id stringlengths 10 18 | pid stringlengths 12 20 | input stringlengths 8.06k 225k | output stringlengths 199 5.34k |
|---|---|---|---|
crs_RS22398 | crs_RS22398_0 | During the 112 th Congress, Members faced the issue of whether to extend permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to Russia and Moldova. On November 16, 2012, the House passed (365-43), and on December 6, 2012, the Senate passed (92-4) H.R. 6156 , which did just that, among other things. President Obama signed th... | Unconditional most-favored-nation (MFN) status, or in U.S. statutory parlance, normal trade relations (NTR) status, is a fundamental principle of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Under this principle, WTO members are required unconditionally to treat imports of goods and services from any WTO member no less favorabl... |
gao_GAO-05-249 | gao_GAO-05-249_0 | Background
The federal government acquires a wide variety of capital assets for its own use including land, structures, equipment, vehicles, and information technology. Large sums of taxpayer funds are spent on these assets, and their performance affects how well agencies achieve their missions. To directly acqui... | Why GAO Did This Study
CAFs have been discussed as a new mechanism for financing federal capital assets. As envisioned, CAFs would have two goals. First, CAFs would potentially improve decision making by reflecting the annual cost for the use of capital in program budgets. Second, they would help ameliorate at the sub... |
crs_R42467 | crs_R42467_0 | Introduction
This report examines several legislative options to help finance water infrastructure that have recently received attention in Congress. The options discussed here are intended to address capital needs for building and upgrading wastewater and drinking water treatment systems and improving water quality ... | This report addresses several options considered by Congress to address the financing needs of local communities for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects and to decrease or close the gap between available funds and projected needs. Some of the options exist and are well established, but they have been ... |
gao_GAO-11-596 | gao_GAO-11-596_0 | Background
Overview of DHS Acquisition Process
DHS acquisitions support a wide range of missions and investments including ships and aircraft, border surveillance and screening equipment, nuclear detection equipment, and systems to track the department’s financial and human resources. In support of these invest... | Why GAO Did This Study
In recent years, GAO has reported on challenges the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has faced in effectively managing major acquisitions, including programs which were deployed before appropriate testing and evaluation (T&E) was completed. In 2009 and 2010 respectively, DHS issued new T&E ... |
gao_GAO-17-36 | gao_GAO-17-36_0 | Background
The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 created NFIP. According to FEMA, NFIP was designed to address a number of policy objectives, including offering affordable insurance premiums to encourage program participation and community-based floodplain management and reducing the reliance on federal disast... | Why GAO Did This Study
Private insurers (WYO companies) sell and service flood policies and adjust claims for NFIP under an arrangement with FEMA. In GAO-09-455 , GAO made recommendations on FEMA's WYO compensation methodology and data quality. The Biggert-Waters Act built on these recommendations and required FEMA to... |
gao_GAO-16-151 | gao_GAO-16-151_0 | Background
Taxpayer Services and Tax Return Process
IRS uses multiple channels to provide customer service to taxpayers and process tax returns: Telephone service for tax law and account questions: Taxpayers can speak with IRS staff to obtain information about their accounts throughout the year or to ask basic... | Why GAO Did This Study
During tax filing season, IRS processes tax returns, issues refunds, and provides telephone, correspondence, online, and face-to-face services. GAO has reported that in recent years IRS has absorbed significant budget cuts and struggled to provide quality service. GAO was asked to report on the ... |
crs_R44557 | crs_R44557_0 | Introduction
The Fair Housing Act was enacted as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-284). As initially enacted, the Fair Housing Act prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, color, religion, and national origin. In 1974, Congress added sex as a protected c... | The federal Fair Housing Act, enacted in 1968 as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act (P.L. 90-284), prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and handicap. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through its... |
gao_GAO-16-545 | gao_GAO-16-545_0 | Background
The mission of IRS, a bureau within the Department of the Treasury, is to provide America’s taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and by applying the federal tax laws with integrity and fairness to all. In carrying out its mission, IRS annually col... | Why GAO Did This Study
IRS relies extensively on IT systems to annually collect more than $2 trillion in taxes, distribute more than $300 billion in refunds, and carry out its mission of providing service to America's taxpayers in meeting their tax obligations. For fiscal year 2016, IRS planned to spend approximately ... |
gao_GAO-14-801 | gao_GAO-14-801_0 | Background
Future Operational Environment Includes Increasing A2/AD Challenges
Future A2/AD challenges are part of a security environment that will be characterized by increasing complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change, according to DOD. Further, national security challenges will continue to arise from ongoin... | Why GAO Did This Study
According to DOD, its ability to deploy military forces from the United States to a conflict area is being increasingly challenged as potential adversaries pursue capabilities designed to deny access. Access can be denied by either preventing an opposing force from entering an operational area o... |
gao_GAO-03-320 | gao_GAO-03-320_0 | Background
Our work has repeatedly shown that mission fragmentation and program overlap are widespread in the federal government. In 1998 and 1999, we found that this situation existed in 12 federal mission areas, ranging from agriculture to natural resources and environment. We also identified, in 1998 and 1999,... | Why GAO Did This Study
GAO's work has repeatedly shown that mission fragmentation and program overlap are widespread in the federal government. Implementation of federal crosscutting programs is often characterized by numerous individual agency efforts that are implemented with little apparent regard for the presence ... |
crs_RS20672 | crs_RS20672_0 | Background
Sources of arsenic in water include natural sources, particularly rocks and soils, and also releases from its use as a wood preservative, in semi-conductors and paints, and from mining and agricultural operations. Elevated levels of arsenic are found more frequently in ground water than in surface water. B... | The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 (P.L. 104-182) directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the standard for arsenic in drinking water. In 2001, EPA issued a new arsenic rule that set the legal limit for arsenic in tap water at 10 parts per billion (ppb), replacing a 50 ppb standard set i... |
gao_AIMD-96-4 | gao_AIMD-96-4_0 | Background
Prior to CMIA, the timing of federal funds transfers to states was governed by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, Public Law 90-577. That law allowed a state to retain for its own purposes any interest earned on federal funds transferred to it “pending its disbursement for program purposes.”
The House ... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Financial Management Service's (FMS), federal agencies', and states' implementation of the Cash Management Improvement Act (CMIA) during 1994.
