Agency Oversight
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seems kind of new at a mere 20 years of age. But it has a lot of really old information technology, politely called, "legacy systems." The Government Accountability Office gave DHS a list of recommendations for modernizing. But, as you might have guessed, there's still a lot of work to do.
June 14, 2023 -
While the politicians debate how much money it should have, the IRS cranked dutifully away this past tax filing season. The agency says it operated on schedule for the first time since 2020, the advent of the pandemic.
June 08, 2023 -
A new problem has emerged for the long-troubled F-35 joint strike fighter program. It concerns spare parts, and who accounts for them. Are they government-furnished parts or should they be accounted for under a contract.
June 07, 2023 -
The Federal Research Division (FRC), an office within the Library of Congress, is celebrating its 75th year in operation. During that time, it has provided much needed non-partisan, custom-tailored research to federal agencies and others involved in governmental operations.
June 06, 2023 -
There's the business climate. And there's the environmental climate. Officials at Customs and Border Protection want to talk with industry about the impact of international trade on the climate … and they're organizing an event to share ideas.
June 05, 2023 -
The Biden administration’s long-term goals to eliminate carbon emissions from federal buildings and vehicles remain unscathed, as part of a bipartisan deal to cut government spending in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.
June 01, 2023 -
Among the troubling programs on the Government Accountability Office's High-Risk List, is the ability of the Health and Human Services Department to manage the national response to health emergencies. In the most recent pandemic, the response of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was at best disjointed.
May 31, 2023 -
Many households have felt the weight of persistent high inflation and rising interest rates, as well as the easing of pandemic-related government assistance programs. In turn, people are more pessimistic about their financial situations and how they may evolve. In a recent Gallup poll, 50% of respondents said they were “worse off” financially compared to a year ago — the highest level reported since 2009.
May 26, 2023 -
All week the Federal Drive has examined the Bureau of Prisons, which ranks as, "The Worst Place to Work in the Federal Government," according to the annual listing derived from employee viewpoint survey results and compiled by the Partnership for Public Service. To finish the series, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talks with Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters, who has been on the job for almost a year
May 26, 2023 -
Bureau of Prisons path forward is not complicated, but it does go steeply up hill.
May 26, 2023 -
Waste, fraud and abuse in the federal student aid loan program is bad. But it would be a lot worse, if not for someone at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) For more than 20 years, she has dispensed tough and crucial oversight to federal financial aid for students, which has rooted out fraudsters and saved untold sums of money. Now she is a finalist for a Service to America Medals, administered by the Partnership for Public Service.
May 25, 2023 -
Now Tom Temin turns his attention toward a working senior officer specialist, who didn't have official permission to speak publicly, so we'll call him Officer X. His voice has been disguised to protect his anonymity and allow for a very candid discussion.
May 25, 2023 -
Federal Drive host Tom Temin talks with Aaron McGlothin, President of AFGE Council 33, a local chapter, representing officers at the Federal Correctional Institution at Mendota, California.
May 25, 2023 -
As equity and accessibility continue to guide customer experience initiatives from the current administration, a three-pronged approach should be leveraged by agencies to meet the actions outlined in the high-quality care EO.
May 24, 2023 -
As the Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues at the Government Accountability Office, Goodwin is like a stern but compassionate teacher, as she examines and evaluates the Bureau of Prisons.
May 24, 2023