Updated May 23, 2026
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Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Veterans Affairs
What GAO Found In May 2025, GAO identified 29 priority recommendations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Since then, VA has implemented two of those recommendations. In May 2026, GAO identified an additional 3 priority recommendations, bringing the total to 30. GAO is highlighting the f
Federal Research: Agencies Should Better Manage Anticipated Publishing Cost Increases Amid Shift to Public Access
What GAO Found In 2022 The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) directed federal agencies to make research results freely accessible to the public immediately when published. In response, seven of the nine agencies GAO reviewed issued updated plans or policies. The Department of Transport
Artificial Intelligence: A Framework to Assess U.S. Competitiveness and Inform Policy Options
How to Use the Framework GAO’s framework is a method for assessing AI capabilities and capacity in the U.S. and its competitiveness. A nation’s competitiveness in AI is how well it develops or deploys AI technologies compared to other nations. Policymakers may be interested in knowing how the U.S.
Hanford Cleanup: DOE’s Plans to Grout and Dispose of Millions of Gallons of Tank Waste
What GAO Found The Department of Energy (DOE) is pursuing options to grout (i.e., immobilize in a concrete-like mixture) a portion of waste from 22 underground storage tanks at the Hanford Site. Specifically, DOE plans to grout about 24 million gallons of waste that has low levels of radioactivity—
Congressional Award Foundation: Review of the FY 2024 Financial Statement Audit
Based on the limited procedures GAO performed in reviewing the performance of the independent public accountant’s (IPA) audit of the Congressional Award Foundation’s financial statements for fiscal year 2024, GAO did not identify any significant issues it believes require attention. Had GAO performe
Semiannual Report to Congress, September 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026
This report was submitted to the Acting Comptroller General in accordance with Section 5 of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Act of 2008. The report summarizes the activities of GAO's Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the 6-month reporting period ending March 31, 2026. During this rep
Telecommunications: Selected Agencies Have Taken Steps to Address Risks of Equipment Linked to China
What GAO Found A 2018 law generally prohibits executive agencies from procuring telecommunications and video surveillance equipment produced by certain companies, or their subsidiaries and affiliates, linked to the People’s Republic of China (referred to as “covered equipment”). Agencies are not pr
Border Security: Additional Information Could Inform Enforcement Decisions for Noncitizens Paroled at the Southwest Border
What GAO Found From October 2018 through May 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) granted about 2.4 million paroles—temporary permission for a noncitizen to stay in the U.S.—out of its nearly 10.4 million encounters at the southwest border (see figure). Over half were to Mexicans, Cubans,
Disaster Loan Program: SBA Should Ensure Consistent Outreach to Survivors
What GAO Found The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Disaster Loan Program provides low-interest loans to businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters to help repair, rebuild, and recover from physical and economic losses after a declared disaster. In 2023 and 2024, SBA and the Federal Emer
Air Force Readiness: Actions Needed to Address Depot Maintenance Delays and Staffing Challenges
What GAO Found The Air Force has three maintenance depots that maintain the readiness of aircraft required for military operations. Depot maintenance delays have increased considerably since fiscal year 2019, whether measured by the original target completion date set before aircraft arrive at the
Regulatory Reporting Reform: Financial Data Transparency Act Requires Initial Steps Toward Government-wide Data Standards
What GAO Found The Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) was enacted in December 2022 with the intent of eventually reducing the private sector’s regulatory compliance burden while enhancing transparency and accountability. The FDTA requires agencies that regulate the financial sector to create a
VA Medical Facility Security: Actions Needed to Address Longstanding Risks