What GAO Found
GAO found that: (1) FMS, federal agencies, and states have complied with CMIA re... |
crs_R42645 | crs_R42645_0 | Background
Despite the prominence of the U.S.-Japan alliance in America's overall strategic posture in the Asia-Pacific region, local concerns about the U.S. military presence on Okinawa have challenged the management of the alliance for decades. In recent years, Okinawan resistance has crystallized around the reloca... | Although the U.S.-Japan alliance is often labeled as "the cornerstone" of security in the Asia Pacific region, local concerns about the U.S. military presence on the Japanese island of Okinawa have challenged the management of the alliance for decades. The Japanese archipelago serves as the most significant forward-ope... |
gao_GAO-10-25 | gao_GAO-10-25_0 | Background
Securitization is a process by which similar debt instruments—such as loans, leases, or receivables—are aggregated into pools, and interest- bearing securities backed by such pools are then sold to investors. These ABSs provide a source of liquidity for consumers and small businesses because financial i... | Why GAO Did This Study
The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) was created by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) to help meet consumer and small business credit needs by supporting issuance of asset-backed securities (ABS) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMB... |
crs_RS22949 | crs_RS22949_0 | Introduction1
As the role of lawyers in most countries has evolved from advocates regulated by local courts and their rules to legal advisors for transactions in economic activities, the increase in cross-border provision of legal services led to the inclusion of such services in the trade agreements and negotiations... | This report provides a broad overview of the treatment of legal services under the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and its potential effect on laws and rules governing the provision of legal services by foreign lawyers in the United States and legal ethics rules. |
gao_GAO-02-18 | gao_GAO-02-18_0 | Background
As of June 30, 2001, Amex was the third-largest U.S. market in terms of the number of companies whose common stock it listed. With the common stock of 704 companies listed, Amex trailed only Nasdaq, which had 4,378 listings, and NYSE, which had 2,814 listings. Overall, about 98 percent of the common stocks... | What GAO Found
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has indicated that one-third of Amex's new listings did not meet the exchange's equity listing standards. Amex's listing guidelines address factors that are the same or similar to those addressed by other U.S. stock markets. Quantitative requirements addresse... |
gao_GAO-01-998T | gao_GAO-01-998T_0 | Background
In fiscal year 2000, VA’s pharmacy benefit provided approximately 86 million prescriptions at a cost of approximately $2 billion—or about 12 percent of VA’s total health care budget, compared to 6 percent of VA’s total health care budget a decade ago. VA provides outpatient pharmacy services free to vetera... | Why GAO Did This Study
Although the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made significant progress establishing a national formulary that has generally met with acceptance by prescribers and patients, VA oversight has not fully ensured standardization of its drug benefit nationwide. The three medical centers GAO vi... |
gao_GAO-06-813 | gao_GAO-06-813_0 | Background
Before 1996, Medicare program integrity activities were subsumed under Medicare’s general administrative budget and performed, along with general claims processing functions, by insurance companies under contract with CMS, which led to certain problems. The level of funding available for program integr... | Why GAO Did This Study
Since 1990, GAO has considered Medicare at high risk for fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. The Medicare Integrity Program (MIP) provides funds to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS--the agency that administers Medicare--to safeguard over $300 billion in program payments made... |
crs_RL31026 | crs_RL31026_0 | Introduction
There are two basic antitrust laws in the United States—the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act ; both are enforceable either by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission or private persons alleging economic injury caused by violation of either of them. In addition, th... | This Report briefly summarizes (1) the primary United States antitrust statutes, and (2) some of the activities which are generally considered to be violations of those laws. There is also some reference to the prohibition against unfair competition and the "unfairness" jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC... |
crs_RL34121 | crs_RL34121_0 | Child welfare services are intended to prevent the abuse or neglect of children; to ensure that children have safe, permanent homes; and to promote the well-being of children and their families. Most federal child welfare programs are administered by the Children's Bureau, at the Administration on Children, Youth and F... | Child welfare services are intended to prevent the abuse or neglect of children; ensure that children have safe, permanent homes; and promote the well-being of children and their families. The largest amount of federal child welfare funding is provided to states for assistance to children who have been removed from the... |
crs_RL34199 | crs_RL34199_0 | Introduction
German Chancellor Angela Merkel took office in November 2005 and was elected to a second term in September 2009. Since reaching a low point in the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2003, diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany have improved substantially and the bilateral relationship remains... | German Chancellor Angela Merkel began her first term in office in November 2005 and was elected to a second term in September 2009. Most observers agree that under her leadership, relations between the United States and Germany have improved markedly since reaching a low point in the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2003. U.... |
crs_R41435 | crs_R41435_0 | Introduction
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has administered and supervised several life insurance programs for servicemembers and veterans since 1919. Currently, three VA life insurance programs that provide benefits to the families of servicemembers and veterans are still enrolling new policyholders. These... | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers and supervises several life insurance programs for active servicemembers and veterans. The VA supervises the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) programs, which are administered by the Office of Servicemembers' Group L... |
crs_R41935 | crs_R41935_0 | Introduction
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 ( P.L. 105-34 ) created a $500-per-child nonrefundable tax credit to help ease the financial burden that families incur when they have children. Since 2001, legislative changes, particularly those made by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRR... | The child tax credit is currently structured as a $1,000-per-child credit that is partially refundable for lower-income families with more than $3,000 in earnings. Prior to 2001, the child tax credit was a $500-per-child nonrefundable tax credit which generally benefited middle- and upper-middle-income taxpayers.
Since... |
gao_GAO-03-1024T | gao_GAO-03-1024T_0 | GAO: A Unique Agency with a Hybrid System
As an arm of the legislative branch, GAO exists to support the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. Today, GAO is a multi... | Why GAO Did This Study
The Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization, House Committee on Government Reform seeks GAO's views on its latest human capital proposal that is slated to be introduced as a bill entitled the GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2003.
