Subsidiaries to Avoid Certain Payroll Taxes. GAO-10-327, January 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-327
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10327high.pdf

Military Recruiting: Clarified Reporting Requirements and Increased Transparency Could Strengthen Oversight over Recruiter Irregularities. GAO-10-254, January 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-254
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10254high.pdf

Defense Acquisitions: Status of DOD's Implementation of Independent Management Reviews for Services Acquisitions. GAO-10-284, January 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-284
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10284high.pdf

Defense Contracting: DOD Has Enhanced Insight into Undefinitized Contract Action Use, but Management at Local Commands Needs Improvement. GAO-10-299, January 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-299
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10299high.pdf

Electronic Health Records: DOD and VA Interoperability Efforts Are Ongoing; Program Office Needs to Implement Recommended Improvements. GAO-10-332, January 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-332
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10332high.pdf

Nuclear Security: DOE Needs to Address Protective Forces' Personnel System Issues. GAO-10-275, January 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-275
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10275high.pdf

Patient Safety Act: HHS Is in the Process of Implementing the Act, So Its Effectiveness Cannot Yet Be Evaluated. GAO-10-281, January 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-281
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10281high.pdf

Veterans' Disability Benefits: Further Evaluation of Ongoing Initiatives Could Help Identify Effective Approaches for Improving Claims Processing. GAO-10-213, January 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-213
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10213high.pdf

Employment and Training Administration: Increased Authority and Accountability Could Improve Research Program. GAO-10-243, January 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-243

New Markets Tax Credit: The Credit Helps Fund a Variety of Projects in Low-Income Communities, but Could Be Simplified. GAO-10-334, January 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-334
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10334high.pdf


Testimonies

Emergency Preparedness: State Efforts to Plan for Medical Surge Could Benefit from Shared Guidance for Allocating Scarce Medical Resources, by Cynthia A. Bascetta, director, health care, before the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, House Committee on Homeland Security, in Danville, Pennsylvania. GAO-10-381T, January 25.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-381T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10381thigh.pdf

National Transportation Safety Board: Issues Related to 2010 Reauthorization, by Gerald Dillingham, director, physical infrastructure, before the Subcommittee on Aviation, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-10-366T, January 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-366T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10366thigh.pdf

Homeland Security: Better Use of Terrorist Watchlist Information and Improvements in Deployment of Passenger Screening Checkpoint Technologies Could Further Strengthen Security, statement for the record by Eileen R. Larence and Stephen M. Lord, directors, homeland security and justice issues, before the House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-10-401T, January 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-401T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10401thigh.pdf

President Obama's State of the Union Address

Did you miss President Obama's State of Union address last night? Or do you want to hear it again, in its entirety, on an official government site? Then go to WhiteHouse.gov, where you can find both a written transcript of the State of the Union Address and a link to the video recording.

State of the Union messages to the Congress are required by Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, which states of the president that "He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union." To find transcripts of State of the Union messages by past presidents, see this page of the American Presidency Project by the University of California at Santa Barbara.

To find additional resources associated with U.S. presidents, take a look at our guide.

Watch the Congressional Hearing on AIG Bailout

You may have read in today's New York Times about the House of Representatives' grilling of U.S. Secretary of State Timothy Geithner about his role in the $85 billion federal bailout loan to American International Group (AIG) in September 2008. At the time of the financial rescue, Secretary Geithner was head of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. The loan protected big banks from losses, the Times article describes, "but saddled A.I.G. with a debt so crushing that the Treasury soon had to step in and provide even more rescue money." During the hearing, Geithner insisted that he was not involved in covering up any information about deals with big banks. Nevertheless, House representatives berated him for what they considered to be bad decisions. One congressman even suggested that Geithner resign from his current position.

"The Federal Bailout of AIG" hearing is still taking place as I am writing this blog post. See the website of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for a live webcast of the hearing. Witnesses testifying include Geithner, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Neil Barofsky of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and AIG's Elias Habayeb, among others.

