The Role of the U.S. Government Accountability Office
10 min read
<div>This is a presentation by the Acting Comptroller General delivered to the House Democracy Assistance Commission Members of Parliament from Afghanistan, Liberia, and Timor-Lease in Washington, D.C. on September 18, 2008. Major topics of this presentation include: who is GAO and how do we do our work, demand for service and impact of GAO's work, and the importance of collaboration and capacity building.</div>
This is a presentation by the Acting Comptroller General delivered to the House Democracy Assistance Commission Members of Parliament from Afghanistan, Liberia, and Timor-Lease in Washington, D.C. on September 18, 2008. Major topics of this presentation include: who is GAO and how do we do our work, demand for service and impact of GAO’s work, and the importance of collaboration and capacity building.
News Network
Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs Allen’s Travel to BelgiumNovember 5, 2021Office of the [Read More…]
Justice Department Resolves ADA Complaint with Maine Department of Health and Human ServicesIn Crime NewsJune 4, 2021The Justice Department today reached an agreement with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to resolve alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).[Read More…]
NFL Player Charged for Role in $24 Million COVID-Relief Fraud SchemeIn Crime NewsSeptember 10, 2020An NFL player has been charged for his alleged participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $24 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.[Read More…]
Mexican man sentenced for having meth welded to tiresIn Justice NewsMay 2, 2021A 33 year-old Mexican [Read More…]
Grand Juries Carry on During PandemicIn U.S CourtsOctober 27, 2020As the federal courts have gradually resumed operations with new pandemic-era health and safety rules in place, one aspect of the courts’ mission is on a fast track: the resumption of grand jury proceedings.[Read More…]- System Review Report of the GAO OIG Audit Organization (prepared by the Architect of the Capitol OIG)In U.S GAO NewsOctober 1, 2021Government Auditing Standards require that each organization conducting engagements in accordance with these standards must obtain an external peer review. The objectives of a peer review are to determine whether (1) the reviewed audit organization's system of quality control is suitably designed and (2) the organization is complying with its quality control system so that it has reasonable assurance that it is performing and reporting in conformity with professional standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements in all material respects. Peer reviews of Offices of Inspector General (OIGs) must be conducted by reviewers independent of the audit organization being reviewed at least once every three years in accordance with guidance established by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. The GAO OIG received a peer review rating of "pass." The Architect of the Capitol OIG completed the peer review of the GAO OIG audit organization for the year ending March 31, 2021 and concluded that the system of quality control has been suitably designed and complied with to provide the GAO OIG with reasonable assurance of performing and reporting in conformity with applicable professional standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements in all material respects. For more information, contact Mary Arnold Mohiyuddin at (202) 512-3087 or mohiyuddinm@gao.gov.[Read More…]
A New Video Captures the Science of NASA’s Perseverance Mars RoverIn SpaceSeptember 26, 2020With a targeted launch [Read More…]- Senate Gift Shop Revolving Fund: Procedures Related to FY 2020 Receipts and DisbursementsIn U.S GAO NewsOctober 19, 2021What GAO Found GAO performed agreed-upon procedures solely to assist the Secretary of the Senate in ascertaining whether the Senate Gift Shop Revolving Fund's (Fund) fiscal year 2020 receipts and disbursements were supported by information from the Senate Gift Shop and the Senate Disbursing Office. The procedures that GAO agreed to perform were related to the Senate Gift Shop's processes over (1) daily receipts, weekly deposits, and monthly reconciliations for the Fund's receipts and (2) purchasing, invoice payment, and monthly reconciliations for the Fund's disbursements. The Secretary of the Senate is responsible for the sufficiency of these agreed-upon procedures to meet its objectives, and GAO makes no representation in that respect. The report provides the details on the agreed-upon procedures and the results of performing each of the procedures. The Secretary of the Senate in an email response stated that she had no comments on the draft report. Why GAO Did This Study The Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration requested that GAO perform procedures on the Fund's fiscal year 2020 receipts and disbursements. The Senate Gift Shop is under the authority of the Secretary of the Senate and is responsible for offering members, staff, and the general public the opportunity to purchase Senate memorabilia and gift items. All sales receipts are deposited into the Fund and then used to purchase inventory items for resale and supplies and to pay for shipping and other related service expenses. For more information, contact M. Hannah Padilla at (202) 512-5683 or padillah@gao.gov.[Read More…]