What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is responsible for securing its facilities. GAO has identified security challenges at VA medical facilities and made recommendations to help manage related risks. In January 2018, for example, GAO found limitations with VA’s risk assessment me
Facility Security: VA Should Fully Implement Federal Security Requirements and Improve Performance Reporting
What GAO Found Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) police records report around 74,700 crimes at VA medical facilities in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The overwhelming majority were nonviolent and included disorderly conduct, theft, and drug offenses, according to GAO analysis. GAO found that the av
Recommendations for Congress: Action Can Cut Costs, Reduce Waste, and Improve Services
What GAO Found Matters for congressional consideration are recommendations that GAO makes to Congress to address findings from GAO’s work. Since 2000, GAO has recommended that Congress consider more than 1,150 matters, and nearly 80 percent of them have closed. Addressing these can result in saving
2026 Annual Report: Opportunities to Reduce Duplication, Overlap, and Fragmentation and Achieve an Additional One Hundred Billion Dollars or More in Future Financial Benefits
What GAO Found GAO identified 97 new matters for congressional consideration and recommendations to federal agencies to improve efficiency and effectiveness across the federal government. These matters and recommendations highlight various risks that are heightened when duplication, overlap, and fr
Pell Grants: Overall Student Eligibility Increased After Free Application for Federal Student Aid Simplification
What GAO Found GAO found that about 570,000 more students were eligible for Pell Grants after the Department of Education implemented the simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for school year (SY) 2024–25 compared with SY 2023–24. In addition, about 1.9 million more students w
Black Lung Benefits Program: Miners Reported Experiencing Challenges, and DOL Should Monitor Operator-Provided Medical Coverage
What GAO Found The Black Lung Benefits Program provides benefits (income and medical benefits) to coal miners who are totally disabled due to black lung disease. These miners may also receive other benefits, such as state workers’ compensation payments, for their black lung disability. According to
Department of Energy: Action Needed to Approve Advanced Test Reactor Spent Fuel Plan
What GAO Found The Department of Energy (DOE) faces two challenges affecting Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) operations in the near term. First, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval Reactors) is finding it increasingly difficult to meet testing requireme
U.S. Ports of Entry: Update on CBP Public-Private Partnership Programs
What GAO Found Since GAO's January 2024 report, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continued to expand its public-private partnership programs—the Reimbursable Services Program (RSP) and the Donations Acceptance Program (DAP). The RSP ensures partners, such as port authorities or local munici
High-Tech Medical Equipment: VA Has Opportunities to Improve Its Acquisition of Maintenance Services
What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually to buy and maintain high-tech medical equipment (HTME)—such as magnetic resonance imaging equipment—to deliver health care to veterans. To maintain this equipment, and help ensure its safe use, me
Veteran Affairs: Acquisition Reorganization Should Reflect Leading Practices
What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has long encountered challenges in executing and managing its acquisitions. For example, a 2015 independent review identified VA’s supply chain management as unduly complex and duplicative. VA acquisition management has been on GAO’s High Risk
Federal Prisons: Improvements Needed to Prevent, Detect, and Address Sexual Abuse
What GAO Found Department of Justice (DOJ) preliminary data indicate there were approximately 8,500 reported allegations of sexual abuse in federal prisons from 2014 through 2022, the most recent year that aggregate data were available. These data include allegations of sexual abuse of incarcerated
Pregnancy and Early Childhood: Performance Management Process Needed for Three Programs
What GAO Found GAO found that 242 federal programs, inclusive of 12 tax expenditures, provide a range of benefits and services to pregnant women, children through age 5, or their families, among other groups. Of the 242 programs, 15 provide some amount of direct services solely to this population.
