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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), also called the Lighting II, is a new strike fighter being procured in different versions by the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. The F-35 program is the Department of Defense's (DOD's) largest weapon procurement program in terms of total estimated acquisition cost. This report details the Obama Administration's proposed FY2010 defense budget requests for F-35 program funding and outlines the issues that Congress must consider when deciding whether to appr… more
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Disability Retirement: Closer Monitoring Would Improve the Temporary Retirement Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Service members found unfit for duty due to a service-related illness or injury may be eligible for military disability retirement. When their disability is not stable, however, they may be placed on the military's Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL) and granted temporary benefits for as long as 5 years. GAO was asked to respond to concerns about TDRL caseloads, management, and impact on servicemem… more
Date: April 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: Production and Fielding of Missile Defense Components Continue with Less Testing and Validation Than Planned

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has spent about $56 billion and will spend about $50 billion more through 2013 to develop a Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). GAO was directed to assess the annual progress MDA made in developing the BMDS as well as improvements in accountability and transparency in agency operations, management processes, and the new block strategy. To accomplish this, GAO review… more
Date: March 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2010 Census: Census Bureau Has Made Progress on Schedule and Operational Control Tools, but Needs to Prioritize Remaining System Requirements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To carry out the decennial census, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) conducts a sequence of thousands of activities and numerous operations. As requested, The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined (1) the Bureau's use of scheduling tools to maintain and monitor progress and (2) the status of two systems key to field data collection: the control system the Bureau will use to manage the work flow … more
Date: November 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Safety: NASA's National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service Project Was Designed Appropriately, but Sampling and Other Issues Complicate Data Analysis

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (NAOMS), begun by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1997, aimed to develop a methodology that could be used to survey a wide range of aviation personnel to monitor aviation safety. NASA expected NAOMS surveys to be permanently implemented and to complement existing federal and industry air safety databases by generating ongoin… more
Date: March 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hurricane Katrina: Federal Grants Have Helped Health Care Organizations Provide Primary Care, but Challenges Remain

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The greater New Orleans area--Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes--continues to face challenges in restoring health care services disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the $100 million Primary Care Access and Stabilization Grant (PCASG) to Louisiana to help restore primary care services to the low-income population. Louis… more
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Coal: DOE's Decision to Restructure FutureGen Should Be Based on a Comprehensive Analysis of Costs, Benefits, and Risks

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Coal-fired power plants generate about one-half of the nation's electricity and about one-third of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which contribute to climate change. In 2003, the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated FutureGen--a commercial-scale, coal-fired power plant to incorporate integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), an advanced generating technology, with carbon capture and storage (C… more
Date: February 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military and Veterans' Benefits: Analysis of VA Compensation Levels for Survivors of Veterans and Servicemembers

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program provides monthly payments to the survivors of those who died as a result of a service-connected disability or while on active duty in the military. In fiscal year 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paid over $4.7 billion to about 354,000 survivors, replacing a portion of income lost with the death of the veteran or servicemember. The Vet… more
Date: November 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare and Medicaid Participating Facilities: CMS Needs to Reexamine Its Approach for Funding State Oversight of Health Care Facilities

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Americans receive care from tens of thousands of health care facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid. To ensure the quality of care, CMS contracts with states to conduct periodic surveys and complaint investigations. Federal spending on such activities totaled about $444 million in fiscal year 2007; states are expected to contribute their own funds both through the Medicaid program and apart f… more
Date: February 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hurricane Katrina: Barriers to Mental Health Services for Children Persist in Greater New Orleans, Although Federal Grants Are Helping to Address Them

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The greater New Orleans area--Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes--has yet to fully recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. As a result of the hurricane and its aftermath, many children experienced psychological trauma, which can have long-lasting effects. Experts have previously identified barriers to providing and obtaining mental health services for children. The Departme… more
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Security: TSA Has Completed Key Activities Associated with Implementing Secure Flight, but Additional Actions Are Needed to Mitigate Risks

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To enhance aviation security, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) developed a program--known as Secure Flight--to assume from air carriers the function of matching passenger information against terrorist watch-list records. In accordance with a mandate in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008, GAO's objective was to assess the e… more
Date: May 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Real Estate Tax Deduction: Taxpayers Face Challenges in Determining What Qualifies; Better Information Could Improve Compliance

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Joint Committee on Taxation identified improved taxpayer compliance with the real-estate tax deduction as a way to reduce the federal tax gap--the difference between taxes owed and taxes voluntarily and timely paid. Regarding the deduction, GAO was asked to examine (1) factors that contribute to taxpayers including nondeductible charges, (2) the extent that taxpayers may be claiming such charges, (3… more
Date: May 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Infrastructure: Army's Approach for Acquiring Land Is Not Guided by Up-to-Date Strategic Plan or Always Communicated Effectively