What GAO Found
As an arm of the legislative branch... |
crs_R42854 | crs_R42854_0 | Overview
Natural disasters can have varying effects on the landscape. For agricultural producers, natural disasters are part of the inherent risk of doing business. The federal role for mitigating weather risk is primarily through federal crop insurance and a suite of agricultural disaster assistance programs to addr... | The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers several permanently authorized programs to help producers recover from natural disasters. Most of these programs offer financial assistance to producers for a loss in the production of crops or livestock. In addition to the production assistance programs, USDA also ... |
gao_GAO-04-241 | gao_GAO-04-241_0 | Background
Today, 95 percent of American households purchase local telephone service, 85 percent purchase subscription television service (usually from a cable company or a satellite provider), and about 62 percent purchase some form of access to the Internet. Of those with access to the Internet, about 39 perce... | Why GAO Did This Study
One of the primary purposes of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was to promote competition in telecommunication markets, but wire-based competition has not developed as fully as expected. However, a new kind of entrant, called broadband service providers (BSP), offers an alternative wire- base... |
crs_R44603 | crs_R44603_0 | Overview
Prior to enactment of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 (PRA), mail delivery in the United States was the responsibility of the U.S. Post Office Department, a Cabinet-level department in the executive branch. PRA reform efforts were driven largely by the view that the Post Office Department was ill equip... | This report provides background information on the responsibilities, financial challenges, and workforce issues facing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Additionally, it covers the current strategies and initiatives under development by the USPS and discusses further options for postal reforms.
In FY2015, the USPS marked... |
crs_RL33404 | crs_RL33404_0 | T he development of offshore oil, gas, and other mineral resources in the United States is shaped by a number of interrelated legal regimes, including international, federal, and state laws. International law provides a framework for establishing national ownership or control of offshore areas, and U.S. domestic law ha... | The development of offshore oil, gas, and other mineral resources in the United States is impacted by a number of interrelated legal regimes, including international, federal, and state laws. International law provides a framework for establishing national ownership or control of offshore areas, and domestic federal la... |
gao_GAO-13-272 | gao_GAO-13-272_0 | Background
IHS oversees the CHS program through 12 area offices. The federally and tribally operated facilities in each of these areas use CHS program funds to purchase health care services from external hospitals, physicians, and other providers. Medicare-participating hospitals are required to accept CHS progra... | Why GAO Did This Study
Indians and Alaska Natives. When care at an IHS-funded facility is unavailable, IHS's CHS program pays for care from external providers. Hospitals are required to accept Medicare rates from federal and tribal CHS programs, while physicians and other nonhospital providers are paid at either bille... |
gao_GAO-05-613 | gao_GAO-05-613_0 | Background
The Clean Air Act, a comprehensive federal law that regulates air pollution from stationary and mobile sources, was passed in 1963 to improve and protect the quality of the nation’s air. The act was substantially overhauled in 1970 when the Congress required EPA to establish national ambient air qualit... | Why GAO Did This Study
While air quality in the United States has steadily improved over the last few decades, more than a hundred million Americans continue to live in communities where pollution causes the air to be unhealthy at times, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Clean Air Act, first ... |
gao_T-RCED-96-137 | gao_T-RCED-96-137_0 | Background
The Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980 to clean up hazardous waste sites. The act gives EPA the authority to compel the parties responsible for these sites to clean them up. The act also created a $1.6 billion trust fund, known as Supe... | Why GAO Did This Study
GAO discussed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) use of non-time-critical removals for hazardous waste cleanups, focusing on: (1) the advantages and disadvantages of non-time-critical removals; (2) the potential use of non-time-critical removals in Superfund cleanups; and (3) factors th... |
gao_GAO-11-238T | gao_GAO-11-238T_0 | DHS Has Made Progress in Harmonizing International Aviation Security and Facilitating Compliance through Foreign Airport Assessments, but Can Further Strengthen Assessment Efforts
DHS Has Made Progress in Its Efforts to Harmonize International Aviation Security Standards and Practices
DHS has increased its global ... | Why GAO Did This Study
The attempted December 25, 2009, terrorist attack and the October 2010 bomb attempt involving air cargo originating in Yemen highlight the ongoing threat to aviation and the need to coordinate security standards and practices to enhance security with foreign partners, a process known as harmoniz... |
crs_RS21988 | crs_RS21988_0 | Background
DOE is responsible for managing defense nuclear waste and cleaning up contamination at sites involved in the past production of nuclear weapons. Among these challenges are the management and disposal of radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at sites in three states: Hanford in Washington, Savannah ... | How to safely dispose of wastes from producing nuclear weapons has been an ongoing issue. The most radioactive portion of these wastes is stored in underground tanks at Department of Energy (DOE) sites in Idaho, South Carolina, and Washington State. There have been concerns about soil and groundwater contamination from... |
gao_RCED-99-135 | gao_RCED-99-135_0 | Background
To carry out its mission, DOE relies on contractors for the management, operation, maintenance, and support of its facilities. Since the end of the Cold War, DOE’s employees’ skill requirements have shifted because the mission at its defense nuclear facilities has expanded from focusing primarily on weapon... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) community assistance program for minimizing the impact of downsizing its contractor workforce, focusing on: (1) how much funding DOE had committed to spend and spent in support of its worker and community assist... |
crs_RL33311 | crs_RL33311_0 | Current federal tax law allows self-employed individuals to deduct the entire amount they spend on health insurance for themselves and their spouses and dependents. This treatment is similar to the tax exclusion for employer contributions to the health plans of wage earners, with one noteworthy exception: employer cont... | Federal tax law allows self-employed individuals to deduct from their gross income the entire amount they spend on health insurance for themselves and their spouses and dependents.
