The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges to the nation's public health and economy. Since March 2020, Congress has provided over $4.65 trillion in federal funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and other laws to help the nation respond to and recover from the pandemic. The CARES Act included a provision for GAO to report regularly on the effects of the pandemic and the federal response.
On August 1, 2024, we issued our latest CARES Act report, identifying lessons from the pandemic that could help federal agencies better prepare for future emergencies. As of April 2024, we have made 428 recommendations to federal agencies and 24 matters for congressional consideration. Of these recommendations, 220 remain open. If implemented, these recommendations could help federal agencies better prepare for, respond to, and recover from future emergencies. You can view the latest recommendations from this body of work here:
The Department of Health and Human Services should develop plans to mitigate shortages in medical supplies, develop a comprehensive testing strategy, and develop an approach for identifying and addressing known challenges and risks associated with developing and manufacturing countermeasures, including vaccines.
The Department of Labor should design and implement an antifraud strategy for unemployment insurance programs that is consistent with leading practices, such as those in GAO’s Fraud Risk Framework. (If you suspect waste, fraud, or abuse of pandemic relief funds, please report your concerns to FraudNet.)
The Small Business Administration should develop a comprehensive strategy for communicating about federal financial assistance in the event of an emergency. This strategy should include guidelines for the types of information and timing of information to be provided to program participants throughout an emergency.
U.S. Army soldier administering a COVID-19 vaccine in Houston, Texas