Author Archives: GAOWatchBlog

GAO’s Summer Associate Legal Honors Program

Every summer, GAO’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) holds a Summer Associate Legal Honors Program for second-year law students. The program is a primary hiring tool for building OGC’s workforce of highly capable attorneys. Summer Associates who perform well may … Continue reading

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Podcast on Medicaid Payments to Health Care Providers

Under Medicaid, states pay health care providers and receive federal matching funds for their payments. We have previously found that some states’ excessive Medicaid payments to certain provider institutions shifted costs inappropriately from states to the federal government.

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Podcast on IRS Controls over Financial and Taxpayer Data

The Internal Revenue Service relies extensively on computer systems and information security controls to protect taxpayers’ sensitive personal and financial data. Hear our podcast with Greg Wilshusen, a director in GAO’s Information Technology team, who led a recent review of … Continue reading

Posted in Information Security, Information Technology, Podcast | 1 Comment

Podcast on GAO’s State and Local Fiscal Outlook Model Update

State and local governments nationwide face long-term fiscal sustainability challenges. Since 2007, GAO has published simulations of fiscal trends in the state and local government sectors. Explore the state and local fiscal outlook model, and hear our podcast with Michelle Sager, … Continue reading

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Podcast on State Funding for Higher Education and College Affordability

As higher education costs rise, state support can help make public colleges more affordable. However, budget constraints and other factors have led to reduced state funding for higher education in recent years. Hear our podcast with Melissa Emrey-Arras, a director in … Continue reading

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Podcast on Aviation Security and Expedited Passenger Screening

In 2011, the Transportation Security Administration introduced its Precheck program, which offers expedited screening to selected air travelers. TSA’s use of expedited screening has rapidly increased in recent years, highlighting the need to ensure the effectiveness of the agency’s security … Continue reading

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Showing You the Money: GAO’s 2014 Performance and Accountability Report

What is GAO’s audit work worth to you, the taxpayer? Today, we can tell you that in fiscal year 2014, our work led to $54.4 billion in financial benefits—a $100 return for every $1 Congress invested in us. We also … Continue reading

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Podcast on Timely Access to Outpatient Specialty Health Care for Veterans

Delays in VA medical center care have reportedly harmed some veterans. In 2012, VA found that its consult data were not adequate to determine the extent to which veterans received timely outpatient specialty care. Hear our podcast with Debra Draper, … Continue reading

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GAO’s Acquisition and Sourcing Management Team

GAO’s workforce is organized largely by subject area, with most employees working in 1 of 14 mission teams, many of which we have highlighted on the WatchBlog. Today we’ll be putting the spotlight on the Acquisition and Sourcing Management (ASM) team, … Continue reading

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Introducing GAO’s Technical Chiefs

GAO is well known for its financial and performance audits of the federal government. In our pursuit of objective, fact-based information, we often encounter technical issues related to accounting, actuarial science, economics, science, and technology. We have many employees with … Continue reading

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