This report explains how these expenditures are treated under the federal tax code, reviews the legislative history of the deduction, asses... |
gao_GAO-09-903T | gao_GAO-09-903T_0 | Background
FAMS was originally established as the Sky Marshal program in the 1970s to counter hijackers. In response to 9/11, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act expanded FAMS’s mission and workforce and mandated the deployment of federal air marshals on high-security risk flights. Within the 10-month pe... | Why GAO Did This Study
By deploying armed air marshals onboard selected flights, the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), a component of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), plays a key role in helping to protect approximately 29,000 domestic and international flights operated daily by U.S. air carriers. T... |
gao_GAO-05-412 | gao_GAO-05-412_0 | Background
Money laundering is the process used to transform monetary proceeds derived from criminal activities into funds and assets that appear to have come from legitimate sources. Terrorist financing is generally characterized by different motives than money laundering and the funds involved often originate f... | Why GAO Did This Study
Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, passed after the September 11 terrorist attacks, amended U.S. anti-money laundering laws and imposed new requirements on financial institutions. Section 326 of the act required the development of minimum standards for verifying the identity of financial ... |
gao_GAO-06-747T | gao_GAO-06-747T_0 | Background
As you know, Mr. Chairman, for over two decades, we have reported on problems with DOD’s personnel security clearance program as well as the financial costs and risks to national security resulting from these problems (see Related GAO Reports at the end of this statement). For example, at the turn of t... | Why GAO Did This Study
The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for about 2 million active personnel security clearances. About one-third of the clearances are for industry personnel working on contracts for DOD and more than 20 other executive agencies. Delays in determining eligibility for a clearance can heig... |
crs_R44303 | crs_R44303_0 | Recent Developments
Earthquake
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Central and Western Regions of Nepal on April 25, 2015. More than 8,000 people were killed and an estimated 3 million people were displaced by the earthquake. An estimated half a million homes were destroyed. The cost of the disaster has been est... | Nepal is a poor country of an estimated 31 million people that has undergone a radical political transformation since 2006, when a 10-year armed struggle by Maoist insurgents, which claimed at least 13,000 lives, officially came to an end. The country's king stepped down in 2006, and two years later Nepal declared itse... |
crs_RL33907 | crs_RL33907_0 | Following the terrorist attacks of 2001, the federal government determined that it would need additional medical countermeasures (e.g., diagnostic tests, drugs, vaccines, and other treatments) to respond to an attack using chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agents. The enactment of the Project BioShi... | The Project BioShield Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-276) established a 10-year program to acquire civilian medical countermeasures to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents for the Strategic National Stockpile. Provisions of this act were designed to encourage private companies to develop these counterme... |
gao_GAO-08-3 | gao_GAO-08-3_0 | Background
The Randolph-Sheppard Act created a vending facility program in 1936 to provide blind individuals with more job opportunities and to encourage their self-support. The program trains and employs blind individuals to operate vending facilities on federal property. While Randolph-Sheppard is under the aut... | Why GAO Did This Study
Randolph-Sheppard and Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) are two federal programs that provide employment for persons with disabilities through federal contracts. In 2006, participants in the two programs had contracts with the Department of Defense (DOD) worth $465 million annually to provide dining se... |
crs_RL33135 | crs_RL33135_0 | Background
In May 2001, President Bush made the founding pledge of $200 million to a new,yet-to-be-named global fund to fight AIDS at a White House Rose Garden ceremony attended byU.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo. (7) U.S. officials played aprominent role in the subsequent n... | The United States is responding to the international AIDS pandemic through the President'sEmergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which includes bilateral programs and contributionsto the multilateral Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. PEPFAR overall appears ontarget to meet the Administration's five-yea... |
crs_R41750 | crs_R41750_0 | Introduction
In June 2008, the Supreme Court issued its decision in District of Columbia v. Heller , holding by a 5-4 vote that the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects an individual right to possess a firearm, unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that firearm for traditiona... | In District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects an individual right to possess a firearm, unconnected with service in a militia, and the use of that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, su... |
gao_GAO-07-400T | gao_GAO-07-400T_0 | Background
According to the Institute of Medicine, the federal government has a central role in shaping nearly all aspects of the health care industry as a regulator, purchaser, health care provider, and sponsor of research, education, and training. According to HHS, federal agencies fund more than a third of the... | Why GAO Did This Study
In April 2004, President Bush called for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement a strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of health IT. The plan is to recommend methods to ensure the privacy of electronic health information. GAO was asked to summ... |
gao_GGD-96-166 | gao_GGD-96-166_0 | Introduction
Changes in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) were automatically linked to $441 billion in federal spending and $595 billion of federal tax receipts and affected the lives of millions of individuals who received federal benefit payments and paid federal taxes in fiscal year 1995. For ex... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO determined: (1) whether changes made to the housing component of the consumer price index (CPI) made it more or less suitable as a cost-of-living measure; and (2) the advantages and disadvantages of changing the current measurement of medical care costs t... |
gao_GAO-08-84 | gao_GAO-08-84_0 | Background
Calls to reform the UN began soon after its creation in 1945. Despite cycles of reform, UN member states continue to have concerns about inefficient management operations. As the largest contributor of 192 member states, the United States has played a significant role in promoting UN management reform,... | Why GAO Did This Study
The United States has advocated reforms of United Nations (UN) management for many years. In October 2006, GAO reported that UN management reforms were progressing slowly and that many were still awaiting review by the General Assembly. For this review, GAO was asked to (1) determine the progres... |
gao_GAO-08-967 | gao_GAO-08-967_0 | Background
In 2007, almost 13 million citizens from 27 countries entered the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. The program was created to promote the effective use of government resources and facilitate international travel without jeopardizing U.S. national security. The United States last expanded th... | Why GAO Did This Study
The Visa Waiver Program, which enables citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States without first obtaining a visa, has many benefits, but it also has risks. In 2006, GAO found that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needed to improve efforts to assess and mitigate t... |
crs_RL34517 | crs_RL34517_0 | Wildfires have been getting more severe in recent fire seasons; the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012 seasons were the most severe since 1960. An escaped prescribed fire that burned 239 houses in Los Alamos, NM, in May 2000 focused national attention on the growing wildfire problem. The fire in Los Alamos highligh... | Wildfires are getting more severe, with more acres and houses burned and more people at risk. This results from excess biomass in the forests, due to past logging and grazing and a century of fire suppression, combined with an expanding wildland-urban interface—more people and houses in and near the forests—and climate... |
