Reports & Testimonies

Plutonium pits are a key component in triggering the nuclear explosion of thermonuclear weapons. The U.S. hasn't manufactured pits regularly since 1989. The National Nuclear Security Administration has been directed to develop the capacity to make at least 80 pits a year by 2030. We found NNSA's plans for re-establishing pit production do not follow best practices and run the risk of cost increases and...

When colleges make false or misleading statements or omit information about their programs, students may have trouble completing a degree, paying back student loans, or finding a job. The Department of Education imposed penalties on 13 colleges when such actions amounted to "substantial misrepresentation" in FY 2016-21. Penalties included ending participation in federal student aid programs or levying fines. Education's written procedures for identifying and...

Patients receiving care from Medicare- and Medicaid-certified hospice care providers could be better protected from abuse and neglect. These providers aren't required to report abuse and neglect allegations if the perpetrator is unaffiliated with the hospice, such as a caregiver or family member. This makes it difficult for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to ensure that providers protect patients. We recommended that CMS...

The National Nuclear Security Administration has been reorganized multiple times since its creation in 1999, including most recently in 2022. NNSA has policies to guide its reorganizations. However, these policies only partially follow key practices for agency reforms. For example, NNSA requires that proposed changes have goals. But agency policies don't require developing outcome-oriented goals or collecting data to gauge outcomes. As a result, NNSA...

More than 8 million federal employees and their families receive health insurance benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. In 2021, the Office of Personnel Management began requiring some new program enrollees to verify that their family members are eligible. But OPM doesn't have a process to identify and remove ineligible family members who are already enrolled in the program. As a result, the...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains tens of thousands of noncitizens each year in facilities nationwide. This Snapshot highlights our previous work and actions that ICE can take to ensure that these facilities are safe, humane, and well-managed. For example, ICE could: fully analyze its facility inspections data to identify broad issues and trends improve oversight of detention conditions ensure that detained noncitizens consent to...

Foreign companies selling unfairly priced, i.e. "dumped," or government-subsidized goods make it hard for U.S. companies to compete in domestic markets. Affected companies can petition U.S. agencies to investigate and impose duties to level the playing field. In 2021, over $30 billion in imported goods were subject to these duties. While some claim that U.S. companies may file baseless petitions to block domestic competition, parts...

The internet has fundamentally changed how local news media operate—particularly by reducing the circulation and revenue of many local newspapers. We convened a 2-day workshop and interviewed journalists, academics, and other experts about the future of local media. The participants discussed strategies news outlets use to adapt to the digital environment and policy proposals to boost the viability of local journalism. For example, direct government...

When veterans need specialty care—e.g., mental health or cardiology—it's important to deliver it quickly. But it's been difficult. In 2020, the Veterans Health Administration changed how it schedules specialty care appointments at VHA facilities and with providers in the community. VHA's standard is for appointments to be scheduled within 3 business days from referral at VHA facilities and within 7 days for community care. Some...

"Advanced Air Mobility" services could soon carry people or cargo on revolutionary aircraft that can take off and land vertically and leave a smaller carbon footprint. Taxes on airspace users support FAA operations and help finance airport infrastructure. Some users qualify for tax exemptions, such as for medical transport services. But current tax laws don't define some of these new aircraft. For example, certain tax...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) both enforce federal antitrust laws, which are meant to promote free and fair competition in the marketplace. We reviewed the types of antitrust cases each agency investigates, areas of overlap, and instances of conflict with respect to antitrust enforcement. We found that DOJ and FTC have an interagency clearance process to identify which agency...

Of the 7 largest U.S. freight railroads, 6 have reported implementing "precision-scheduled railroading" (PSR), a strategy intended to increase efficiency and reduce costs. While there is no one definition of PSR, stakeholders told us this strategy is associated with fewer staff, longer trains, and more. For example, in 2022, all 7 of these railroads told us they ran longer trains with the goal of increasing...

The Securities and Exchange Commission oversees financial markets. To do so, it needs to attract and retain a high-quality workforce. We routinely report on SEC's personnel management practices. For our latest report, we surveyed SEC employees on their views of SEC's personnel management practices related to recruitment, training, staff development, leadership, organizational culture, and more. We surveyed mission-critical employees—931 nonexecutives and 78 senior officers. More...

The Securities and Exchange Commission oversees financial markets. To do so, it needs to attract and retain a high-quality workforce. We surveyed SEC employees on their views of SEC's personnel management practices. Since 2013, when we first reported on this topic, employees' views on morale and other issues have improved. Employees also have favorable views of SEC's efforts to ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board was formed in 2012 as an alternative to federal courts for patent disputes. There is the potential for political-appointee office directors to influence judicial decisions. Our review of oversight at the board and the independence of its judges found, for example, that: 75% of board judges who answered our survey said the oversight practiced...

Military personnel who complete advanced cyber training—which may take a year or more and costs DOD hundreds of thousands of dollars—may not remain in the military for a significant time after training. We found that 2 of the 4 military services are not positioned to ensure adequate return on their investment in advanced cyber training. While the Navy and Air Force require 3 years of...

DOD is upgrading its fleet of fighter and attack planes, known as tactical aircraft. Most of these planes—purchased in the 1970s and 80s—have outlived their planned service lives. Over the next 5 years, DOD is proposing to spend nearly $100 billion on major investments and changes to its current mix of tactical aircraft. This includes modernizing existing aircraft buying and developing new aircraft retiring a...

Through the $46 billion Emergency Rental Assistance program, the Department of the Treasury helps those who can't pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Third party studies and eviction data suggest that the program has helped limit evictions. But Treasury doesn't have complete data on payments or recipients. For example, Treasury is missing data on 26% of payments made to households in 2021. In addition...

Federal agencies must obtain written consent from individuals before disclosing their personal information. The Office of Management and Budget issued guidance that outlined agencies' responsibilities for accepting digital access and consent forms. Agencies were to implement the requirements in this guidance by November 2021. We found that, as of August 2022, only 1 of the 17 agencies that we reviewed had done so (the Securities...

The Federal Reserve's emergency lending programs helped support access to credit for businesses, employers, state and local governments, and others during the COVID-19 pandemic. The last of these programs stopped purchasing assets or extending credit by the end of July 2021. Since these programs have stopped extending credit, we found that: Corporations and small businesses generally have easy access to credit Municipalities' borrowing costs have...