From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Title: High Risk List 2011: Comptroller General Dodaro Speaks at Press
Conference

Description: Comptroller General Gene Dodaro speaks at the GAO High Risk
Series press conference on February 16, 2011

Issue Date: March 3, 2011

[ Silence ]

[ Gene Dodaro ] Good afternoon. I appreciate the opportunity to talk
about GAO's high-risk list program. I also appreciate the participation
by all the members this afternoon. The Senate Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Oversight and Government
Reform Committee have been supporters of the high-risk program from the
beginning, and their attention to all of these issues has been
instrumental to the progress that has been achieved. I'd first like to
highlight the two areas coming off the list; one of the questions I get
most frequently: Does anything ever come off the list? And the answer is
yes. Not that many. More needs to be attended to with progress being
made. First on the DOD personnel security clearances area, as Senator
Akaka pointed out, the timeliness of processing the initial clearances
has dramatically been reduced and is now regularly meeting the statutory
requirements that had been set in law and under the 2-month period of
time. Also the agencies have set quality metrics, so it's not only being
done in a timely manner, there's going to be a check to make sure
they're done properly, and there's adjudication standards that have been
put in place as well to move the process along. In the census area, as
Senator Collins mentioned, the 2010 census obviously is over but we were
pleased to see that the bureau was able to complete its peak census
collection activities generally within the operational framework that
they had put in place. They actually delivered the state population
counts, earlier than the statutory deadline. And most of the remaining
activities to complete the 2010 census cycle are on track. But also as
Senator Collins properly pointed out, the 2020 census is a concern. And
we discussed that in our report. For example, the per-household cost to
take the census has gone from $16 to $98 per household from the 1970
census to the 2010 census. That's an increase using constant 2010
dollars of 500 percent. At the same time, the response rate for the
initial questionnaire has gone from 78 percent to 63 percent. So the
bureau's having to undertake many more activities, and there needs to be
a fundamental reexamination of the approach for taking the census using
administrative records, using more modern technologies, and attention
needs to be focused on that very soon. We've recommended the bureau put
together a comprehensive plan, and they're in the process of doing that.
Now the two areas I'd like to underscore, the common denominators of how
these areas come off the list is through strong congressional oversight.
Both the DOD personnel security clearance area and the 2010 census have
had more than a dozen congressional hearings since we put those items on
the high-risk list. This is sustained attention and held people
accountable, and the Congress is to be credited for their attention to
these matters. Also the agencies have elevated top-level attention and
that is pivotal. In the security clearance area for example, DOD and the
OMB and OPM, and the Director of the National Intelligence agencies have
all focused on a committee focused to bring action to this area. Now the
new area we're adding to the list is Interior's management of oil and
gas production, as you've heard. And I think Chairman Issa deserves a
lot of credit for targeting attention on this area. A lot of the early
work that we did on royalty and revenue collections was done at his
behest, and we built on that work over time and we've identified
additional human capital problems and not having enough skilled
technical people to be able to carry out their activities and training
and retraining people. We've identified additional revenue collection
areas where production for oil and gas, there had been weaknesses in the
verification of the figures. And also we've identified some weaknesses
in the consistency on which environmental assessments are reviewed in
the process. So we have identified a broader range of concerns and thus
of putting it on the list at this particular time. There is a lot of
progress and benefits to be reaped through continued attention to the 30
items that are on the list. You've heard mentioned this morning a couple
of times of improper payments in Medicare and Medicaid. The figures that
Senator Lieberman cited and Senator Collins reemphasized don't even
account for the fact that in Medicare there is not yet an improper
payment estimate for the prescription drug component of the program. So
and there are other activities that need to be taking place. So we try
to be as specific as possible in our report about what actions are
needed and we're committed to keep this a high priority for GAO working
with the administration and the Congress to bring about additional
benefits both and billions of dollars that could be saved and improve
performance and accountability of the federal government. Through
concerted effort of all parties, the American people will be the
beneficiary in the end. So thank you very much.

[Senator Lieberman ] Thank you, Gene, the best we can—the best way we
can thank you is that by promising you both the Senate and House
oversight committees that we will make GAO's high-risk list our
high-priority list for action in this session of Congress.