gao_GAO-05-169 | gao_GAO-05-169_0 | Background
The AWACS aircraft first became operational in March 1977, and as of November 2004, the U.S. AWACS fleet was comprised of 33 aircraft. The aircraft provides surveillance, command, control, and communications of airborne aircraft to commanders of air defense forces. The onboard radar, combined with a fr... | Why GAO Did This Study
Over the past several years, the Air Force has negotiated and awarded more than $23 million in contracts to the Boeing Corporation for the purchase of certain spare parts for its Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. Since they first became operational in March 1977, AWACS aircra... |
crs_RS22491 | crs_RS22491_0 | Introduction
Problems for patients associated with dramatic increases in the cost of prescription medications have generated a great deal of interest among the media, interest groups, and legislators alike. Although no broad consensus exists regarding the causes of—and thus solutions to—the rapid increase in many pha... | In recent years, the rising costs of prescription drugs have motivated various policymakers to implement cost-saving measures. In some cases, states have pursued programs to collect and redistribute unused medications that would otherwise be discarded. However, the ability to implement these so-called drug recycling pr... |
gao_GAO-12-343 | gao_GAO-12-343_0 | Background
Currently, public safety officials primarily communicate with one another using LMR systems that support voice communication and usually consist of handheld portable radios, mobile radios, base stations, and repeaters, as described:
Handheld portable radios are typically carried by emergency responders... | Why GAO Did This Study
Emergency responders across the nation rely on land mobile radio (LMR) systems to gather and share information and coordinate their response efforts during emergencies. These public safety communication systems are fragmented across thousands of federal, state, and local jurisdictions and often ... |
gao_RCED-98-8 | gao_RCED-98-8_0 | Background
Established in 1983, the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) provides grants to states to support commercial motor vehicle safety programs aimed at (1) large trucks that have a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 10,000 pounds, (2) vehicles used to transport more than 10 passengers, and (3)... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Motor Carriers' commercial motor vehicle safety programs, focusing on the efforts by the Office and the states to: (1) reduce serious accidents by conducting roads... |
gao_GAO-02-160T | gao_GAO-02-160T_0 | The Nature of the Threat Facing the United States
The United States and other nations face increasingly diffuse threats in the post-Cold War era. In the future, potential adversaries are more likely to strike vulnerable civilian or military targets in nontraditional ways to avoid direct confrontation with our militar... | What GAO Found
The United States now confronts a range of diffuse threats that put increased destructive power into the hands of small states, groups, and individuals. These threats include terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure and computer systems, the potential use of weapons of mass destruction, and the spre... |
crs_R44227 | crs_R44227_0 | T he Internet of Things (IoT) is a complex, often poorly understood phenomenon. The term is more than a decade old, but interest has grown considerably over the last few years as applications have increased. The impacts of the IoT on the economy and society more generally are expected by many to grow substantially. Thi... | "Internet of Things" (IoT) refers to networks of objects that communicate with other objects and with computers through the Internet. "Things" may include virtually any object for which remote communication, data collection, or control might be useful, such as vehicles, appliances, medical devices, electric grids, tran... |
gao_GAO-08-560T | gao_GAO-08-560T_0 | Interior’s Oversight Does Not Provide Adequate Assurance That the Government Is Being Fully Compensated for Oil and Gas Production on Federal Lands and Waters
Interior lacks adequate assurance that it is receiving the full royalties it is owed because (1) neither BLM nor OMM is fully inspecting leases and meters as... | Why GAO Did This Study
Companies that develop and produce federal oil and gas resources do so under leases administered by the Department of the Interior (Interior). Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Offshore Minerals Management (OMM) are responsible for overseeing oil and gas operations on federal leases... |
gao_GAO-07-781 | gao_GAO-07-781_0 | Background
The Strategy lays out three high-level goals to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic: (1) stop, slow, or otherwise limit the spread of a pandemic to the United States; (2) limit the domestic spread of a pandemic and mitigate disease, suffering, and death; and (3) sustain infrastructure and ... | Why GAO Did This Study
An influenza pandemic is a real and significant potential threat facing the United States and the world. Pandemics occur when a novel virus emerges that can easily be transmitted among humans who have little immunity. In 2005, the Homeland Security Council (HSC) issued a National Strategy for Pa... |
gao_GAO-16-310 | gao_GAO-16-310_0 | Background
The CSA places various plants, drugs, and chemicals such as narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids into one of five schedules based on the substance’s medical use or lack thereof, potential for abuse, and safety or potential for dependence. The act requires persons and... | Why GAO Did This Study
DEA registers individuals and entities authorized to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances in accordance with the Controlled Substances Act, which seeks to ensure that only authorized individuals handle controlled substances. States also have a role in the registration proce... |
gao_T-RCED-98-131 | gao_T-RCED-98-131_0 | Background
In the international sector, the routes that airlines can fly, the frequency of their flights, and the fares they can charge are governed by 72 bilateral agreements between the United States and other countries. Many of these agreements, including the accord with the United Kingdom, are very restrictive. S... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the United States' aviation relations with the United Kingdom, focusing on the: (1) status of the various reviews of the proposed American Airlines/British Airways (AA/BA) alliance being undertaken by the European regulatory agencies and the Dep... |
gao_GAO-01-600T | gao_GAO-01-600T_0 | Background
Dramatic increases in computer interconnectivity, especially in the use of the Internet, are revolutionizing the way our government, our nation, and much of the world communicate and conduct business. The benefits have been enormous. Vast amounts of information are now literally at our fingertips, facilita... | Why GAO Did This Study
This testimony discusses GAO's analysis of security audits at federal agencies.
What GAO Found
The widespread interconnectivity of computers poses significant risks to federal computer systems and the operations and the infrastructures they support. GAO's evaluations show that federal computer... |
gao_GAO-16-793 | gao_GAO-16-793_0 | Background
Federal Employees’ Compensation Act Program
The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) and its implementing regulations provide compensation for federal civilian employees who suffer disabilities resulting from work-related injuries or diseases. DOL’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs admi... | Why GAO Did This Study
DOD employs more than 720,000 civilians—approximately 35 percent of the federal civilian workforce—in an array of critical positions worldwide. DOD civilians who are injured or ill as a result of a work-related incident are covered under the DOL-administered FECA program. DOL, along with employi... |
gao_GAO-10-80 | gao_GAO-10-80_0 | Background
Both NTIA’s BTOP and RUS’s BIP programs focus primarily on broadband infrastructure deployment, but the programs have some differences based on provisions in the Recovery Act (see table 1). BTOP funds are intended to expand broadband access to unserved and underserved areas. BTOP funds can also be awar... | Why GAO Did This Study
