The federal government faced an unsustainable long-term fiscal path—even before complications resulting from COVID-19—caused by an imbalance between revenue and spending built into the structure of current law. Congress and the administration have taken necessary actions—which totaled $2.6 trillion—to respond to COVID-19 and the resulting severe economic downturn. Once public health goals

In fiscal year 2019, debt held by the public reached 79 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The government's fiscal response to COVID-19 combined with the severe economic contraction from the pandemic will substantially increase federal debt. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that debt held by the public will reach 98 percent of GDP by the end of fiscal year 2020. The nation's

Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other

Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) reauthorizations through 2015 have decreased federal fiscal exposure, and insurers have adjusted by managing their increased risk. Changes in the TRIA program that the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) administers—particularly incremental changes since 2015—reduced the government's explicit fiscal exposure from a certified act of terrorism. For example,

Significant Changes to the Government's Fiscal Condition in Fiscal Year 2019. According to the 2019 Financial Report, the federal deficit in fiscal year 2019 increased to $984 billion—up from $779 billion in fiscal year 2018. Federal receipts increased by $134 billion, but that was outweighed by a $339 billion increase in spending driven by increases in Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security

This testimony summarizes information contained in GAO's March 2020 report, entitled The Nation's Fiscal Health: Action Is Needed to Address the Federal Government's Fiscal Future (GAO-20-403SP). Long-term fiscal projections by GAO, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and in the 2019 Financial Report of the U.S. Government (2019 Financial Report) all show that, absent policy changes, the feder

In fiscal year (FY) 2019, GAO's work yielded a record $214.7 billion in financial benefits, a return of about $338 for every dollar invested in GAO. We also identified 1,418 other benefits that led to improved services to the American people, enhanced public safety, and strengthened programs and operations across the government. In addition, GAO reported on 35 areas designated as high risk due to

In fiscal year (FY) 2019, GAO's work yielded a record $214.7 billion in financial benefits, a return of about $338 for every dollar invested in GAO. We also identified 1,418 other benefits that led to improved services to the American people, enhanced public safety, and strengthened programs and operations across the government. In addition, GAO reported on 35 areas designated as high risk due to

What is it? A deepfake is a video, photo, or audio recording that seems real but has been manipulated with AI. The underlying technology can replace faces, manipulate facial expressions, synthesize faces, and synthesize speech. Deepfakes can depict someone appearing to say or do something that they in fact never said or did. Deepfake videos commonly swap faces or manipulate facial expressions. In

The numbers of opioid prescriptions and claims for the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Disability Insurance (DI) program have each declined nationally in recent years, but rates vary widely across the country. National trends show both peaking between 2010 and 2014 and then declining. GAO's analysis shows counties with the highest rates of both were concentrated in the Southeast (see figur