FederalDaily - March 17, 2006
GAO Reports on Federal High Risk Areas
Billions of dollars are at risk for waste and mismanagement, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned in its annual high-risk program report to Congress this week. For example, the Department of Defense (DoD), the report found, cannot guarantee that the $200 billion spent annually on weapons systems and capabilities is producing results. Other high risk areas named by GAO include the Postal Service, facing declining First-Class mail volume, and the Department of Homeland Security, facing challenges in information sharing and partnering with others. GAO has been reporting on high-risk areas since 1990. GAO recently added the National Flood Insurance Program—managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency—to the high-risk list. The program lost $23 billion in 2005 due to natural disasters. To view the report, go to www.gao.gov/new.items/d06497t.pdf.
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Federal Paperwork Still Piles High
The 2005 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) did produce results for some federal agencies, but other agencies have found PRA initiatives are actually burdensome and counterproductive. That is according to a March 8 Government Accountability Office study. In one success story, the IRS said by reviewing and fine-tuning selected forms, it has saved more than 200 million hours since 2002. However, chief information officer (CIO) reviews—required by PRA—are hindering the goal of reducing paperwork, GAO found. GAO said that CIOs often have inadequate support to conduct the reviews. GAO called on Congress to engage information management experts for methods to improve the PRA. The full report can be found at http://reform.house.gov/UploadedFiles/TestimonyKoontz3-8-06.pdf.
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New Army Tattoo Policy
To improve recruiting efforts, the Army revised its tattoo policy to accept individuals with tattoos on hands and the back of the neck, officials said Wednesday. Earlier this year, the Army modified Regulation 670-1 to permit tattoos on the hand or back of the neck provided that they are not “extremist, indecent, sexist or racist.” The move became more necessary because of the noticeable increase in Americans with permanent tattoos. Approximately 30 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34, and 28 percent of Americans under 25, have tattoos, according to a Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University survey.
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Hiring More Immigration Enforcement Personnel
Congress just adopted a measure (sponsored by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.) that adds $2 billion in funding for interior enforcement initiatives. The provision would add an additional 3,000 worksite enforcement personnel (including enforcement, fraud detection, and all support personnel), that would monitor and penalize the hiring and employment of illegal immigrants. The measure would also provide funding to increase the number of Border Patrol agents to 3,000 under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program in 2007. “Any immigration bill that passes Congress this year will fail unless we have the interior enforcement mechanisms and personnel in place to enforce the laws,” said Kyl.
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