Access to broadband service is seen as vital to economic, social, and educational development, yet many areas of the country lack access to, or their residents do not use, broadband. To expand broadband deployment and adoption, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) provided $... |
crs_R40577 | crs_R40577_0 | Food safety in the United States is regulated mainly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Although the FDA is the federal agency primarily responsible for ensuring the safety of a vast majority of foods und... | In recent years, outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and subsequent product recalls have highlighted concerns about the current food safety system. Some have argued for a more comprehensive approach to the regulation of food products. Among the questions raised in the debate on the adequacy and potential improvements for ... |
gao_GAO-04-795 | gao_GAO-04-795_0 | Background
Our nation’s border security process includes multiple mechanisms for addressing potential terrorist threats to the United States. One of these mechanisms is the visa revocation process. The visa revocation process is a homeland security tool that can prevent potential terrorists from entering the Unit... | Why GAO Did This Study
The National Strategy for Homeland Security calls for preventing foreign terrorists from entering our country and using all legal means to identify; halt; and where appropriate, prosecute or bring immigration or other civil charges against terrorists in the United States. GAO reported in June 20... |
gao_GAO-12-473T | gao_GAO-12-473T_0 | Background
DOE is responsible for a diverse set of missions, including nuclear security, energy research, and environmental cleanup. These missions are managed by various organizations within DOE and largely carried out by management and operating (M&O) contractors at DOE sites. According to federal budget data, ... | Why GAO Did This Study
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), is responsible for managing its contractors nuclear weapon- and nonproliferation-related national security activities in laboratories and other facilities, collectively know... |
crs_RL34031 | crs_RL34031_0 | Most Recent Developments
The FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was enacted on December 26, 2007, provides $3.97 billion in new budget authority for the legislative branch. This total includes an across-the-board rescission of 0.25% which was applied to accounts within the legislative branch division of th... | From beginning of the fiscal year on October 1, 2007, until the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act on December 26, 2007, funding for the legislative branch was provided through a series of interim continuing appropriations measures. The first, which was signed by President Bush on September 29, 2007, prov... |
crs_RS21473 | crs_RS21473_0 | The Taepo Dong Program
The North Korean Taepo Dong program traces its origins to the No Dong medium-range ballistic missile program of the late 1980s. In the early 1990s, North Korea initiated the development of two ballistic missile programs known to the West as Taepo Dong 1 and Taepo Dong 2. The reported design obj... | This report briefly reviews North Korea's ballistic missile program. In summer 2007, North Korea tested modern, short-range missiles. In February 2009, South Korea reported the DPRK had deployed a new intermediate-range missile. This report may be updated periodically. Additional information is provided by CRS Report R... |
crs_RS21127 | crs_RS21127_0 | Introduction
Insider trading in securities may occur when a person in possession of material nonpublic information about a company trades in the company's securities and makes a profit or avoids a loss. Federal statutes have provisions that either specifically forbid insider trading or have been interpreted by courts... | Insider trading in securities may occur when a person in possession of material nonpublic information about a company trades in the company's securities and makes a profit or avoids a loss. Certain federal statutes have provisions that have been used to prosecute insider trading violations. For example, Section 16 of t... |
gao_GAO-04-363 | gao_GAO-04-363_0 | Background
Medicare covers about 40 million elderly (over 65 years old) and disabled beneficiaries. Individuals who are eligible for Medicare automatically receive Hospital Insurance, known as part A, which helps pay for inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, hospice, and certain home health services. A be... | Why GAO Did This Study
To assist low-income beneficiaries with their share of premiums and other out-of-pocket costs associated with Medicare, Congress has created four Medicare savings programs. Historic low enrollment in these programs has been attributed to several factors, including lack of awareness about the pro... |
crs_RL32420 | crs_RL32420_0 | Introduction
Congressional concern about mercury in the environment has greatly increased in recent years due to emerging scientific evidence that exposure to low levels of mercury may harm the developing nervous systems of young children. At higher levels of exposure, mercury is known to be a potent neurotoxin. Peop... | Concern about mercury in the environment has increased in recent years due to emerging evidencehat exposure to low levels of mercury may harm the developing rvous systems of unborn children. At least five bills in the 109 th Congress aim to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired electric utilities. The various propos... |
crs_RL31495 | crs_RL31495_0 | Introduction1
July 1, 2002, marked the birth of the International Criminal Court (ICC), meaning that crimes of the appropriate caliber committed after that date could fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC. The ICC is the first global permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for "the m... | One month after the International Criminal Court (ICC) officially came into existence on July 1, 2002, the President signed the American Servicemembers' Protection Act (ASPA), which limits U.S. government support and assistance to the ICC; curtails certain military assistance to many countries that have ratified the Ro... |
crs_R42033 | crs_R42033_0 | Introduction
In response to continuing high rates of unemployment and a weak economy, President Obama announced his American Jobs Act on September 8, 2011, before a joint session of Congress, and submitted formal legislation the following week. The President stated the purpose of the legislation was to "put more peop... | In response to continuing high rates of unemployment and a weak economy, President Obama announced his American Jobs Act on September 8, 2011. As stated by the President, the proposal aims to "put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working." The proposal was introduced, by request, ... |
crs_R44651 | crs_R44651_0 | Introduction
There are 14 U.S. territories, or possessions, five of which are inhabited: Puerto Rico (PR), Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), American Samoa (AS), and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Each inhabited territory's local tax system has features that help determine the structure of i... | There are 14 U.S. territories, or possessions, five of which are inhabited: Puerto Rico (PR), Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), American Samoa (AS), and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Each of these inhabited territories has a local tax system with features that help determine each territory's ... |
gao_GAO-02-831 | gao_GAO-02-831_0 | Background
DI and SSI are the two largest federal programs providing cash assistance to people with disabilities. Established in 1956, DI provides monthly payments to workers with disabilities (and their dependents or survivors) under the age of 65 who have enough work experience to be qualified for disability benefi... | What GAO Found
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for administering the Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Insurance programs--the nation's two largest disability programs. SSA is required to administer its disability programs in a fair and unbiased manner. Neverthe... |
gao_GAO-15-292 | gao_GAO-15-292_0 | Background
DHS invests in major acquisition programs to develop capabilities intended to improve its ability to execute its mission. DHS policy defines acquisition programs as follows:
Level 1 major acquisition programs are expected to cost $1 billion or more over their life cycles.
