Here at GAO, we strive for accountability, integrity, and reliability in the work we do, but the way we do it evolves with time. As the month of July marks GAO’s 93rd anniversary, we thought we would share a few snapshots of GAO’s office culture over the years. The Early Years Back in 1925, ComptrollerRead… Read more »
On July 4th, Americans celebrate our country’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which expressed the ideals of political and individual freedom upon which our country and government were founded. We at GAO uphold these ideals as we work to support the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to maximize the federal government’s benefitsRead… Read more »
Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office Although the 2020 Census is about 6 years away, preparations are well underway. The Census Bureau has designated today as Census Day 2014, as the Bureau is conducting its first significant test of the methods and technologies it’s considering for the 2020 Census. We have often reportedRead… Read more »
With fires already burning in Southern California and the Southwest, the western United States is gearing up for another fire season. The federal government plays several roles in addressing wildland fires—from suppressing wildfires and reducing potentially hazardous vegetation that can fuel fires, to educating the public about the risks of wildfires and developing wildland fireRead… Read more »
As you might expect, the information technology (IT) that supports one of the largest and most complex organizations in the world can be very expensive. In its fiscal year 2015 budget, the Department of Defense (DOD) requested more than $30 billion to operate, maintain, and modernize its IT systems. To put it in perspective, $30Read… Read more »
Last year, a fire set off a tragic explosion at a fertilizer storage and distribution facility in West, Texas. The explosion killed and injured many people and severely damaged nearby houses and other buildings, including schools. While the investigation that followed was unable to identify the cause of the initial fire, it determined that theRead… Read more »
Many industries use radiological materials that, in the wrong hands, could be used to construct a dirty bomb. Hear our podcast with David Trimble, a director in GAO’s Natural Resources and Environment team, who led a recent look at what federal agencies are doing to secure industrial sources of radiation in the United States. http://gao.gov/assets/670/663022.mp3Read… Read more »
A warming climate is changing the Arctic’s environment. The decline in summer sea ice, which reached its lowest point on record in 2012, has made some Arctic waters navigable for longer periods of time. Excerpted from GAO-14-435. To interact with this graphic, download the full report. We recently issued two reports on implications of theseRead… Read more »
Understanding how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars is a daunting task. In fiscal year 2013 alone, the federal government spent $3.5 trillion. In May, Congress unanimously passed and the President signed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA), which increases accountability and transparency of federal spending. The act requires several changes that will shedRead… Read more »
In light of today’s challenging fiscal environment, improving government efficiency and effectiveness is important. Our work has identified hundreds of specific actions that the federal government can take–or in some cases, has already taken–to reduce or better manage fragmentation, overlap, and duplication; reduce costs; or enhance revenue. Watch our new video about this work: ForRead… Read more »