If you need background information after watching the hearing, take a look at our guide to Economic Crisis and Stimulus.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us reports on earthquakes, national security, water, and other topics. Although these reports are in the public domain, there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report, you can request it from your senator or representative. These reports were discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research
• Haiti Earthquake: Crisis and Response
• U.S. Immigration Policy on Haitian Migrants
• The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress
• The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) — Responsibilities and Potential Congressional Concerns
• Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
• China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--Background and Issues for Congress
• Coast Guard Deepwater Acquisition Programs: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress
• Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
• Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants
• DOD Leases of Foreign-Built Ships: Background for Congress
• Energy and Water Development: FY2010 Appropriations
• Federal Employees: Pay and Pension Increases Since 1969
• Greece Update
• Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
• Laos: Background and U.S. Relations
• Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
• Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress
• Pay-for-Performance: Lessons from the National Security Personnel System
• The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress
• The United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program and Proposed U.S. Nuclear Cooperation
• Using Army Corps of Engineers Reservoirs for Municipal and Industrial Water Supply: Current Issues

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports dating back to 1916.

Not on campus but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

State Department Releases New Strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan

U.S. officials may have difficulty winning the confidence and approval of the people of Pakistan (see today's Washington Post article, "Pakistani Government, Military Wary of U.S. Overtures"). Nevertheless, the U.S. Department of State is aiming to define the United States' purpose for defense, diplomatic, and developmental operations in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. See this press release by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. In it she summarizes and provides access to the State Department's Afghanistan and Pakistan Regional Stabilization Strategy. The strategy report includes sections on deploying civilian expertise, fighting the Afghan narcotics trade, and enhancing the U.S. partnership with Pakistan, among other things.

Need more links to articles, data, and diplomacy resources for these two Asian nations? Take a look at our country guides to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated the Federal Communications Commission, information sharing, Medicare Advantage, and other topics. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

Medicare Advantage: CMS Assists Beneficiaries Affected by Inappropriate Marketing but Has Limited Data on Scope of Issue. GAO-10-36, December 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-36
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1036high.pdf

Information Sharing: Federal Agencies Are Sharing Border and Terrorism Information with Local and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies, but Additional Efforts Are Needed. GAO-10-41, December 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-41
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1041high.pdf

Rural Water Infrastructure: Improved Coordination and Funding Processes Could Enhance Federal Efforts to Meet Needs in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region. GAO-10-126, December 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-126
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10126high.pdf

FCC Management: Improvements Needed in Communication, Decision-Making Processes, and Workforce Planning. GAO-10-79, December 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-79
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1079high.pdf

Financial Management: Improvements Needed in National Flood Insurance Program's Financial Controls and Oversight. GAO-10-66, December 22.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-66
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1066high.pdf


Special Publication

Summary of GAO's Performance and Financial Information Fiscal Year 2009. GAO-10-235SP, January 21.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-235SP


Correspondences

Medicaid and CHIP: Enrollment, Benefits, Expenditures, and Other Characteristics of State Premium Assistance Programs. GAO-10-258R, January 19.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-258R

Status of the Small Business Administration's Implementation of Administrative Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. GAO-10-298R, January 19.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-298R


Testimony

Defense Acquisitions: Managing Risk to Achieve Better Outcomes, by Paul Francis, managing director, and William Woods, director, acquisition and sourcing management; and Michael Golden, managing associate general counsel, before the Subcommittee on Defense, House Committee on Appropriations. GAO-10-374T, January 20.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-374T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10374thigh.pdf

Tax Forms 2009

The time has come to start the annual progression toward April 15th. Here at the University of Colorado at Boulder we still get those paper tax forms. On this blog posting we will keep as up-to-date a list as possible of what we have in the UC-B Government Publications Library. For those of you not in Boulder or who don't want to bother with parking, we also have an online link to tax forms and information.

We want to assist as many patrons as possible, so we ask that you not take more than 10 copies of any multi-part form.

As of 3/19/10, we have the following tax forms:

Colorado

• Colorado Income Tax Guide
  

Federal

• 1040 (forms)
• 1040-A (forms & instructions)
• 1040-EZ (forms & instructions)
• 1096 (forms)
• 1098 (forms & instructions)
• 1098-E (forms & instructions)
• 1098-T (forms & instructions)
• 1099 (instructions)
• 1099-DIV (forms & instructions)
• 1099-GENERAL (instructions
• 1099-INT (forms & instructions)
• 1099-MISC (forms & instructions)
• 1099-S (forms & instructions)
• 1099-SA (forms & instructions)
• 2106 (forms & instructions)
• 2441 (forms & instructions)
  
