Search Results

open access

Defense Acquisition: Use of Lead System Integrators (LSIs) -- Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress

Description: Some in Congress have expressed concern about the government's use of private-sector lead system integrators (LSIs) for executing large, complex, defense-related acquisition programs. LSIs are large, prime contractors hired to manage such programs. Supporters of the LSI concept argue that it is needed to execute such complex acquisition efforts, and can promote better technical oversight and innovation. This report discusses both the praise for and criticisms of the LSI concept, as well as rela… more
Date: October 8, 2010
Creator: Grasso, Valerie Bailey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Oil and Gas Bonds: Bonding Requirements and BLM Expenditures to Reclaim Orphaned Wells

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 directs the Department of the Interior (Interior) to manage lands for multiple uses while also taking any action to prevent "unnecessary or undue degradation" of the land. To do this, Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), among other things, requires oil and gas operators to reclaim the land they disturb and post a bond to help ensure they do so. … more
Date: January 27, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Defense Management: U.S. Southern Command Demonstrates Interagency Collaboration, but Its Haiti Disaster Response Revealed Challenges Conducting a Large Military Operation

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has been cited as having mature interagency processes and coordinating mechanisms. As evidenced by the earthquakes that shook Haiti in January 2010, the challenges that SOUTHCOM faces require coordinated efforts from U.S. government agencies, international partners, and nongovernmental and private organizations. This report (1) assesses the extent that SOUTHCOM exhibits … more
Date: July 28, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Currency Manipulation: The IMF and WTO

Description: This report describes how the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO) deal with the issue of currency manipulation. It also discusses apparent discrepancies in their charters and ways those differences might be addressed.
Date: September 27, 2010
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

VA Health Care: Improved Oversight and Compliance Needed for Physician Credentialing and Privileging Processes

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "VA has policies to ensure that physicians have appropriate qualifications and clinical abilities through the processes of credentialing, privileging, and continuous monitoring of performance. Results of a VA investigatory report in 2008 cited deficiencies in the Marion, Illinois, VA medical center's (VAMC) credentialing and privileging processes and oversight of its surgical program. This report examine… more
Date: January 6, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Defense Logistics: Additional Oversight and Reporting for the Army Logistics Modernization Program Are Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) is an Army business system that is intended to replace the aging Army systems that manage inventory and depot repair operations. From 1999 through 2009, the Army expended more than $1 billion for LMP. LMP was originally scheduled to be completed by 2005, but after the first deployment in July 2003, the Army delayed fielding because of significant problems. The A… more
Date: November 18, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

NATO Partnerships: DOD Needs to Assess U.S. Assistance in Response to Changes to the Partnership for Peace Program

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established the Partnership for Peace (PfP) to increase cooperation with former Warsaw Pact members and provide many of these countries with a path to NATO membership. As NATO confronts new security challenges, including the war in Afghanistan, its relationships with partner countries have grown in scope and importance. Additionally, NATO is developing a new… more
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Tax Administration: Expanded Information Reporting Could Help IRS Address Compliance Challenges with Forgiven Mortgage Debt

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To assist the growing number of taxpayers facing foreclosure or mortgage restructuring, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, and its 3-year extension as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, allows taxpayers to generally exclude from taxable income forgiven mortgage debt used to buy, build, or substantially improve a principal residence. Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT)… more
Date: August 31, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Combating Terrorism: Planning and Documentation of U.S. Development Assistance in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas Need to Be Improved

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has been a recognized safe haven for al Qaeda leadership and a base for the Taliban to launch cross-border attacks into Afghanistan. The United States, in an effort to assist Pakistan in addressing this threat, pledged $750 million between 2007 and 2011 to support development activities in the FATA region. This report focuses on (1) the extent U.S. d… more
Date: April 15, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Disability Retirement for Federal Employees

Description: This report briefly discusses sick leave policies for federal civilian employees, as well as disability benefits available under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA).
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Temporary Extension of Unemployment Benefits: Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08)

Description: In July 2008, a new temporary unemployment benefit, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program, began. The most recent legislation, P.L. 111-205, extended the authorization of the EUC08 program, but did not change the structure of the program or augment benefits. This temporary unemployment insurance program provides up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to certain workers who have exhausted their rights to regular unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. This report d… more
Date: October 1, 2010
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.; Whittaker, Julie M. & Shelton, Alison M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Marines' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV): Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) is an armored amphibious vehicle program that originated two decades ago to replace the 1970s-era Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The EFV has experienced a variety of developmental difficulties, resulting in significant program delays and cost growth. While the Marine Corps and Department of Defense remain optimistic about the future of the EFC program, there continue to be major concerns about the EFV's reliability and escalating costs.
Date: November 9, 2010
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Child Care: Multiple Factors Could Have Contributed to the Recent Decline in the Number of Children Whose Families Receive Subsidies