Level 2 major acquisition progr... | Why GAO Did This Study
In fiscal year 2014, DHS reported it planned to spend approximately $10.7 billion on its major acquisition programs. DHS acquires systems to reduce the probability of a terrorist attack, protect against disease, mitigate natural hazards, and secure borders. Partially in response to GAO recommend... |
gao_GAO-17-259 | gao_GAO-17-259_0 | Background
Credit unions can be federally or state-chartered, which determines their primary regulator for safety and soundness and also their options for deposit insurance. Federally chartered credit unions are regulated by NCUA and must be federally insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, whi... | Why GAO Did This Study
The Federal Deposit Insurance Act requires privately insured credit unions to disclose to consumers that they do not have federal deposit insurance and CFPB has implemented regulations on these requirements. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act includes a provision for GAO to review p... |
gao_GAO-08-481T | gao_GAO-08-481T_0 | Number and Rate of Incursions Show Upward Trend
Runway safety is a longstanding major aviation safety concern; prevention of runway incursions, which are precursors to aviation accidents, has been on NTSB’s list of most wanted transportation improvements since 1990 because runway collisions can be catastrophic. Re... | Why GAO Did This Study
While aviation accidents in the United States are relatively infrequent, recent incidents have heightened concerns about safety on airport runways. As the nation's aviation system becomes more crowded every day, increased congestion at airports may exacerbate ground safety concerns. This stateme... |
gao_NSIAD-98-57 | gao_NSIAD-98-57_0 | Background
In 1996, the federal government spent $1.4 trillion in U.S. states and territories to procure products and services, to fund grants and other assistance, to pay salaries and wages to federal employees, to provide public assistance, and to fund federal retirement programs and Social Security, among other th... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined defense and other federal spending in the state of New Mexico, focusing on: (1) characteristics of New Mexico's economy and changes in it; (2) the amount of direct defense-related and nondefense-related federal spending in the state and the direc... |
crs_RL33341 | crs_RL33341_0 | History of the SPR
Establishment of the SPR
From the mid-1970s until 2007, world markets have had to absorb roughly five significant spikes in the price of crude oil and petroleum products. Whether driven by disruptions in the physical supply of crude or refined fuels, or by uncertainties owing to international co... | Congress authorized the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA, P.L. 94-163) to help prevent a repetition of the economic dislocation caused by the 1973-1974 Arab oil embargo. The program is managed by the Department of Energy (DOE). The capacity of the SPR is 727 million barr... |
crs_R43361 | crs_R43361_0 | Introduction
The increasing Department of Defense (DOD) emphasis on expanding U.S. partnerships and building partnership capacity with foreign military and other security forces has refocused congressional attention on two long-standing human rights provisions affecting U.S. security assistance policy. Sponsored in t... | Congressional interest in the laws and processes involved in conditioning U.S. assistance to foreign security forces on human rights grounds has grown in recent years, especially as U.S. Administrations have increased emphasis on expanding U.S. partnerships and building partnership capacity with foreign military and ot... |
crs_RS20717 | crs_RS20717_0 | RS20717 -- Vietnam Trade Agreement: Approval and Implementing Procedure
Updated December 17, 2001
Background (1)
After protracted negotiations and a one-year delay after its adoption in principle, the United States and Vietnam signed, on July 13, 2000, a comprehensivebilateral trade agreement. The key statutory purp... | The procedure leading to the entry into force of the U.S. trade agreement with Vietnam, including a reciprocalextension of nondiscriminatory treatment. calls for its approval by the enactment of a joint resolution of Congress,considered under a specific fast-track procedurewith deadlines for its various stages, with ma... |
crs_RS20458 | crs_RS20458_0 | RS20458 -- Vieques, Puerto Rico Naval Training Range: Background and Issues for Congress
Updated August 20, 2004
Background information
The Vieques Training Range. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean whose people are U.S. citizens. Vieques (pronounced vee-EH-kez) is a small Puerto Ri... | This report discusses the controversy leading up to the closure of the U.S. navaltraining range on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, Congress' legislation directing the closure, and the potential impactof theclosure on military training and readiness. For a discussion of post-closure environmental cleanup issues atVi... |
crs_RL32623 | crs_RL32623_0 | The prospect and potential for severe weather or other natural disasters on or immediately before election day, in addition to lingering hypotheticals about terrorist attacks in the United States, have brought attention to the possibility of postponing as well as the authority to postpone, cancel, or reschedule an elec... | The prospect and potential for severe weather or other natural disasters, in addition to lingering hypotheticals about terrorist attacks directed at certain metropolitan areas, have brought attention to the possibility of postponing and/or the authority to postpone, cancel, or reschedule an election for federal office.... |
gao_GAO-07-794T | gao_GAO-07-794T_0 | Background
Titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act establish minimum requirements that all nursing homes must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, respectively. With the passage of OBRA ‘87, Congress responded to growing concerns about the quality of care that nursing home residents ... | Why GAO Did This Study
With the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA '87), Congress responded to growing concerns about the quality of care that nursing home residents received by requiring reforms in the federal certification and oversight of nursing homes. These reforms included revising care requirements... |
crs_RL32922 | crs_RL32922_0 | Background on the Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for inspecting most meat, poultry, and processed egg products for safety, wholesomeness, and proper labeling. Federal inspectors or their state counterparts are present at all times in vir... | The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) must inspect most meat, poultry, and processed egg products for safety, wholesomeness, and labeling. Federal inspectors or their state counterparts are present at all times in virtually all slaughter plants and for at least part of ... |
gao_GAO-03-685 | gao_GAO-03-685_0 | Background
In 1978, Congress passed the Inspector General Act, creating Inspector General offices in 12 federal agencies. This followed growing reports of serious and widespread breakdowns in agencies’ internal controls. These new OIGs were established as independent and objective offices within their respective ... | Why GAO Did This Study
Janet Rehnquist became the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in August 2001. GAO was asked to conduct a review of the Inspector General's organization and assess her leadership, independence, and judgment in carrying out the mission of the Office of Inspector... |
gao_AIMD-95-177 | gao_AIMD-95-177_0 | Background
In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). This act, which created the Superfund program, was intended primarily to clean up those sites considered to be the most serious of the hazardous waste sites identified in the United States. As of M... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the adequacy of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) information systems that support the Superfund cost recovery process, focusing on whether planned modifications to the information systems will improve the efficiency of EPA cost recover... |
gao_T-RCED-98-122 | gao_T-RCED-98-122_0 | Concessions Operations in the Federal Government
Our work has shown that concession activities on federal lands are a large industry that generates billions of dollars. In April 1996, we issued a report on governmentwide concessions activities. Unlike our past work, which examined concession activities within the six... | Why GAO Did This Study
GAO discussed the need for concessions reform in the National Park Service as well as in other land management agencies, focusing on a comparison of the Park Service's concessions programs with those of other federal agencies.
What GAO Found
GAO noted that: (1) concession activities on federal... |
gao_GAO-01-780 | gao_GAO-01-780_0 | Background
The main purpose of a foreign counterintelligence investigation is to protect the U.S. government from the clandestine efforts of foreign powers and their agents to compromise or to adversely affect U.S. military and diplomatic secrets or the integrity of U.S. government processes. At the same time, howeve... | Why GAO Did This Study
This report reviews the coordination efforts involved in foreign counterintelligence investigations where the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been or may be employed. The act established (1) requirements and a process for seeking electronic surveillance and physical search authority in... |
crs_R44924 | crs_R44924_0 | T he National Park Service's (NPS's) backlog of deferred maintenance (DM)—maintenance that was not done as scheduled or as needed—is an issue of ongoing interest to Congress. The agency estimated its DM needs for FY2016 at $11.332 billion. Although other federal land management agencies also have DM backlogs, NPS's bac... | This report addresses frequently asked questions about the National Park Service's (NPS's) backlog of deferred maintenance—maintenance that was not performed as scheduled or as needed and was put off to a future time. NPS's deferred maintenance, also known as the maintenance backlog, was estimated for FY2016 at $11.332... |
gao_GAO-08-680 | gao_GAO-08-680_0 | Background
Definition: When ll people ll timeve oth phyicnd economic ccess to sufficient food to meet their dietry need for prodctive nd helthy life.