• 3903 (forms)
• 3921 (instructions)
• 3922 (instructions)
  
• 4562 (forms & instructions)
• 5498-SA (instructions)
• 5922 (instructions)
  
• 8283 (forms & instructions)
• 8606 (forms & instructions)
• 8812 (forms)
  
• 8822 (forms)
• 8829 (instructions & forms)
• 8863 (forms)

• Publication 17
• Publication 225
• Publication 529
• Publication 4604
  

• Schedule A (forms & instructions)
• Schedule B (forms & instructions)
• Schedule C (forms & instructions)
• Schedule C-EZ (forms)
• Schedule D (forms & instructions)
• Schedule D-1 (forms)
  
• Schedule E (forms & instructions)
• Schedule EIC (forms)
• Schedule F (forms & instructions)
• Schedule J (forms & instructions)
• Schedule L (forms & instructions)
• Schedule M (forms & instructions)
  
• Schedule R (form & instructions)
• Schedule SE (forms)


• W-2 (form & instructions)
• W-2G (instructions)
  
• W-3 (form & instructions)

FDA Changing Its Stance on BPA

As the New York Times reported in this article last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that it is recommending reduced human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in many hard plastic bottles and metal-based food and beverage cans (see this January update on the FDA's web site).

The FDA claims that studies "have thus far supported the safety of current low levels of human exposure to BPA[.] However, on the basis of results from recent studies using novel approaches to test for subtle effects, both the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and FDA have some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children." Interestingly, the National Toxicology Program expressed those same concerns in this September 2008 publication, NTP-CERHR Monograph on the Potential Human Reproductive and Developmental Effects of Bisphenol A. This PDF and other documents are accessible at NTP's "Bisphenol A Evaluation" web page.

The steps that the FDA is now taking to reduce human exposure to BPA in the food supply include support of the following industry efforts:

• stopping production of BPA-containing baby bottles and infant feeding cups for the U.S. market
• developing alternatives to BPA for linings of infant formula cans
• replacing BPA or minimizing BPA levels in other food can linings.

For additional government resources on BPA and related issues, see our guides to Food Supply and Health & Medical Information.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us reports on arms sales, influenza, the Congressional Review Act, and other topics. Although these reports are in the public domain, there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report, you can request it from your senator or representative. These reports were discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process
• Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy
  
• Cluster Munitions: Background and Issues
  for Congress
• Congressional Review Act: Rules Not Submitted to GAO and Congress
  
• Desalination: Status and Federal Issues
• Security Classification Policy and Procedure: E.O. 12958, as Amended
  
• Terrorist Watchlist Checks and Air Passenger
  Prescreening
• Understanding China’s Political System
  
• U.S. Periods of War
• Would an Influenza Pandemic Qualify as a Major Disaster Under the Stafford Act?
  

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports dating back to 1916.

Not on campus but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated prescription drug prices, tax issues, corporate crime, and other topics. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

Brand-Name Prescription Drug Pricing: Lack of Therapeutically Equivalent Drugs and Limited Competition May Contribute to Extraordinary Price Increases. GAO-10-201, December 22.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-201
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10201high.pdf

2009 Tax Filing Season: IRS Met Many 2009 Goals, but Telephone Access Remained Low, and Taxpayer Service and Enforcement Could Be Improved. GAO-10-225, December 10.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-225
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10225high.pdf

Corporate Crime: DOJ Has Taken Steps to Better Track Its Use of Deferred and Non-Prosecution Agreements, but Should Evaluate Effectiveness. GAO-10-110, December 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-110
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10110high.pdf

Department of Energy: Actions Needed to Develop High-Quality Cost Estimates for Construction and Environmental Cleanup Projects. GAO-10-199, January 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-199
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10199high.pdf

Tax Gap: Actions Needed to Address Noncompliance with S Corporation Tax Rules. GAO-10-195, December 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-195
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10195high.pdf

Results-Oriented Cultures: Office of Personnel Management Should Review Administrative Law Judge Program to Improve Hiring and Performance Management. GAO-10-14, January 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-14
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1014high.pdf


Correspondence

Social Security: Options to Protect Benefits for Vulnerable Groups When Addressing Program Solvency. GAO-10-101R, December 7.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-101R

Loan Performance and Negative Home Equity in the Nonprime Mortgage Market. GAO-10-146R, December 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-146R

Briefing on Commercial and Department of Defense Space System Requirements and Acquisition Practices. GAO-10-315R, January 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-315R

Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Holds First Hearing

On Wednesday the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) held its first hearing with bankers and representatives from the financial services community. The Washington Post describes the hearing as an exchange in which bankers claimed they were "victims of circumstance." Members of the commission, including Chairman Philip Angelides, criticized the
financial CEOs and chairs for failing to take full responsibility for the failures of their financial firms.

