Reports & Testimonies
GAO’s reports and testimonies give Congress, federal agencies, and the public timely, fact-based, non-partisan information that can improve government operations and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
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DOD Reviews and Responses to GAO Reports: Second Semiannual Report Examining Delays
Before we issue reports, we send them to the agencies we've audited for review and comment. For reports containing sensitive or classified information, we also ask the agency to let us know what can or cannot be released publicly. Delays in these reviews can delay the issuance of our reports. This Q&A report, the second in a series of 4, details the timeliness of DOD's...
International Military Students: DOD and State Should Assess Vetting Implementation and Strengthen Information Sharing
The Department of Defense offers education and training to foreign military personnel—known as international military students—at U.S. DOD sites. After a student killed 3 people at a base in Florida in 2019, DOD implemented security procedures for vetting these students. Some stakeholders in the vetting process have found opportunities for improvement. For example, manual processes and unclear roles may delay information sharing among involved agencies...
Weapon System Sustainment: DOD Identified Operating and Support Cost Growth but Needs to Improve the Consistency and Completeness of Information to Congress
DOD spends billions of dollars a year to operate and maintain its weapon systems. These "sustainment" costs—such as for repair parts or personnel—account for about 70% of a weapon system's total cost. DOD reports to Congress on these costs annually. We looked at DOD's FY 2022 sustainment reviews, and found that 7 out of 16 weapon systems had sustainment cost growth above the thresholds identified...
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Autism Research and Support Services: Federal Interagency Coordination and Monitoring Efforts Could Be Further Strengthened
We also published an " Easy Read" version of this report. Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. We published the Easy Read version to make our report more accessible to certain people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. To promote the health and well-being of people with autism, the National Institutes of Health helps coordinate the activities...
Countering Violent Extremism: FBI and DHS Need Strategies and Goals for Sharing Threat Information with Social Media and Gaming Companies
Domestic terrorists pose a significant threat to the U.S., according to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Domestic terrorists often use online platforms—such as social media and gaming—to communicate radical ideas to a wide audience and mobilize likeminded people. The FBI and DHS have some tools for sharing information with and receiving information from social media and gaming companies on threats related to...
Trusted Traveler Programs: DHS Has Enrollment Processes, but CBP Should Provide Additional Information on Reconsiderations
Millions of travelers have enrolled in DHS trusted traveler programs—including Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry—which allow preapproved low-risk travelers to be quickly processed at airports or other ports of entry. There are clear processes for enrolling in these programs and for reconsideration if membership is denied or revoked. But if CBP denies or revokes membership, it doesn't tell travelers how to seek more information...
Evictions: National Data Are Limited and Challenging to Collect
Estimates suggest that millions of renters are evicted each year, but there's little comprehensive data on evictions. Estimates are primarily based on 2 sources: court records and surveys. But these sources collect different data and may not paint the whole picture. Court records only represent filed evictions—not informal ones. Question design, response rate, and more affect survey accuracy. Federal and local stakeholders suggested that eviction...
Justice40: Use of Leading Practices Would Strengthen Efforts to Guide Environmental Justice Initiative
Some U.S. communities face heavy socioeconomic and environmental burdens like high rates of poverty, disease, and pollution. The Justice40 Initiative goal is for 40% of benefits from certain federal grants and programs to flow to disadvantaged communities. The Executive Office of the President collaborated with federal agencies, nonfederal entities, and federally recognized Tribes to develop Justice40 guidance and tools, such as a tool to identify...
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DOD Fraud Risk Management: Enhanced Data Analytics Can Help Manage Fraud Risks
The cost and scope of DOD's contracting activity—e.g., contracts on major weapon systems, support for military bases, IT and consulting services—makes it inherently susceptible to fraud. To fight fraud, DOD has a Fraud Reduction Task Force and an antifraud strategy document. DOD's updated 2023 strategy didn't include data analytics as a method for managing fraud risk, contrary to leading practices. Data analytics includes techniques such...
