FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found GAO has previously found that the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) has not followed its standards for defining mission need for some large projects. A mission need statement documents DOE’s identification of a mission-related need and, according to DOE standards, should not identify a particular solution. This ensures that DOE does not limit potential solutions at the project initiation stage. However, the majority of mission need statements that GAO reviewed for EM’s large projects identify a particular solution. For example, the mission need statement for the Outfall 200 Mercury Treatment Facility project at the Oak Ridge Reservation prop.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Assisted living facilities provide a residential alternative to in-home care and nursing homes for people who need assistance with activities of daily living such as eating and bathing. GAO’s analysis of program data showed that federal Medicaid and Medicare spending for services provided in assisted living facilities totaled at least $12 billion in 2024. This amount is likely an undercount because of data limitations. For example, assisted living facilities are not a uniformly defined provider type and thus not consistently identified in the data. Federal Medicaid spending. GAO identified at least $3.5 billion in federal Medicaid spending for services provided in assisted li.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) role in disaster recovery involves awarding grants and coordinating federal agencies through the Economic Recovery Support Function (RSF). In fiscal years 2014–2024, EDA awarded about $2.1 billion in disaster recovery grants, which primarily funded infrastructure and construction projects, such as mitigating flood risks to commercial and industrial areas. In 2013–2025, EDA also coordinated 45 Economic RSF missions following severe storms, floods, and other disasters. EDA Awarded $2.1 Billion in Disaster Recovery Grants (Fiscal Years 2014–2024) and Coordinated 45 Economic Recovery Missions (2013–2025) EDA has incorporated several.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Energy (DOE) have obligated about $14 billion for Puerto Rico’s grid recovery and modernization since 2017, but limited funding has been disbursed. About $2.7 billion of about $11.1 billion obligated by FEMA has been disbursed since 2017, largely for equipment and materials and architecture and engineering. In addition to FEMA, HUD and DOE obligated about $2.3 billion and $937 million respectively. However, most of these funds have not been disbursed. Moreover, DOE has reallotted or canceled about $715 million ori.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In September 2025, GAO identified 26 priority recommendations for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Since then, IRS has implemented one of those recommendations. In June 2026, GAO identified an additional two priority recommendations, bringing the total to 27. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Managing agency transformation, Addressing the tax gap, and Improving the taxpayer experience. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas can help inform IRS's transformation efforts, strengthen its tax enforcement and revenue collection while reducing taxpayer burden, and inform its resource decisions to best improve the tax.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988 Lifeline) is a network of independent crisis contact centers that answer calls, texts, and chats from people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. The U.S. Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) set up the 988 Lifeline to connect individuals with local crisis contact centers in states and minimize the time they wait, according to officials. As of March 2026, calls are generally routed to local crisis contact centers based on callers’ approximate location. In contrast, texts and chats are routed based on individuals’ area codes or zip codes. SAMHSA plans to begin routing tex.
CABI U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Coast Guard leadership have made a case that the service needs transformation. Since 2019 GAO has reviewed four Coast Guard reform efforts and identified steps the service took to incorporate leading practices as well as gaps in key areas. For example, in prior reviews of Coast Guard sexual misconduct and modernization of mission planning and reserve component reform efforts, GAO found that the Coast Guard did not fully assess its workforce needs. Additionally, for two of the reform efforts, the Coast Guard did not fully establish goals and outcomes, making it difficult to determine if the reforms had the intended effects. Accordi.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Most lobbyists demonstrated compliance with the requirements of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended (LDA). For example, for the third and fourth quarters of 2024 and the first and second quarters of 2025, GAO estimates that 94 percent of lobbyists who filed quarterly lobbying disclosure (LD-2) reports had documentation confirming income and expenses related to lobbying, 84 percent of lobbyists who reported lobbying the Senate had documentation confirming related lobbying activities, and 93 percent of semiannual contribution (LD-203) reports included all reportable political contributions. These findings are generally consistent with GAO’s findings since 2016. By l.
CABI U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In June 2025, GAO identified 21 priority recommendations for the Department of Transportation (DOT). Since then, DOT has implemented three of those recommendations. In June 2026, GAO identified an additional six priority recommendations and removed the priority status from two recommendations, bringing the total to 22. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Addressing workforce gaps, Improving grants management, and Integrating emerging technologies. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would enhance DOT's efforts to: assess and address its mission-critical staffing and skills gaps; strengthen implementation of its..
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In August 2025, GAO identified 32 priority recommendations for the Department of the Treasury. Since then, Treasury has implemented four of those recommendations, bringing the total to 28, as of June 2026. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Reducing fraud and improper payments, Ensuring cybersecurity and information privacy, and Improving federal financial management. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would enhance Treasury's efforts to effectively recover overpayments of COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance funds made by grantees; improve the ability of Treasury and the financial services sector to address c.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In May 2025, GAO identified three priority recommendations for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Since then, OCC has not implemented any of these recommendations. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Analyzing regulations, Financial technology lending, and Addressing blockchain technology risks. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas could help OCC assess whether its rules have had their intended effects and inform future rulemaking, provide lenders greater certainty about their compliance with fair lending and other consumer protection laws, and identify and respond to blockchain-related risks in.
CABI U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In response to the Secretary of Defense’s direction in a May 2025 memorandum, the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) made several organizational and staffing changes. These included creation of a Technical Director position and a space and strategic warfare area; elimination of Senior Executive Service-level Deputy Director positions; and significant reductions in civilian positions, including Action Officers responsible for assessing individual weapon system programs. Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation Staffing Levels Before and After May 2025 Memorandum Note: DOT&E staff figures above include ad.