The FCIC was created by the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-21), which President Obama signed into law on May 20, 2009. It was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." The commission must issue a public report of its findings by December 15 of this year. You can find transcripts from Wednesday's hearing on this FCIC web page.

For related resources, take a look at our guide to Economic Crisis and Stimulus.

Earthquake in Haiti

As you have no doubt heard there was a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti that has caused widespread damage. What I wanted to provide for anyone who is interested is information on various relief efforts by the US and international organizations.

• United Nations
• News Focus: Haiti This page collects all of the press releases and related information for the various international organizations affiliated with the United Nations (UN).
• MITUSTAH: United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti The UN has been operating a peacekeeping mission in Haiti since 2004, but this group also has a variety of information on the current situation in Haiti as a result of the earthquake.
• ReliefWeb: Haiti Earthquakes This web site is part of a database of international humanitarian efforts for this disaster. You can find press releases, information on efforts by sector, financial appeals for assistance, maps, and background information.
  
• United States
• USAID: Haiti This is one of the major distributors of aid from the US government and this page discusses some of the aid already being giving. It also discusses some of the options for assistance by individuals.
• Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI): Haiti CIDI provides advice and assistance on donating and volunteering to assist in disaster.
  

If you would like additional information on Haiti, please check out the library's guide.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us reports on the military, economy, foreign relations and other issues. Although these reports are in the public domain, there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report, you can request it from your senator or representative. These reports were discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• Military Service Records and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources
• California Drought: Hydrological and Regulatory Water Supply Issues
• Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRTIOT Act Reauthorization
• Amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Set to Expire February 28, 2010
• Homeland Security Department: FY2010 Appropriations
• Private Security Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Legal Issues
• International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, U.S. Policy, and Considerations for Congress
• U.S. Public Diplomacy: Background and Current Issues
• Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: The 2012 Election Reforms
• Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance
• Air Force C-17 Aircraft Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress
• Air Force F-22 Fighter Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Air Force Next-Generation Bomber: Background and Issues for Congress
• Amendments Between the Houses: Procedural Options and Effects
• An Economic Analysis of the Homebuyer Tax Credit
• Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
• Chile: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations
• China's Currency: A Summary of the Economic Issues
• Defense: FY2010 Authorization and Appropriations
• Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress
• Economic Stimulus: Issues and Policies
• European Union Enlargement: A Status Report on Turkey's Accession Negotiations
• F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Iran Sanctions
• Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations
• Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks
• Kuwait: Security, Reform, and U.S. Policy
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations
• NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic Alliance
• Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress
• Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues
• Spyware: Background and Policy Issues for Congress
• Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options
• Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990
• The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Background and Policy Issues
• U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports dating back to 1916.

Not on campus but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

White House Responds to Attempted 12/25 Terror Attack

The White House has released a summary of its review of the 12-25-09 attempted terrorist attack by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (see this article for the Washington Post's account of the review). The summary repeatedly mentions a failure by counterterrorism agencies, namely the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Counterrorism Center, to "connect the dots" of the information that they had collected. President Obama's directive in response to the review can be found in this pdf.

In response to the White House review, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has issued this release announcing five recommendations her department is making to enhance aviation security.

Need more suggestions for government resources on this topic? Take a look at our guides to Homeland Security, Intelligence, and Terrorism.

GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. Last week GAO investigated nursing homes, health care for veterans, and other topics. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

Nursing Homes: Addressing the Factors Underlying Understatement of Serious Care Problems Requires Sustained CMS and State Commitment. GAO-10-70, November 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-70
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1070high.pdf

VA Health Care: Improved Oversight and Compliance Needed for Physician Credentialing and Privileging Processes. GAO-10-26, January 6.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-26
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1026high.pdf


Related Product

Nursing Homes: Responses from Two Web-based questionnaires to Nursing Home Surveyors and State Agency Directors (GAO-10-74SP), an e-supplement to GAO-10-70. GAO-10-74SP, November 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-74

Medicare Managed Care: Observations about Medicare Cost Plans. GAO-10-185, December 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-185
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10185high.pdf

Recovery Act: Planned Efforts and Challenges in Evaluating Compliance with Maintenance of Effort and Similar Provisions. GAO-10-247, November 30.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-247
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10247high.pdf


Correspondence

Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drugs: Second Quarter 2008 Federal Upper Limits for Reimbursement Compared with Average Retail Pharmacy Acquisition Costs. GAO-10-118R, November 30.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-118R


Presentation By The Acting Comptroller General

"Maximizing DOD's Potential to Face New Fiscal Challenges and Strengthen Interagency Partnerships," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general of the United States, before the National Defense University, Washington, D.C. GAO-10-359CG, January 6, 2010.
http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d10359cg.pdf

Could New Dashboard Technologies Increase Driver Distraction?

Automakers and consumer electronics companies are collaborating to give automobiles even more technological capabilities. But could they also be creating new distractions for drivers? The New York Times reports that at the Consumer Electronics Show in New York this week, companies like Google and Intel are displaying 10-inch computer screens that can sit atop a car's gearshift and show high-definition videos, 3-D maps, and Web pages. In fact, Ford's new dashboard console, being introduced today, displays information about cell phone callers and digital music while simultaneously showing fuel level and other standard information about auto controls. And this fall Audi is introducing a system that allows drivers to access Internet information as they drive.

Auto engineers and marketers are describing these new advances as meeting consumer expectations, but some consumer safety advocates contend that the new automobile technology could lead to inattentive drivers. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is quoted as saying that he will speak out against the new technology. For statistics and resources about driver distraction, you can go to www.distraction.gov, which first aired on December 23, 2009. This National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) web site features statistics as well as information about state laws on distracted driving. The site also contains links to media articles and government research available on driver distraction, such as

• An Examination of Driver Distraction as Recorded in NHTSA Databases
• Research in Progress: Demonstration Projects to Evaluate Countermeasures to Traffic System Problems Caused by Distracted, Inattentive, or Fatigued Drivers

Looking for more information on traffic safety stats and resources? Take a look at our guide.

THOMAS Web Site Updated with New Features

To celebrate its 15th anniversary and address user feedback, the Library of Congress's THOMAS web site has introduced new features for finding legislative information. For those of you unfamiliar with THOMAS, it is a user-friendly government online resource for accessing legislative information--bills and resolutions as well as information about the lawmaking process. The updates include the following features on the THOMAS home page:

• Weekly Top Five (center of the right-hand side) These are the five most-viewed bills of the previous week. The list shows bill numbers, but you can mouse over the number to see the popular title of the bill. Included in this week's top five are the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009.
• Bookmarking and Sharing Tools at the top of the page. These allow users to subscribe to THOMAS RSS feeds and share THOMAS links on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Delicious.
  
• Passed Congress, Sent to President, under "Current Activities" on the right side of the page, links to bills that have passed Congress and have been sent to the White House for the president's signature. Here you can also subscribe to an RSS feed or e-mail the list of bills.
  
• Contact Members of Congress, under the "More Legislative Information" heading, provides tips on contacting your senators and representatives.
• Tip of the Week, bottom right-hand side of the page, provides you with weekly tips on using the THOMAS web site.

Have fun exploring the new THOMAS features. If you still can't find the legislative information you need, see our guide to Congress and Legislation.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us reports on the Homebuyer Tax Credit, PATRIOT Act reauthorization, U.S. aid to Israel, and other issues. Although these reports are in the public domain, there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report, you can request it from your senator or representative. These reports were discovered by OpenCRS:

• Army Future Combat System (FCS) "Spin-Outs" and Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV): Background and Issues for Congress
  

• China's Economic Conditions

• An Economic Analysis of the Homebuyer Tax Credit

• The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress

• Gangs in Central America

• Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization

• International Forestry Issues in Climate Change Bills: Comparison of Provisions of S.1733 and H.R. 2454

• Military Uniform Procurement: Questions and Answers

• The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress
  

• United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues

• U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel

• Who Regulates Whom? An Overview of U.S. Financial Supervision

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports dating back to 1916.

Not on campus but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.