Artificial Intelligence: Uses and Risks for Small Business Contracting and Innovation Research
What GAO Found The use of artificial intelligence (AI) could help federal agencies carry out key activities in federal small business contracting and research programs, according to a panel of experts convened by GAO. Examples of such activities include conducting market research, reviewing proposa
Aviation Workforce: FAA Could Strengthen Regional Pilot Pipeline by Establishing Timelines for Training Initiatives
What GAO Found Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline industry faced challenges filling pilot vacancies, which network and low-cost airlines addressed by hiring from regional airlines, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Those regional pilots’ departures contributed to red
Hydrogen Energy: Technologies Offer Potential Benefits but Face Challenges to Widespread Use
What GAO Found Hydrogen energy technologies offer long-duration energy storage, increased transportation efficiencies, quiet operation, reduced air polluting emissions, and potentially broad availability. For example, hydrogen fuel cell power generation technologies could provide quiet, clean backu
United Nations Renovations: Budget and Schedule Status of Selected Projects Are Mixed, and State Could Strengthen Oversight
What GAO Found Across 11 selected UN capital projects that were completed or in progress from December 31, 2014, through December 31, 2024, seven projects were within budget and three were on schedule. For the projects that experienced budget increases and schedule delays, GAO found that multiple f
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Additional Actions Needed to Address Significant Risks in Verifying Provider Eligibility
What GAO Found Limitations in control activities allowed potentially ineligible providers to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have a variety of control activities for identifyi
Department of Government Efficiency: Treasury Needs to Fully Implement Data Protection Controls
What GAO Found The U.S. government disburses payments for various reasons (e.g., income tax refunds, benefit payments, and vendor and salary payments). The majority of federal entities process their payments through the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s (BFS) payment systems. Accordingly, the integrit
Science & Tech Spotlight: Data Centers in Space
Why This Matters Space-based data centers would place data processing and storage systems for AI and other computing needs into satellites. This could reduce the land, electricity, and water needed for data centers on Earth. Several companies have begun development of data centers in space, but the
Payment Integrity: Agencies' Estimated Improper Payments Increased to $186 Billion in Fiscal Year 2025
What GAO Found For fiscal year 2025, 15 agencies’ estimated improper payments totaled about $186 billion across 64 programs. This represented about $24 billion more in improper payment estimates in fiscal year 2025 than in the prior fiscal year. Agencies reported that about $153 billion (approximat
Industrial Security: Improved Risk Management and Stakeholder Engagement Needed to Help DOD Address Mission Gaps
What GAO Found In fiscal year 2025, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) conducted over 4,600 security reviews. The agency also documented over 800 security violations (see figure) and over 1,000 open security vulnerabilities associated with cleared contractor facilities. To c
Federal Housing Finance Agency: Improvements Needed in Controls over Financial Statement Review Process
What GAO Found During GAO’s audits of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) fiscal year 2025 financial statements, GAO identified a deficiency in FHFA’s controls over its review of its financial statements for conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles that represents a new
Weapon System Sustainment: DOD Identified Critical Cost Growth, and the Army Should Take Action to Yield Cost Savings
What GAO Found Operating and support (O&S) costs are comprised of costs for repair parts, maintenance activities, contract services, and personnel. The Department of Defense (DOD) identified 14 systems with critical O&S cost growth out of 36 weapon system sustainment reviews it conducted fo
Navy And Coast Guard Shipbuilding: A Disciplined, Strategy-Driven Approach Is Needed to Achieve Ambitious Goals
What GAO Found Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilding programs have consistently fallen short of expectations over the last 2 decades. Collectively, they are billions of dollars over cost and years behind schedule. For example, the Navy’s Constellation class frigate program was overcome by issues. As a
Federal Budget: Remaining Budget Authority from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
What GAO Found Every year, Congress appropriates funds to support federal activities and address national priorities. Congress generally appropriates funding, or budget authority, to an agency for use during a specific period, known as the period of availability. The Consolidated Appropriations Act
Medicare: CMS’s Use of Data Analytics to Identify and Prevent Fraud
