GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated national defense, veterans affairs, teen drivers, and other issues. If you would like to know more about GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

Department of Veterans Affairs: Agency Has Exceeded Contracting Goals for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, but It Faces Challenges with Its Verification Program. GAO-10-458, May 28. [veterans affairs]
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-458
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10458high.pdf

VA Health Care: Reporting on Spending and Workload for Mental Health Services Could Be Improved. GAO-10-570, May 28. [veterans affairs] http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-570
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10570high.pdf

Teen Driver Safety: Additional Research Could Help States Strengthen Graduated Driver Licensing Systems. GAO-10-544, May 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-544
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10544high.pdf

National Airspace System: Setting On-Time Performance Targets at Congested Airports Could Help Focus FAA's Actions. GAO-10-542, May 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-542
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10542high.pdf

Recovery Act: States' and Localities' Uses of Funds and Actions Needed to Address Implementation Challenges and Bolster Accountability. GAO-10-604, May 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-604
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10604high.pdf

Business Systems Modernization: Scope and Content of DOD's Congressional Report and Executive Oversight of Investments Need to Improve. GAO-10-663, May 24. [information management]
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-663
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10663high.pdf

Contracting Strategies: Data and Oversight Problems Hamper Opportunities to Leverage Value of Interagency and Enterprisewide Contracts. GAO-10-367, April 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-367
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10367high.pdf

Environmental Satellites: Strategy Needed to Sustain Critical Climate and Space Weather Measurements. GAO-10-456, April 27. [science, space, and technology]
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-456
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10456high.pdf


Related Product

National Airspace System: Summary of Flight Delay Trends for 34 Airports in the Continental United States (GAO-10-543SP, May 26, 2010), an E-supplement to GAO-10-542. GAO-10-543SP, May 26.
http://www.gao.gov/special.pubs/gao-10-543sp/index.htm


Correspondences

Defense Infrastructure: Impact of Purchasing from Local Distributors of All Alcoholic Beverages for Resale on Military Installations on Guam. GAO-10-563R, May 28. [national defense] http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-563R

Warfighter Support: Observations on DOD's Ground Combat Uniforms. GAO-10-669R, May 28. [national defense] http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-669R

Defense Management: DOD Needs to Assess Effectiveness and Determine Future Direction for Its High Performing Organizations Initiative. GAO-10-566R, May 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-566R

Opportunities to Improve Controls over Department of Defense's Overseas Contingency Operations Cost Reporting. GAO-10-562R, May 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-562R

Internal Revenue Service: Assessment of Budget Justification for Fiscal Year 2011 Identified Opportunities to Enhance Transparency. GAO-10-687R, May 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-687R

Nursing Homes: Some Improvement Seen in Understatement of Serious Deficiencies, but Implications for the Longer-Term Trend Are Unclear. GAO-10-434R, April 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-434R

Food Safety: FDA Has Begun to Take Action to Address Weaknesses in Food Safety Research, but Gaps Remain. GAO-10-182R, April 23. [agriculture and food] http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-182R


Testimonies

Airline Mergers: Issues Raised by the Proposed Merger of United and Continental Airlines, statement for the record by Susan Fleming, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. GAO-10-778T, May 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-778T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10778thigh.pdf

Low-Income and Minority Serving Institutions: Sustained Attention Needed to Improve Education's Oversight of Grant Programs, 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-10-659T, May 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-659T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10659thigh.pdf

Private Pensions: Long-standing Challenges Remain for Multiemployer Pension Plans, by Charles A. Jeszeck, acting director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. GAO-10-708T, May 27.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-708T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10708thigh.pdf

Herbal Dietary Supplements: Examples of Deceptive or Questionable Marketing Practices and Potentially Dangerous Advice, by Gregory Kutz, managing director, forensic audits and special investigations, before the Senate Special Committee on Aging. GAO-10-662T, May 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-662T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10662thigh.pdf

Recovery Act: Clean Water Projects Are Underway, but Procedures May Not Be in Place to Ensure Adequate Oversight, by David C. Trimble, acting director, natural resources and environment, before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-10-761T, May 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-761T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10761thigh.pdf

Federal Courthouse Construction: Preliminary Results Show Better Planning, Oversight, and Courtroom Sharing Could Help Control Future Costs, by Mark L. Goldstein, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-10-753T, May 25.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-753T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10753thigh.pdf

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program: Fraud Prevention Controls Needed to Improve Program Integrity, by Gregory D. Kutz, managing director, forensic audits and special investigations, before the Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology, House Committee on Small Business, in Norfolk, Virginia. GAO-10-740T, May 24. (9:30 a.m.) [economic development] http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-740T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10740thigh.pdf


Presentations By The Acting Comptroller General

"Anticipating and Meeting Accountability Challenges in a Dynamic Environment," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the 18th Biennial Forum of Government Auditors, in San Antonio, Texas. GAO-10-752CG, May 19, 2010 http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d10752cg.pdf

"Key Trends and Challenges for the Audit Community," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the annual conference of the Association of Local Government Auditors, in San Antonio, Texas. GAO-10-749CG, May 18, 2010 http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d10749cg.pdf