- Home Health Agency and Former Owner to Pay $5.8 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsIn Crime NewsNovember 20, 2020Doctor’s Choice Home Care, Inc. and its former owners, Timothy Beach and Stuart Christensen, have agreed to pay $5.15 million to resolve allegations that the home health agency provided improper financial inducements to referring physicians through sham medical director agreements and bonuses to physicians’ spouses who were Doctor’s Choice employees, the Department of Justice announced today.[Read More…]
Bhutan Travel AdvisoryIn TravelSeptember 26, 2020Do not travel to Bhutan [Read More…]- SavaSeniorCare LLC Agrees to Pay $11.2 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsIn Crime NewsMay 21, 2021SavaSeniorCare LLC and related entities (Sava), based in Georgia, have agreed to pay $11.2 million, plus additional amounts if certain financial contingencies occur, to resolve allegations that Sava violated the False Claims Act by causing its skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to bill the Medicare program for rehabilitation therapy services that were not reasonable, necessary or skilled, and to resolve allegations that Sava billed the Medicare and Medicaid programs for grossly substandard skilled nursing services. Sava currently owns and operates SNFs across the country.[Read More…]
- State Department Employee and Spouse Plead Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods from U.S. EmbassyIn Crime NewsDecember 10, 2020A U.S. Department of State employee and his spouse pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The guilty pleas took place before U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane, who has scheduled sentencing for March 18, 2021, for both defendants.[Read More…]
- Justice Department and EPA Reach Clean Air Act Settlement with Advanced Flow Engineering for Selling Defeat DevicesIn Crime NewsJuly 27, 2021The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Advanced Flow Engineering (aFe), an automotive parts manufacturer and distributor based in Corona, California, has agreed to stop manufacturing and selling parts for motor vehicles that, when installed, defeat, disable or override EPA-approved emission controls and harm air quality.[Read More…]
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Remarks at the Florida Family Policy Council Dinner Gala: Respecting Life in America’s Foreign PolicyOctober 4, 2020Michael R. Pompeo, [Read More…]
Navy Shipyards: Actions Needed to Address the Main Factors Causing Maintenance Delays for Aircraft Carriers and SubmarinesIn U.S GAO NewsAugust 20, 2020The Navy's four shipyards completed 38 of 51 (75 percent) maintenance periods late for aircraft carriers and submarines with planned completion dates in fiscal years 2015 through 2019, for a combined total of 7,424 days of maintenance delay. For each maintenance period completed late, the shipyards averaged 113 days late for aircraft carriers and 225 days late for submarines. Maintenance Delays at Navy Shipyards for Fiscal Years 2015 through 2019 Unplanned work and workforce factors—such as shipyard workforce performance and capacity (having enough people to perform the work)—were the main factors GAO identified as causing maintenance delays for aircraft carriers and submarines. The Navy frequently cited both factors as contributing to the same days of maintenance delay. Unplanned work—work identified after finalizing maintenance plans—contributed to more than 4,100 days of maintenance delays. Unplanned work also contributed to the Navy's 36 percent underestimation of the personnel resources necessary to perform maintenance. The workforce factor contributed to more than 4,000 days of maintenance delay on aircraft carriers and submarines during fiscal years 2015 through 2019. The Navy has taken steps but has not fully addressed the unplanned work and workforce factors causing the most maintenance delays. First, the Navy updated planning documents to improve estimates and plans to annually update these data, but knowing whether changes improve results may take several years. Second, the Navy has consistently relied on high levels of overtime to carry out planned work. GAO's analysis found that high overtime among certain production shops, such as painting or welding, averaged from 25 to 32 percent for fiscal years 2015 through 2019, with peak overtime as high as 45 percent. Furthermore, shipyard officials told us that production shops at all four shipyards are working beyond their capacity. Overtime at such rates has been noted as resulting in diminished productivity. Third, the Navy initiated the Shipyard Performance to Plan initiative in the fall of 2018 to address the unplanned work and workforce factors, but it has not yet developed 13 of 25 planned metrics that could improve the Navy's understanding of the causes of maintenance delays. In addition, the Shipyard Performance to Plan initiative does not include goals, milestones, and a monitoring process along with fully developed metrics to address unplanned work and workforce weaknesses. Without fully developing metrics and implementing goals, action plans, milestones, and a monitoring process, the shipyards are not likely to address unplanned work and workforce weaknesses and the Navy is likely to continue facing maintenance delays and reduced time for training and operations with its aircraft carriers and submarines. For fiscal years 2015 through 2019, the Navy spent $2.8 billion in capital investments to address shipyard performance, among other things. However, the shipyards continue to face persistent and substantial maintenance delays that hinder the readiness of aircraft carriers and submarines. The Senate Armed Services Committee, in a report accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, included