What GAO Found GAO has designated Medicare a high-risk program due, in part, to its complexity and potential for fraud. Fraud schemes in traditional Medicare often focus on certain services, such as durable medical equipment. Fraudsters may use stolen or inappropriately obtained Medicare beneficiar
Multimodal Freight Office: DOT Should Report to Congress on Progress Toward Meeting Statutory Requirements
What GAO Found The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) required the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy (Multimodal Freight Office, or Office). Its responsibilities include coordinating with other agencies
Guam: Considerations for Evaluating Alternative Customs Models and Potential Economic Effects
What GAO Found Several factors limit the operations of Guam’s Customs and Quarantine Agency (CQA). For example, CQA maintains only paper-based records of customs transactions, which officials said limits efficiency, may compromise data reliability and result in reduced revenue. In August 2025, CQA
VA Health Care: Efforts to Assess Mental Health Support for Veteran Caregiver Program Need Strengthening
What GAO Found The Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Caregiver Support Program offers mental health support, among other benefits, to eligible caregivers who provide around the clock care for veterans with serious injuries. This includes support groups and respite care. In fiscal year 2025, VH
Congressional Review Act: Agencies and Congress Could Improve Implementation of 60-Day Delay for Major Rules
What GAO Found For about a quarter of the major rules issued from January 21, 2021, to January 20, 2025 (119 of 462 rules), agencies published effective dates inconsistent with the Congressional Review Act’s (CRA) 60-day waiting period. The waiting period begins when the Federal Register has publis
Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office
What GAO Found GAO’s work continues to make an impact. Executive branch agencies use GAO’s work to improve their operations, performance, and efficiency, and Congress uses it to inform key legislative decisions. For example, consistent with GAO’s recommendation to Congress, the Endin
Combating Fraud: Challenges in Managing Fraud Risks in Federally Funded, State-Administered Programs
What GAO Found All federal programs and operations are at risk of fraud, regardless of whether they provide financial or nonfinancial benefits or delivery takes place at the federal, state, or local level. Understanding the scope of the problem is critical to combating fraud. In 2024, GAO estimated
Federal Real Property: Leading Practices Could Help GSA Better Achieve Its Reorganization Goals
What GAO Found The Public Buildings Service’s reorganization to become more centralized, consistent, and streamlined has not fully aligned with four selected leading practices for agency reform. Selected Leading Practices for Agency Reform Specifically, as of December 2025: Establishing Goal
Veterans Community Care Program: Information on Behavioral Health Referrals, Fiscal Years 2021 Through 2024
What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the nation’s largest health care system through its Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and serves about 9 million veterans annually. VA’s Veterans Community Care Program allows eligible veterans to receive care from private sector co
Technology Transfer: Funding Recipients Keep Most Federally Funded Inventions, but Some Cited Reporting Challenges
What GAO Found The Bayh-Dole Act lets recipients of federal funding retain ownership rights, or “elect title,” to inventions made with federal funding if they meet certain reporting requirements. GAO found that when recipients (e.g., universities and businesses) invented useful technologies, most c
Artificial Intelligence Acquisitions: Agencies Should Collect and Apply Lessons Learned to Improve Future Procurements
What GAO Found Federal agencies reportedly more than doubled their use of artificial intelligence (AI) from 2023 to 2024, and they used a range of approaches to acquire additional AI capabilities through fiscal year 2025. GAO identified trade-offs facing agencies as they acquire AI, and some associ
Combating Illicit Substances: DOJ Enforcement of Unauthorized E-Cigarettes
What GAO Found Large numbers of unauthorized electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) products and devices continue to be for sale in the U.S., jeopardizing the health of Americans nationally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent estimate, there were more than 6,000 e
Telework and Changing Travel Patterns: Department of Transportation Should Develop Guidance to Help Communities Prioritize Investments
What GAO Found Telework rates spiked during the pandemic and remain, on average, about twice 2019 levels across large, medium, and small communities (i.e., more than 50,000 people). GAO found that increases in telework—which were, on average, highest in large communities with populations of 1 milli
Federal Real Property: GSA Should Create Goals to Ensure New Approach Saves Money and Accelerates Disposals of Unneeded Property
What GAO Found From October 2013 through November 2025, the General Services Administration (GSA) sold hundreds of properties owned by GSA and other federal agencies. These properties generated $1.4 billion in revenue and were primarily sold through GSA’s auction website. While residential properti
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