Food ilability—chieved when sufficient uantitie of food (supplied throgh household prodction, other dometic otpt, commercil import, or food assnce) re contently ... | Why GAO Did This Study
In 1996, the United States and more than 180 world leaders pledged to halve the number of undernourished people globally by 2015 from the 1990 level. The global number has not decreased significantly--remaining at about 850 million in 2001-2003--and the number in sub-Saharan Africa has increased... |
gao_GAO-15-61 | gao_GAO-15-61_0 | Background
Nurse staffing is a critical part of health care because of the effects it can have on patient outcomes and nurse job satisfaction. According to VHA, its staffing methodology aims to maximize nurses’ productivity and efficiency, while providing safe patient care by ensuring appropriate nurse staffing l... | Why GAO Did This Study
GAO and others have raised prior concerns about the adequacy and qualifications of VHA's nurse staffing. In part to address these concerns, VHA issued a directive in 2010 requiring all VAMCs to implement a standardized methodology for determining an adequate and qualified nurse workforce, which ... |
gao_GAO-16-125 | gao_GAO-16-125_0 | Background
Types of Dialysis
There are three types of dialysis, which is a process that removes excess fluids and toxins from the bloodstream: (1) hemodialysis performed in a facility (referred to as in-center hemodialysis in this report); (2) hemodialysis performed at home; and (3) peritoneal dialysis, which... | Why GAO Did This Study
In 2013, Medicare spent about $11.7 billion on dialysis care for about 376,000 Medicare patients with end-stage renal disease, a condition of permanent kidney failure. Some of these patients performed dialysis at home, and such patients may have increased autonomy and health-related quality of l... |
gao_GAO-11-617T | gao_GAO-11-617T_0 | Instituting a More Coordinated and Crosscutting Approach to Achieving Meaningful Results
The federal government faces a series of challenges that in many instances are not possible for any single agency to address alone. Many federal program efforts, including those related to ensuring food safety, providing homel... | Why GAO Did This Study
The federal government is the world's largest and most complex entity, with about $3.5 trillion in outlays in fiscal year 2010 that fund a broad array of programs and operations. GAO's long-term simulations of the federal budget show--absent policy change--growing deficits accumulating to an uns... |
gao_GAO-08-549T | gao_GAO-08-549T_0 | Background
The problems in the D.C. public school system have persisted for years despite numerous efforts at reform. In 1989, a report by the D.C. Committee on Public Education noted declining achievement levels as students move through grades, the poor condition of the school system’s physical facilities, and t... | Why GAO Did This Study
In response to long-standing problems with student academic performance, the condition of school facilities, and the overall management of the D.C. public school system, the D.C. Council approved the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007 (Reform Act). The Reform Act made major changes to... |
gao_GAO-12-538 | gao_GAO-12-538_0 | Background
FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Authority and Declaration Process
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 (Stafford Act) generally defines the federal government’s role during the response and recovery after a major disaster. It establishes the programs and processes th... | Why GAO Did This Study
Since fiscal year 2007 FEMA has obligated $33 billion in disaster assistance payments. FEMA relies heavily upon its cadre of DAEs, a reserve workforce who interact with disaster survivors. GAO was asked to review the management and training of DAEs. Specifically, this report addresses the extent... |
crs_R42676 | crs_R42676_0 | Introduction
The United States is engaged in negotiations with Japan and 10 other countries to form a regional free trade agreement (FTA)—the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). In the negotiations, the United States and the other TPP partner-countries seek to build "a comprehensive, next-generation regional a... | On July 23, 2013, Japan formally joined negotiations to establish a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) becoming the 12 participant, including the United States. Japan's membership in the TPP with the United States would constitute a de facto U.S.-Japan FTA. On April 12, 2013, the United States announced its support for Ja... |
gao_GAO-04-437 | gao_GAO-04-437_0 | Background
Description of Biobased Products
Biobased products are industrial and consumer goods composed wholly, or in significant part, of biological products, renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials), or forestry materials. These biological products and agricul... | Why GAO Did This Study
The federal government spends more than $230 billion annually for products and services to conduct its operations. Through its purchasing decisions, it has the opportunity to affirm its policies and goals, including those related to purchases of biobased products, as set out in the 2002 farm bil... |
gao_GAO-11-909 | gao_GAO-11-909_0 | Background
The Department of Commerce chairs the coordinating committee of federal trade promotion and finance agencies charged with implementing the NEI. CS is one of four business units within Commerce’s International Trade Administration. The other units are Market Access and Compliance, Manufacturing and Serv... | Why GAO Did This Study
Recognizing the potential of increased exports to drive economic growth and create jobs, President Obama in 2010 launched the National Export Initiative (NEI), aimed at doubling the dollar value of U.S. exports by the end of 2014. As requested, GAO examined the extent to which (1) the goals and ... |
gao_GAO-02-51 | gao_GAO-02-51_0 | Background
The establishment of DOE brought together a collection of agencies with diverse institutional cultures, structures, and procedures. Since its inception, funding priorities for the department’s varied mission responsibilities have shifted and new challenges have been added. Over the years, DOE’s ability to ... | Why GAO Did This Study
The Department of Energy (DOE) manages the nation's nuclear weapons production complex, cleans up the environmental legacy from the production of nuclear weapons, and conducts research and development into both energy and basic science. DOE launched several reforms in the 1990s to realign its or... |
gao_GGD-99-147 | gao_GGD-99-147_0 | Background
In 1989, the Pacific Area Office, then called the Western Regional Office, identified several deficiencies in the 935 ZIP Code area and proposed relocating the distribution operations for five post offices in the area into a new facility. The key deficiencies identified by postal officials included the fol... | Why GAO Did This Study
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the project approval process the Postal Service used in proposing to relocate postal operations for the Antelope Valley, California, area from the Main Post Office in Mojave, California, to a new facility in Lancaster, California.
What GAO Found... |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.