GAO Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Federal Watchdog Criticizes Energy Department For Hanford Cleanup, Tunnel Collapse

By Courtney Flatt February 21, 2020

A new sign graces the entrance onto the Hanford site near Richland, Washington. CREDIT: ANNA KING

The report from the independent Government Accountability Office says the U.S. Department of Energy has not found the root causes of the partial collapse of the waste-storage tunnel, and that failures in DOE’s investigation, inspections and maintenance of other aging and contaminated facilities is concerning. Read More

Government Oversight Office Says President Trump Broke Law In Freezing Ukraine Funds

By NPR News January 16, 2020

The White House has said that President Trump was acting within his legal authority when he froze military aid to Ukraine. CREDIT: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Government Accountability Office opined on Thursday that the Trump administration's actions in the Ukraine affair went beyond the bounds of a law called the Impoundment Control Act. Continue Reading Government Oversight Read More

New SNAP Rule Impacts College Students By Limiting Food Benefits And Adding Confusion

By NPR News December 21, 2019

The new Trump administration rule makes it harder for states to waive the requirement that adults work at least 20 hours a week in order to receive their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP — benefits. Some low-income college students could be affected. CREDIT: Danny Moloshok/AP

College students often struggle to make ends meet, and food insecurity is more common on campus than you might think. A new rule makes it even more challenging for some to get food stamps. Continue Reading New SNAP Rule Impacts Read More

Cyber Tests Showed ‘Nearly All’ New Pentagon Weapons Vulnerable To Attack, GAO Says

By Scott Leadingham October 9, 2018

The Pentagon only recently made cybersecurity a priority, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report, which found vulnerabilities in weapons that are under development. CREDIT: Yuri Gripas/Reuters

"One test report indicated that the test team was able to guess an administrator password in nine seconds," the Government Accountability Office says. Continue Reading Cyber Tests Showed ‘Nearly All’ New Pentagon Read More