Head Start: Opportunities Exist to Better Align Resources with Child Poverty
Head Start programs served nearly 790,000 young children in 2021-2022, but the number of low-income children eligible for services far exceeds that number. We found that Head Start availability varies widely by state and county and doesn't closely align with child poverty. Almost all Head Start funding is allocated according to a congressionally mandated formula that doesn't account for changes in state population or poverty...
Aviation Security: Transportation Security Administration Could Further Improve Officer Engagement
TSA's nearly 50,000 officers play an important role in keeping potentially dangerous items off airplanes. But TSA officers' engagement—their sense of purpose on the job—has historically ranked among the lowest across the federal government. Employees who feel engaged tend to be more innovative, productive, and committed in their jobs. TSA has taken steps to address key drivers of officer dissatisfaction, such as by setting up...
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Sexual Harassment: Actions Needed to Improve Prevention Training for Federal Civilian Employees
Sexual harassment remains an issue in federal agencies. In a 2021 survey of federal employees, 12% reported that they had experienced sexual harassment in the prior 2 years. All the agencies we reviewed require their federal employees to complete some sexual harassment prevention training. However, they could take steps to make their training more effective—such as clearly describing how to report misconduct in their training...
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Small Business Administration: Targeted Outreach about Disaster Assistance Could Benefit Rural Communities
This Q&A report explores the Small Business Administration's Disaster Loan Program, which helps businesses, homeowners, renters, and nonprofits in urban and rural communities recover after a disaster. But some rural communities may not know about the assistance or how to get it due to specific challenges in those areas, such as intermittent cellular or internet service. SBA has new outreach efforts—such as portable centers that...
Ridesharing and Taxi Safety: Information on Assaults against Drivers and Passengers
Many people rely on ridesharing and taxi services, but there's growing concern about assaults on drivers and passengers. While there are no federal requirements to collect data on assaults in rideshare and taxi vehicles, we found: 6 federal databases have some data on assaults on drivers—one database reported 19 fatal assaults in 2019 3 ridesharing companies publicly report on fatal physical assaults and the most...
Financial Audit: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Funds' 2023 and 2022 Financial Statements
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures over $10 trillion in deposits and protects your money if your FDIC-insured bank fails. We audit and issue opinions annually on financial statements of FDIC's insurance funds and on related internal controls (e.g., processes to reasonably assure that transactions are properly authorized and recorded). We found the statements were reliable and controls over financial reporting were effective in 2023.
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Commercial Space Transportation: FAA's Oversight of Human Spaceflight
The commercial space industry is rapidly growing as private companies transport cargo, satellites, and people to space. The Federal Aviation Administration oversees these commercial space operations. FAA is working with industry as it prepares to potentially expand its oversight of operations with people on board. FAA chartered a rulemaking committee in April 2023 to solicit industry input on future regulations aimed at protecting people's health...
Maternal Health: HHS Should Improve Assessment of Efforts to Address Worsening Outcomes
Hundreds of women in the U.S. die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth—a crisis exacerbated by COVID-19. The Department of Health and Human Services is working to address the crisis and meet long-term goals such as increasing women's access to high-quality maternal care. As of September 2023, HHS hasn't determined how it'll measure progress toward achieving its maternal health goals. Following key...
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Oil and Gas Pipelines: Agencies Should Improve Oversight of Decommissioning
"Gathering pipelines" carry oil and natural gas from wells to other pipelines or facilities. Many—although an exact number is unknown—are located on federal lands and were installed decades ago. If not taken out of service properly, the pipelines may pose safety and environmental risks—including spills, emissions, or explosions. In this Q&A report, we look at the challenges several federal agencies face with ensuring the pipelines...
401(k) Plans: Additional Federal Actions Would Help Participants Track and Consolidate Their Retirement Savings
Investing in employer-sponsored 401(k) plans is the most common way American workers save for retirement. However, people can face challenges tracking their 401(k) accounts when they transfer jobs. Some countries use pension dashboards that allow participants to see and manage all their current and old plan savings in one place. This could be useful in the U.S., but Congress would need to authorize a federal...