Reports & Testimonies

In June 2022, we found shortfalls in the Air Force's process for determining where to permanently locate U.S. Space Command headquarters. Our report helped prompt the Air Force to reevaluate it. For the reevaluation, the Air Force reviewed requirements, selection criteria, costs, and senior officials' advice. We also assessed the reevaluation process against 11 selected "Analysis of Alternatives" best practices, which can increase transparency and...

The Department of Energy is responsible for disposing millions of cubic meters of radioactive waste from 15 cleanup sites across the country. Disposal options vary depending on how the waste was generated and the risks it poses. For example, some facilities can accept low-level radioactive waste, but there may be more waste than these facilities can currently handle. And there are no disposal options for...

The National Institutes of Health funded about $35 billion in external biomedical research in FY 2023 to support its mission of advancing the nation's health. NIH staff oversee such funds by reviewing financial and progress reports from the universities and other institutions that receive grants. But NIH didn't consistently take action when those reports were late. Also, NIH's component institutes and centers don't consistently track...

Many enrollees in Medicare Advantage, Medicare's private plan alternative, need behavioral health care for conditions such as depression and substance abuse. Some organizations require that providers get prior authorization to ensure it meets their criteria for payment. We found 8 of 9 selected organizations required authorization. But the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' oversight of prior authorization criteria doesn't target behavioral health services in...

States receive federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help administer school meals and other child nutrition programs. These funds can pay for staff salaries, trainings, and other expenses of overseeing and supporting participating schools. However, we found some states faced challenges in using these funds. The amount states receive is set by law and doesn't fully account for certain factors that affect...

This Q&A examines earn-and-learn opportunities, which can give individuals a mix of work experience and instruction on in-demand skills—while they earn a wage. We found at least 26 federal programs that can help provide these opportunities. For example, the Labor Department and state partners oversee Registered Apprenticeship Programs, which enrolled about 940,000 people in FY 2024. These programs can lead to higher pay, produce little...

In this Q&A, we report on our recommendations to Congress—our "matters for congressional consideration" to save money and improve federal programs. Since 2000, Congress has acted on 573 matters, making improvements in energy, health, and income security. As of March 2025, 272 matters remained open, but recently proposed legislation would partially or fully address about one-third of those. Thirty-one open matters have estimated financial benefits...

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is responsible for managing federal use of the radio-frequency spectrum. The radio-frequency spectrum is a scarce resource used to support commercial and government activities such as wireless internet and air traffic control. NTIA is working to modernize its spectrum management IT systems but hasn't fully followed leading practices for doing so. For example, it hasn't completed an organization-wide risk...

Federal discretionary transportation grants help build our nation's infrastructure. The Department of Transportation combined some processes for 3 such grants into the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program. DOT announced $5.6 billion in grant awards for the FY 2023-2024 funding round. We found applicants generally liked the combined processes. But DOT didn't fully document its criteria or rationale for selecting certain projects. We have found this...

Guam is home to more than 170,000 Americans and several military installations. Protecting this U.S. territory from missile attack is a Department of Defense priority. As of March 2025, the defense system in Guam included six missile launchers and one radar. DOD is planning to deploy additional systems. But it has yet to determine how many personnel are needed to operate the systems, when those...

Disaster loans from the Small Business Administration can help survivors rebuild and recover from property and home damages. However, survivors sometimes receive assistance from other sources that can exceed their eligible losses, resulting in a duplication of benefits. SBA is required to resolve cases of duplication when it's in the government's best interest to recoup excess funds. When they find duplicative benefits, SBA staff are...