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As Congress considers reauthorization of the laws which provide funding for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), there is interest in understanding what accounts for recent trends in child care subsidy receipt among eligible families and what research says about subsidies' effects on parents' ability to obtain and maintain employment. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adminis… more
Date: May 5, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Tanzania: Background and Current Conditions

Description: This report discusses the current political climate in Tanzania, an important U.S. ally in Africa. The report also provides some general background information.
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Dagne, Ted
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Obstruction of Justice: An Abridged Overview of Related Federal Criminal Laws

Description: This report briefly discusses obstruction of justice, which is defined as the frustration of governmental purposes by violence, corruption, destruction of evidence, or deceit. This is an abridged version of CRS Report RL34304, Obstruction of Justice: An Overview of Some of the Federal Statutes That Prohibit Interference with Judicial, Executive, or Legislative Activities, by Charles Doyle, without the footnotes, quotations, or citations to authority found in the longer report.
Date: November 5, 2010
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Obstruction of Congress: An Abridged Overview of Federal Criminal Laws Relating to Interference with Congressional Activities

Description: This report briefly discusses obstruction of justice, specifically regarding Congressional activities. Obstruction of justice is defined as the frustration of governmental purposes by violence, corruption, destruction of evidence, or deceit. This is an abridged version of CRS Report RL34304, Obstruction of Congress: A Brief Overview of Federal Law Relating to Interference with Congressional Activities, by Charles Doyle, without the footnotes, quotations, or citations to authority found in the l… more
Date: November 5, 2010
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Veterans' Benefits: Pension Benefit Programs

Description: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers several pension benefit programs for veterans as well as their surviving spouses and dependent children. The most current pension programs available (for those meeting the eligibility criteria on or after January 1, 1979) are the Improved Disability Pension for certain low-income veterans and the Improved Death Pension for certain low-income surviving spouses or children of veterans. There is also a special pension for Medal of Honor recipient… more
Date: October 18, 2010
Creator: Scott, Christine & Davis, Carol D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Recovery Act: One Year Later, States' and Localities' Uses of Funds and Opportunities to Strengthen Accountability

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to two ongoing GAO mandates under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). It is the fifth in a series of reports since passage of the Recovery Act on the uses of and accountability for Recovery Act funds in 16 selected states, certain localities in those jurisdictions, and the District of Columbia (District). These jurisdictions are estimated to receive ab… more
Date: March 3, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Public Health Information Technology: Additional Strategic Planning Needed to Guide HHS's Efforts to Establish Electronic Situational Awareness Capabilities

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A catastrophic public health event could threaten our national security and cause hundreds of thousands of casualties. Recognizing the need for efficient sharing of real-time information to help prevent devastating consequences of public health emergencies, Congress included in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act in December 2006 a mandate for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Huma… more
Date: December 17, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Propane and Heating Oil: Federal Oversight of the Propane Education and Research Council and National Oilheat Research Alliance Should Be Strengthened

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Millions of Americans use propane and oil heat for such purposes as heating and cooking. Congress authorized creation of the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) in 1996 and the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) in 2000 to provide research and development, safety and training, and consumer education for propane and oil heat, as the highest priority activities. Congressional deliberation… more
Date: June 30, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: CVN-78, CVN-79, and CVN-80 are the first three ships in the Navy's new Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs). This report the procurement schedules, budgets, and funding for each of these ships, as well as potential oversight issues for Congress.
Date: September 28, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Overview and Issues

Description: This report discusses the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), under which members of the uniformed services and U.S. citizens who live abroad are eligible to register and vote absentee in federal elections. The report discusses recent improvements to UOCAVA, necessary as teh result of controversy surrounding ballots received in Florida from absentee voters in the 2000 presidential election. The report also discusses related legislation, such as the National Defense Aut… more
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Coleman, Kevin J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Overview and Issues

Description: This report discusses the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), under which members of the uniformed services and U.S. citizens who live abroad are eligible to register and vote absentee in federal elections. The report discusses recent improvements to UOCAVA, necessary as teh result of controversy surrounding ballots received in Florida from absentee voters in the 2000 presidential election. The report also discusses related legislation, such as the National Defense Aut… more
Date: October 27, 2010
Creator: Coleman, Kevin J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Job Growth During the Recovery

Description: Congress in recent years passed a number of bills intended in part to jump-start a recovery in the labor market from the recession that began in December 2007. Policymakers are interested in how employment has responded to stimulus measures to determine how effective the legislation has been and to decide whether additional job creation legislation is warranted. This report discusses this topic in brief.
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Back to Top of Screen