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recently, the Army forecast that it would experience a 4.5-million-acre training land shortfall by 2013 and proposed to purchase additional land adjacent to certain existing training ranges. In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Army's approach for acquiring training land. This report (1) evaluates the Army's approach to the acquisition of training land, (2) describes the Army's consi… more
Date: January 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Infrastructure: Additional Information Is Needed to Better Explain the Proposed 100,000-Acre Expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2007, the Army announced that the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) had approved its request to expand its Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado, by acquiring up to an additional 418,577 acres. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 required the Army to address 29 provisions related to the expansion in a report to Congress. In July 2008, the Army reported that, although it … more
Date: January 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Superfund: Greater EPA Enforcement and Reporting Are Needed to Enhance Cleanup at DOD Sites

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Prior to the 1980s and the passage of environmental legislation--particularly the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) governing environmental cleanup--Department of Defense (DOD) activities contaminated millions of acres of soil and water on and near DOD sites. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which enforces CERCLA, places the most contaminated sites … more
Date: March 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of State: Undercover Tests Reveal Significant Vulnerabilities in State's Passport Issuance Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A genuine U.S. passport is a vital document, permitting its owner to travel freely in and out of the United States, prove U.S. citizenship, obtain further identification documents, and set up bank accounts, among other things. Unfortunately, a terrorist or other criminal could take advantage of these benefits by fraudulently obtaining a genuine U.S. passport from the Department of State (State). There a… more
Date: March 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Best Practices: High Levels of Knowledge at Key Points Differentiate Commercial Shipbuilding from Navy Shipbuilding

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Cost growth is a prevalent problem in Navy shipbuilding programs, particularly for the first ships in new classes. In response to a mandate in the conference report accompanying the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008, GAO undertook this review to (1) identify key practices employed by leading commercial ship buyers and shipbuilders that ensure satisfactory cost, schedule, and ship performan… more
Date: May 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress

Description: The convergence of wireless telecommunications technology and Internet protocols is fostering new generations of mobile technologies. This transformation has created new demands for advanced communications infrastructure and radio frequency spectrum capacity that can support high-speed, content-rich uses. This report considers the possibility of modifying spectrum policy: (1) to support national goals for broadband deployment by placing more emphasis on attracting new providers of wireless broa… more
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Chemical Facility Security: Reauthorization, Policy Issues, and Options for Congress

Description: The statutory authority to regulate chemical facilities for security purposes, granted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by the 109th Congress, expires in October 2009. The 111th Congress is taking action to reauthorize this program, but the manner of its reauthorization remains an issue of congressional deliberation and debate. Key policy issues debated in previous Congresses are likely to be considered during the reauthorization debate. These issues include what facilities should b… more
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: Shea, Dana A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Supreme Court Nominations, 1789 - 2009: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President

Description: This report explains in detail the process of appointing Supreme Court Justices, both as it stands currently and how it has changed over the last two centuries. The report includes a table that lists and describes actions taken by the Senate, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the President on all Supreme Court nominations, from 1789 to the present.
Date: May 13, 2009
Creator: Rutkus, Denis Steven & Bearden, Maureen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Human Rights in China: Trends and Policy Implications

Description: Human rights has long been a principal area of U.S. concern in its relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Policy makers are at odds regarding whether or not the U.S. policy of engagement with China has produced meaningful political reform. This report analyzes China's mixed record on human rights - major human rights problems, new human rights legislation, and the development of civil society, legal awareness, and social and political activism. This report discusses major areas of… more
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: Lum, Thomas & Fischer, Hannah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hedge Funds: Should They Be Regulated?

Description: Hedge funds are essentially unregulated mutual funds. They are pools of invested money that buy and sell stocks and bonds and many other assets, including foreign currencies, precious metals, commodities, and derivatives. Hedge funds are structured to avoid Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulation. In view of the growing impact of hedge funds on a variety of financial markets, the SEC in October 2004 adopted a regulation that required hedge funds to register as investment advisers, d… more
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Radiation Doses to Hanford Workers from Natural Potassium-40

Description: The chemical element potassium is an essential mineral in people and is subject to homeostatic regulation. Natural potassium comprises three isotopes, 39K, 40K, and 41K. Potassium-40 is radioactive, with a half life of 1.248 billion years. In most transitions, it emits a β particle with a maximum energy of 0.560 MeV, and sometimes a gamma photon of 1.461 MeV. Because it is ubiquitous, 40K produces radiation dose to all human beings. This report contains the results of new measurements of 40K i… more
Date: February 13, 2009
Creator: Strom, Daniel J.; Lynch, Timothy P. & Weier, Dennis R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Investigation of the Total Organic Halogen Analytical Method at the Waste Sampling and Characterization Facility

Description: Total organic halogen (TOX) is used as a parameter to screen groundwater samples at the Hanford Site. Trending is done for each groundwater well, and changes in TOX and other screening parameters can lead to costly changes in the monitoring protocol. The Waste Sampling and Characterization Facility (WSCF) analyzes groundwater samples for TOX using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SW-S46 method 9020B (EPA 1996a). Samples from the Soil and Groundwater Remediation Project (S… more
Date: February 13, 2009
Creator: Douglas, J. G.; Meznarich, H. K.; Olsen, J. R.; Ross, G. A. & Stauffer, M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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