Oversight

A new Social Security report shows the growing overpayment problem tops $23b

For the past several years, the agency routinely distributed between $6 billion and $7 billion in new overpayments each year.

Login-dot-gov is 'fraudulent,' says House Republican gunning to defund 18F

Texas Republican Pete Sessions said 18F “misled and lied to the government” about the credentialing service’s capabilities .

VA veterans crisis line to face new investigation by GAO

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., says several whistleblowers have told him and his staff that veterans crisis line “responders are currently transferring veterans determined to present complex needs to an indefinite waiting list for eventual contact from a special unit.”

What are agencies doing with AI? A bipartisan Senate duo wants to know

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, sent letters to three federal agencies probing into their use of artificial intelligence systems.

Judge tosses IG’s lawsuit alleging harassment by oversight body investigating him

A watchdog of watchdogs is acting appropriately by investigating the inspector general, court rules.

From payment accuracy to program integrity

COMMENTARY | The staggering level of pandemic fraud coupled with mounting concerns about the size and trajectory of the nation’s debt load should elevate program integrity as a top management focus, writes one observer.

Supreme Court lifts restrictions on federal agency contacts with social media firms

The ruling frees up federal agencies to contact social network platform owners about content moderation issues and other matters, pending the resolution of a court case.

GAO: Army Corps’ cleanup of Manhattan Project-era sites suffers from management, cost uncertainties

Although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ cost estimate of contaminated sites associated with the early decades of nuclear weapons manufacturing sat at $2.6 billion at the end of fiscal 2022, that number could easily grow substantially over time.

With so many billions in buying, procurement needs a better dashboard

COMMENTARY | Procurement executives need a holistic view of their organizations' performance, argues one observer.

How more than $600M in COVID relief funds awarded last year went unreported

The problem is even bigger this year, according to the Government Accountability Office. The lack of reporting makes it difficult to track fraud, waste and abuse.

USPS says mail theft is getting worse, but its plans are so far incomplete and yielding few results

The mailing agency must flesh out its strategies to address rising crime rates, Postal Service watchdog says.

Report: DHS, USPS failing in their requirements to screen for opioids in the mail

A 2018 law aimed at preventing drug producers from shipping their goods through the mail is not being implemented, IG says.

Social Security overpayments draw scrutiny and outrage from members of Congress

SSA recovered $4.7 billion of overpayments during the 2022 fiscal year but ended that year with $21.6 billion of overpayments still uncollected, according to a November 2022 report by department’s inspector general.

Disaster recovery projects stall nationwide as FEMA runs out of money

The agency has paused $2.8 billion in spending as it braces for a looming government shutdown.

New bill would beef up accessibility reporting requirements for agencies

Agency and department heads would be required to appoint “Section 508 compliance officers” to ensure they meet accessibility mandates.

DHS faces protests over $450M small business contract

The protestors disagree with how the Homeland Security Department is looking to field this IT and professional services contract.