a provision for GAO to review Navy shipyards' performance. GAO evaluated the extent to which the Navy (1) completed maintenance at its shipyards on time on aircraft carriers and submarines in fiscal years 2015 through 2019, (2) has identified the main factors leading to maintenance delays, and (3) has addressed the main factors affecting any delays in that maintenance. GAO reviewed data related to Navy shipyard maintenance for fiscal years 2015 through 2019, analyzed factors contributing to delays and plans to address them, visited all four Navy shipyards, and met with Navy and shipyard officials. GAO is making three recommendations to the Navy, including updating workforce planning requirements to avoid the consistent use of overtime; completing the development of shipyard performance metrics; and developing and implementing goals, action plans, milestones, and monitoring results. The Navy concurred with all three recommendations. For more information, contact Diana Maurer, (202) 512-9627, MaurerD@gao.gov, or Asif A. Khan, (202) 512-9869, KhanA@gao.gov.[Read More…]
COVID-19: HHS Agencies’ Planned Reviews of Vaccine Distribution and Communication Efforts Should Include Stakeholder PerspectivesIn U.S GAO NewsNovember 4, 2021What GAO Found In late 2020 and early 2021, agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) set up federal programs for vaccine distribution and administration. State and local health officials and other stakeholders GAO interviewed said these programs helped higher-risk populations access COVID-19 vaccination. For example, the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) health center program provided vaccinations in medically underserved areas. However, these stakeholders also cited challenges, such as initially having limited or no information on the doses federal programs were sending to pharmacies and health centers in their communities. They said this made it difficult to decide which sites, including pharmacies and health centers, to send their own allocated doses when supply was limited. Stakeholders told GAO the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) education materials, such as provider toolkits, were useful to address the public's concerns about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, but providers would have liked them sooner to be able start promoting vaccination earlier. These stakeholders, including health officials, said they had difficulty managing public expectations and responding to questions about vaccine availability when they did not receive advance notice about changes in federal priority groups for vaccination. Individual Being Vaccinated as Part of a Federal Program Officials from HHS agencies—CDC and HRSA—stated they intend to conduct after action reviews to identify lessons learned from their COVID-19 vaccine distribution and communication efforts. However, officials said they have not finalized their plans for conducting such reviews, nor do they plan to do so while they continue to respond to the pandemic and have ongoing programs. Thus, it is uncertain whether they will gather input, including on an ongoing basis, from key stakeholders instrumental in vaccine distribution and communication efforts, such as state and local health officials, or whether the results will be shared with those stakeholders. Doing so will help ensure CDC and HRSA learn what worked well and identify areas for improvement to inform future vaccination efforts. Why GAO Did This Study Vaccination remains critical in the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine implementation—prioritizing, allocating, distributing, and administering doses—requires coordination among federal, state, and local levels and other stakeholders. HHS agencies—including CDC and HRSA—set up federal vaccine distribution programs, such as CDC's retail pharmacy program that sends doses directly to pharmacies. The federal government also sends vaccine doses to states for further distribution. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines (1) stakeholder perspectives on federal programs to distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccines, (2) efforts to inform health officials, providers, and the public about vaccination, and (3) actions HHS agencies are taking to evaluate their vaccine implementation efforts. GAO reviewed data and documents from HHS, CDC, and HRSA, and reviewed information from and interviewed state and local health officials in four states and one city selected, in part, for geographic variation. GAO also interviewed other stakeholders, including 12 national associations representing health care providers and others.[Read More…]
Local woman guilty of disaster fraudIn Justice NewsMay 14, 2021A 46-year-old Houston [Read More…]- Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Delivers Remarks on Operation Dark HunTorIn Crime NewsOctober 26, 2021Good morning and thank you for being here today. I am pleased to be joined this morning by the Deputy Executive Director of EUROPOL, Jean-Philippe Lecouff, as well as the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Kenneth Polite Jr., FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, and leaders of several law enforcement partners.[Read More…]
- Pain doctor pays to settle allegations arising from false billingIn Justice NewsJune 11, 2021A 44-year-old physician [Read More…]
- Gangster Disciples Leaders Sentenced to PrisonIn Crime NewsJanuary 22, 2021Two leaders of the national gang the Gangster Disciples were sentenced today for a racketeering conspiracy involving murder.[Read More…]
