U.S. Government Accountability Office Archives

Analysis: Federal Fiscal Burden Consumes 93 Percent of America’s Wealth

August 2, 2024August 1, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

Based on data from a U.S. Treasury report, the federal government has amassed $142 trillion in debts, liabilities, and unfunded obligations. This staggering figure equals 93% of all the wealth Americans have accumulated since the nation’s founding, estimated by the Federal Reserve to be $152 trillion.

Unlike other measures of federal red ink that cover an arbitrary period, extend into the infinite future, or ignore government resources, the figure of $142 trillion applies strictly to Americans who are alive right now and includes the government’s commercial assets. Thus, it quantifies the financial burden that today’s Americans are leaving to their children and future generations.

Overpayments Account for Nearly 75 Percent of Federal Improper Payments

July 1, 2024 The Center Square

The federal government reported $236 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2023, with the vast majority coming from overpayments, according to a new watchdog report.

A U.S. Government Accountability Office report found 74% of improper payments – payments that shouldn’t have been made or were made in the wrong amount – were overpayments. Overpayments accounted for $175.1 billion of the total amount of improper payments in 2023. Overpayments are payments “in excess of what is due, and for which the excess amount, in theory, should or could be recovered,” according to the report.

U.S. Spending on Interest Tops National Defense, Medicare

May 14, 2024 The Center Square

Congress has spent more money on interest so far this year than it has spent on both national defense and Medicare.

Fraud Costs the Federal Government up to $521 Billion a Year

April 22, 2024 The Center Square

The federal government loses up to $521 billion a year to fraud, according to a first-of-its-kind estimate from a Congressional watchdog.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office, which serves as the research arm of Congress, estimated annual fraud losses cost taxpayers between $233 billion and $521 billion annually, according to a new report published Tuesday. The fraud estimate’s range represents 3% to 7% of average federal obligations.

Taxpayers Supply $1 Billion Annually, and AmeriCorps Is Seven Years Without Clean Audit

March 18, 2024 The Center Square

Taxpayers provide it $1 billion annually, and for seven years running, AmeriCorps has failed to get a clean audit. A North Carolina congresswoman says that’s enough.

Identifying fraud risks, assessing inherent fraud risks, setting risk tolerance and consideration of existing controls were all cited in a scathing report of the Corporation for National and Community Service – aka AmeriCorps – from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

NASA Says Its Working on Schedule for Next Moon Mission After Watchdog Report

December 11, 2023 The Center Square

NASA said it is working on a timeline for its next crewed mission to the moon after a Congressional watchdog reported that the space agency’s planned 2025 date was “unrealistic.”

The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in late November that NASA’s timeline for the Artemis III mission was “unrealistic.”

Government Estimates Unemployment Fraud During Pandemic Cost Up to $135 Billion

September 18, 2023 The Center Square

The U.S. government estimated unemployment fraud during the pandemic cost taxpayers up to $135 billion or about 11% to 15% of the total amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid during the pandemic.

That’s according to the latest report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which the U.S. Department of Labor disputes.

Department of Defense Missed Half of Watchdog Deadlines So Far This Year

August 20, 2023 The Center Square

The Pentagon has missed half of its deadlines to respond to requests from a Congressional watchdog in the last six months.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found that the U.S. Department of Defense submitted about half of its agency comments and sensitivity or security reviews after deadlines set by the watchdog.

Time for Nation’s Largest Employer to Rethink Office Space, GAO Says

July 25, 2023 The Center Square

It’s time for the largest employer in the United States to rethink its 511 million square feet of office space, according to a congressional watchdog.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the federal government spends billions each year on underused office space. It recommended agency officials take another look at how much office space they need.

NIH Gives $2.2 Billion to Foreign Animal Testing Labs That Lack Oversight

April 19, 2023 RealClearWire

There are disturbing gaps in oversight at overseas labs that use animals in experiments. Labs to which the National Institutes of Health has given $2.2 billion in contracts and grants from 2011 to 2021, according to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Government Report: Unemployment Fraud May Top $60 Billion During Pandemic

January 27, 2023 The Center Square

A U.S. government report released Monday estimates that there could have been more than $60 billion in unemployment insurance fraud during the pandemic. The report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office says that figure is an estimate spread over the entire unemployment system and should be “interpreted with caution.”