Reports & Testimonies

Asset management firms manage trillions of dollars, but minority and women-owned firms manage a tiny portion. Our prior report discussed the difficulties these firms face when competing against larger firms for asset management opportunities. In this report, we found that these firms face several challenges. For example, they may lack the resources to keep client fees low—a challenge larger firms can more easily overcome due...

Drug overdose deaths in the U.S., including those from fentanyl, surged over the past 25 years. To reduce drug trafficking and criminal activity, the Department of Defense and the National Guard help support federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement. The counterdrug support services they offer include information analysis, translation and transcription, and air and ground surveillance. DOD and the National Guard Bureau work to...

Offshore wind energy is a growing U.S. source of renewable energy. It could also affect public health, tribal resources, and more—but the extent of any potential effects is uncertain. The Department of the Interior and other federal agencies oversee offshore wind energy development. They are supposed to work with Tribes, fisheries, and other groups that could be affected. But their engagement with these groups isn't...

Concerns about how federal regulations affect small entities like businesses, governments, and nonprofits prompted the Regulatory Flexibility Act in 1980. It directs agencies to consider economic impacts to small entities—and ways to minimize them—when proposing rules. Agencies certified that 73% of the rules in our sample wouldn't significantly impact small entities in FYs 2022-23. Our review of the act's implementation also found: The 4 agencies...

Railroad crossings, where train tracks intersect with roads or paths, pose risks for drivers and pedestrians. There are concerns with pedestrians trespassing at these crossings, with pedestrian deaths and injuries increasing. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides funding and technical assistance for states' projects to improve crossing safety, such as installing gates. But the agency's technical assistance doesn't include examples of trespassing-related pedestrian projects that...

DOD transferred the management of its medical facilities from the military departments to the Defense Health Agency to increase efficiency, lower costs, and improve the quality of medical care. To achieve these goals, DHA created 22 offices to manage over 700 medical facilities in 2022. But DHA didn't have the staff to meet its estimated needs for these offices. In response, DHA reduced the number...

Nearly 25% of college students in 2020 reported limited or uncertain access to food. Despite being potentially eligible, most didn't receive Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits—formerly known as "food stamps"—which could help them pay for food. A recent law gave the Department of Education authority to share students' Free Application for Federal Student Aid data with federal and state SNAP agencies to identify and...

Domestic terrorism threats have increased in recent years. In 2021, the White House issued the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, which tasked multiple federal agencies with actions to address these threats. Agencies have taken steps to implement 49 of the 58 activities we identified. We found ways the strategy could be more effective. For example, it doesn't clarify which federal agency is responsible for...

COVID-19 led to over a million deaths in the U.S. and disrupted travel. TSA is the primary federal agency responsible for securing our transportation systems. This Q&A looks at TSA's preparedness plan for another potential communicable disease outbreak. We found that TSA: Coordinated with other agencies to help ensure its plan aligned with existing federal plans Eventually distributed its plan to federal agencies, its workforce...

Hundreds of billions of dollars were likely lost to fraud during the pandemic. As of December 2024, the Department of Justice has charged more than 3,000 people, companies, and other entities with fraud-related crimes. Defendants were typically sentenced to prison, usually 1–5 years. Most were also ordered to pay restitution in varying amounts, with the highest over $71 million. It’s crucial for agencies to learn...

The Environmental Protection Agency lists some of the nation's most seriously contaminated sites on its Superfund National Priorities List. As of March 5, 2025, the list included 1,340 active sites across the United States. We testified that appropriations to the Superfund program generally declined from fiscal years 1999 through 2024. The program also received supplemental appropriations in some years. Our prior work identified some factors...

Drug shortages are a serious public health problem affecting patient access to care, such as cancer treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened existing drug supply chain issues and shortages are lasting longer. The Food and Drug Administration aims to prevent and respond to drug shortages, but can't do it alone. Fully addressing shortages will require the Department of Health and Human Services to work across FDA...

In fiscal year 2024, GAO's work yielded $67.5 billion in financial benefits, a return of about $76 for every dollar invested in GAO. Our average return on investment for the past 6 years is $123 to $1. In this testimony before the House Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations, U.S. Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro discusses GAO's FY 2026 budget request. Our budget request will enable...

We testified that many federal buildings are in poor condition and the problem is getting worse. Federal building repair backlogs more than doubled to $370 billion from FYs 2017 to 2024. This prompted us to add federal building condition to the "Managing Federal Real Property" area of our High Risk List in 2025. Unless this trend reverses, federal assets will continue to deteriorate and need...

The federal government loses $233 billion–$521 billion annually to fraud, based on data from 2018-2022. We testified about AI and other tools the government can use to combat fraud. Federal agencies have existing tools to combat fraud and other improper payments. Our prior work offered recommendations on improving and using these tools. AI-enabled tools could also help by sifting through large volumes of data to...

The Department of Defense is working to help military commanders better analyze and share information in real time. This complex effort is not a singular system and depends on contributions by all military services. Six years in, the military services are pursuing projects largely in isolation and without clear goals. This approach will likely result in delivering capability much more slowly and inefficiently, if at...

Scammers manipulate victims into sending them money. These scams may be costing Americans billions of dollars annually. For example, based on banking data filed in 2021, Treasury estimated $200 billion in impersonation-related suspicious activity. That's when a scammer impersonates someone else—like a potential romantic partner or employer, or a customer service representative—to get money. There is no government-wide estimate of the money lost to scams...

This Q&A looks at how states use federal funds to address child abuse and neglect. In FY 2015-2022, states spent $23.5 billion on child welfare from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a grant that helps families with lower incomes. During that time, states also spent $68.6 billion from Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, which funds foster care and other family services. This is...

While serving their country, military service members make decisions that affect their financial security. Some choices—like whether to pay down debt—can affect them now. Others—like saving for retirement—can affect them in the future. The Department of Defense and the military services provide training and resources to help service members understand these and other financial topics. DOD and the military services don't know how many service...