FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Governmentwide Treasury Account Symbol Adjusted Trial Balance System (GTAS) is the central platform federal agencies use to submit standardized data for government-wide financial reporting. GTAS collects budgetary and proprietary data; validates them; and interfaces with other federal systems to support transparency, accountability, and fiscal oversight. Federal laws, including the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996, and the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act), require agencies to report standardized financial data. These laws assign implementation responsibilities to the Office of Mana.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The federal government is on an unsustainable fiscal path that poses serious economic, national security, and societal challenges if not addressed. Nearly every year this century, the government has spent more than it collected in revenue. To finance these deficits, the government has had to borrow by issuing debt. If current spending and revenue policies continue, the nation’s fiscal outlook is projected to deteriorate further, as debt accumulates at a faster rate than the economy grows. GAO projects that under current revenue and spending policies, debt held by the public will reach its historical high of 106 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2029 and grow to 251 p.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Since 2021, F-35 sustainment costs have continued to increase, but the F-35 has not met performance goals and performance has trended down. Across the fleet from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2025: The mission capable rate (percentage of time the aircraft can perform one of its tasked missions) declined from 67 percent to 44 percent. The full mission capable rate (percentage of time the aircraft can perform all of its missions) declined from 38 percent to 25 percent. In response, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) updated its sustainment strategy, which it refers to as the Global Support Solution (GSS) Reset. The GSS Reset requires an estimated $13.7 billion more than.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses dozens of systems to schedule appointments, manage referrals, and monitor wait times for veterans. The department is also in the process of replacing its primary health information system—the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA)—by deploying a new electronic health record system with Oracle Health. However, the rollout of the new system has been delayed due to technical and performance issues. Some of those scheduling systems and tools are commonly used across the department by many VistA facilities. Schedulers at the handful of facilities that have the new Oracle Health system also have an additi.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In May 2025, GAO identified 14 priority recommendations for the Department of the Interior. Since then, Interior has implemented one of those recommendations. In May 2026, GAO identified an additional 2 priority recommendations and removed the priority status from one recommendation, bringing the total to 14. GAO is highlighting the following two areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Improving oversight of oil and gas activities, and Conducting strategic workforce planning and oversight. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would enhance Interior's ability to oversee oil and gas development—which provides billions of dollars of revenue—and help Interior..
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In May 2025, GAO identified 35 priority recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since then, HHS has implemented four of those recommendations. In May 2026, GAO identified an additional seven priority recommendations, bringing the total to 38. GAO is highlighting the following two areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Strengthen Medicare and Medicaid program integrity and oversight; and Improve public health program oversight and coordination. Taking action to implement GAO's open recommendations in these areas would help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of key federal health care programs and funding. It would also help offic.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Air Force’s metrics for aircraft availability and mission capability do not provide a complete picture of the KC-135 and KC-46A tanker fleet’s ability to meet its primary refueling mission. The tanker fleet did not meet the Air Force’s availability and capability standards from fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2025, but these metrics do not specifically account for the aircraft’s ability to meet the primary refueling mission. The Air Force also calculates a “fully mission capable” (FMC) rate to measure the fleet’s ability to meet all its missions, which decreased substantially during that 7-year period. According to Air Force officials, while FMC is a clear indicator..
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In weapon systems acquisition, waste is not merely about individual overpriced parts; it is the systemic loss of billions of dollars and decades of time. Since 1990, the Department of Defense’s (DOD) costliest weapon programs have wasted billions while often failing to deliver a usable capability to the field. For example, the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation program—intended to provide augmented-reality headgear for soldiers for close combat—has yet to deliver operational capability after three different acquisition efforts over the last 8 years. Though the program produced nearly 10,000 units of the first two versions, they do not meet soldiers’ needs and will go into..
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The routine home care that makes up the bulk of Medicare hospice care for its beneficiaries is primarily delivered through visits made by nurses, aides and social workers. GAO found that in 2024 for selected beneficiaries and hospices, low-visit hospices—the 20 percent of hospices that delivered the fewest visits per week per beneficiary—averaged about half as many visits per week as high-visit hospices—the 20 percent that delivered the most visits per week. Low-visit hospices delivered a total of 2.5 visits per week on average, compared to a total of 5.5 visits per week on average for high-visit hospices. Because Medicare’s hospice daily payment rates are the same regardless.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Since January 2025, in response to presidential directives and accompanying Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, many federal agencies have taken steps to reduce their probationary and trial employee staffing levels. These are employees who have not yet completed the service requirements necessary to finalize their appointments, either after being newly hired or after being appointed as a supervisor or manager. Probationary periods are generally 1 or 2 years during which probationary and trial employees have limited job protections. An executive order and OPM guidance directed agencies to identify their probationary employees and determine who should be retained. Wh.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In August 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s largest immigration detention facility to date (known as Camp East Montana) opened on U.S. Army Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. GAO found that the Army—which awarded and administered the $1.3 billion facility contract—and ICE expedited the award and construction schedule for the facility. This negatively affected their planning and acquisition. Army and ICE officials indicated that the expedited time frames directed by senior leadership dictated several decisions related to their acquisition approach, such as using a contracting vehicle not previously used for detention services. They also selected a contractor th.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found When communities are hit by a major disaster—such as a flood, hurricane, or wildfire—a key first step is removing large quantities of debris so that they can begin to recover. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a component within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can help them respond quickly by awarding contracts before disasters strike. Tribes, states, and localities may also award their own advance contracts for debris removal. GAO found that six of 16 selected governments had awarded advance contracts for debris removal and identified benefits of having them, such as speed of debris removal. GAO also found confusi.
