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

Obama Vows to Suspend Further Oil Drilling in U.S.

Today President Obama held a press conference to discuss the government's role in responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He explained that all of BP's actions in response to the spill must be approved by the government (see today's White House blog). Obama also announced that his administration would suspend two planned oil explorations, cancel two pending or proposed oil-drilling lease sales, continue a moratorium on new oil-drilling permits, and put a halt to action on 33 oil wells being drilled in the Gulf of Mexico. To get some media response to the press conference, take a look at today's Wall Street Journal ("Obama Pushes for More Regulation, Extends Oil Drilling Moratorium").

You can find more updates on the oil spill using these resources:

• Deepwater Horizon Response Read the latest news on the oil spill, report incidents, file a claim, learn about volunteer opportunities, or submit your suggestions.
• Admiral Allen Approves One Section of Louisiana Barrier Island Project Proposal as Part of Federal Oil Spill Response
• Today's Map of the Deepwater Horizon/BP Daily Oil Impact Assessment
• U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry and BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles Video clip of yesterday's press briefing on the latest "top kill" method to cap the oil well.

For further information, don't forget about our guide to resources about the environment.

Conflicting Efforts at Global Economic Reform

Although global leaders are making efforts to restore the health of the world's economy, the Washington Post reports that "the United States and Europe are increasingly pursuing their own -- sometimes clashing -- paths to reform, potentially undermining the regulatory overhauls taking shape on both sides of the Atlantic." Despite their efforts to make financial rules consistent among different countries, the United States and Europe may be introducing conflicting reforms that could result in companies moving operations overseas to avoid regulation in their own country (see
"U.S., Europe Fall Out of Step on Global Financial Reform," Washington Post, 5-26-10). European leaders are also expressing concern about a provision in the Restoring American Financial Stability Act (S 3217) that would prevent U.S. banks from handling derivatives.

Are there currently any global economic standards in place? It turns out that there are standards for the amount of money banks should hold in reserve. Such benchmarks are determined by the Basel II Framework, which is also referred to as the New Basel Capital Accord (you can find the agreement, in five different languages, on the web site of the Bank for International Settlements).

You can learn how the United States has implemented Basel II by referring to the FDIC's (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's) web site. In addition, you might be interested in this September 2008 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report: Risk-Based Capital: New Basel II Rules Reduced Certain Competitive Concerns, but Bank Regulators Should Address Remaining Uncertainties).

For more resources about banking, take a look at our 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, foreign affairs, budget, and much more. 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 Open CRS:

• Agricultural Disaster Assistance
• Argentina's Defaulted Sovereign Debt: Dealing with the "Holdouts"
• Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
• Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy
• Colombia: Issues for Congress
• Defense Acquisitions: How DOD Acquires Weapon Systems and Recent Efforts to Reform the Process
• Defense Logistical Support Contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan: Issues for Congress
• Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress
• Federal Evacuation Policy: Issues for Congress
• Fiscal Year 2011 Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities
• Iran's Economic Conditions: U.S. Policy Issues
• Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks
• Medicare Provisions in PPACA (P.L. 1)
• NATO Common Funds Burdensharing: Background and Current Issues
• Navy SSBN(X) Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Oil Spills in U.S. Coastal Waters: Background, Governance, and Issues for Congress
• Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress
• Poverty in the United States: 2008
• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): Selected Regulatory and Legislative Issues
• Speed of Presidential and Senate Actions on Supreme Court Nominations, 1900-2010
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program
• Syria: Background and U.S. Relations
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF): Budget and Operations for FY2010
• The FCC's Authority to Regulate Net Neutrality after Comcast v. FCC
• TRICARE and VA Health Care: Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
• U.S. Offshore Oil and Gas Resources: Prospects and Processes
• Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
• 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.

Early FBI Stats Show Crime Decreased in 2009

According to preliminary 2009 crime statistics from the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), violent crime in the United States decreased (see "Despite Economy, FBI Says U.S. Violent Crime Rate Is Down Again," Washington Post, 5-24-10). Violent crimes--including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault--decreased 5.5 percent from 2008 to 2009. To view data tables of crime statistics by population group, region, and other factors, see the Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report. The FBI's web site contains Uniform Crime Reports dating back to 1995, and the Government Publications Library has earlier Uniform Crime Reports available in microform.

If you're searching for other resources containing crime and justice statistics, take a look at our guide.