Topic:

Oversight

Latest Headlines

Latest Headlines

Corbin replaces Lerner at IRS exempt organizations division

Ken Corbin replaced Lois Lerner as acting head of the Internal Revenue Service exempt organization divisions, a May 23 statement by Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) says.

DHS, DOJ grossly underestimate spectrum relocation costs

The Homeland Security and Justice departments were the worst at estimating the actual cost of relocating radio systems away from a band auctioned off to the private sector, shows data from a Government Accountability Office report.

Agencies need to reduce building space and better use existing space, GSA building service commissioner says

Agencies must consolidate offices and better utilize existing offices to help reduce the amount of money and energy spent on maintaining federal buildings, General Services Administration Public Buildings Service Commissioner Dorothy Robyn told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management in a May 22 hearing .

Comprehensive livestock biosurveillance faces resistance, funding challenges

An Agriculture Department effort to gain a comprehensive view of livestock and poultry health in a bid for better biosurveillance faces challenges including industry resistance, state confidentiality laws and lack of funding, says the Government Accountability Office.

Dodaro: Executive branch limited in its ability to reduce duplication and waste

The Government Accountability Office's annual report on costly overlap and duplication identifies 380 actions to make government more efficient. Despite White House efforts to make meaningful progress in this area, it is hamstrung, said GAO Comptroller General Eugene Dodaro.

VA halves disability claims on the books more than 2 years

A project to expedite the longest standing veteran disability claims eliminated more than half the applications that had been on the books for 2 years or longer, Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey told the House Veterans Affairs Committee during a May 22  hearing .

Special Operations Command failed to make plane available for use, IG report says

Officials at the United States Special Operations Command unit failed to make a C-12 turboprop plane that was used to transport Army officials to meetings visible in their inventory when it was transferred there in 2000, a May 9 Defense Department Inspector General report (.pdf) says. Because the plane was not reported, the U.S. Transportation Command could not schedule it for use, the report says.

Global telecom supply chain cyber-attack risk considered low

The risk of a cyber attack executed via corrupt hardware inserted into a global supply chain is considered to be low in the private sector, reports the Government Accountability Office.

Potential visa overstays still difficult to track

In a preliminary  assessment  (.pdf) submitted as prepared testimony to a May 21 House Homeland Security subcommittee  hearing , the GAO says DHS has taken steps to improve data sharing among various systems. But because the changes are so recent, GAO says it can't yet assess their effectiveness, and auditors note that DHS has about 1 million arrival records in ADIS without a corresponding departure records.

Fomer IRS head says he's not responsible for scrutinizing conservative groups

The official who led the Internal Revenue Service when it was improperly scrutinizing conservative organizations filing for tax exempt status said during a May 21 Senate Finance Committee  hearing  that he isn't to blame for those actions, but said he regretted it happened on his watch.