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Veterans Affairs: Actions Needed to Address Software License Challenges
WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Veterans Affairs: Actions Needed to Address Software License Challenges
Fast Facts
The Department of Veterans Affairs spends billions of dollars annually on IT products that help it provide benefits and care to veterans and their families. We testified about VA's software licensing practices.
For its most widely-used software, VA didn't track the number of licenses in use to compare to the number purchased. As a result, VA could be buying too many or too few licenses and incurring unnecessary ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Veterans Affairs: Actions Needed to Address Software License Challenges Fast Facts The Department of Veterans Affairs spends billions of dollars annually on IT products that help it provide benefits and care to veterans and their families. We testified about VA's software licensing practices. For its most widely-used software, VA didn't track the number of licenses in use to compare to the number purchased. As a result, VA could be buying too many or too few licenses and incurring unnecessarycosts. VA did not have guidance for effectively managing the effects of restrictive licensing practices.
We recommended ways for VA to improve its software licensing practices.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) spends billions of dollars annually for IT and cyber-related investments, including commercial software licenses. In a January 2024 government-wide report, GAO noted that while VA identified its five most widely used software vendors with the highest quantity of licenses installed, VA faced challenges in determining whether it was purchasing too many or too few of these software licenses. Specifically, VA was not tracking the appropriate number of licenses for each item of software currently in use. Additionally, the department did not compare inventories of software licenses that were currently in use to purchase records on a regular basis (see table).
GAO January 2024 Report Assessing the Department of Veterans Affairs' Management of Widely Used Software Licenses
Key Activity
Assessment
Track software licenses that are currently in use
Not met
Regularly compare the inventories of software licenses that are currently in use to purchase records
Not met
Source: GAO analysis of agency data. I GAO-25-108475
Until VA adequately assesses the appropriate number of licenses, it cannot determine whether it is purchasing too many licenses or too few. GAO recommended that VA track licenses in use within its inventories and compare them with purchase records. VA concurred with the recommendations and is taking preliminary actions to track software license usage. Implementation of these recommendations would allow VA to identify opportunities to reduce costs on duplicate or unnecessary licenses.
In a November 2024 government-wide report, GAO found that restrictive software licensing practices adversely impacted federal agencies' cloud computing efforts, including those of VA. These practices either increased costs of cloud software or services or limited VA's options when selecting cloud service providers. VA had not established guidance for effectively managing impacts from restrictive practices for cloud computing or determined who is responsible for managing these impacts.
Until VA establishes guidance and assigns responsibility for mitigating the impacts of restrictive software licensing practices, it will likely miss opportunities to avoid or minimize these impacts. GAO made two recommendations to VA to mitigate the impacts of restrictive software licensing practices. VA concurred with the recommendations and stated that it would provide the actions it plans to take to address both recommendations in its update to the final report.
Why GAO Did This Study
VA depends on critical underlying IT systems to manage benefits and provide care to millions of veterans and their families. VA obligated about $21 billion in fiscal years 2022 through 2024 for a range of IT products, systems, and services.
In 2015, GAO identified the management of software licenses as a focus area in its High-Risk report. GAO has also previously reported on the need for federal agencies--including VA--to ensure better management of software licenses.
GAO was asked to testify on VA's software licensing practices. GAO summarized its government-wide January 2024 and November 2024 reports specific to VA's efforts to track software license usage and manage restrictive licensing practices. GAO also compiled information from its past reports on leading software license management practices and summarized VA's actions in response to recommendations made in those reports.
Recommendations
GAO made four recommendations in its two recent 2024 reports for VA to improve its management of software licenses and mitigate the effects of restrictive software licensing practices. Although VA concurred with the recommendations, it has not yet implemented them. Implementation of the recommendations is essential to minimizing costs and mitigating restrictive licensing impacts.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108475
Presidential Drawdown Authority: Guidance Should Reflect Expanded Use
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Presidential Drawdown Authority: Guidance Should Reflect Expanded Use
Fast Facts
The President, Congress, and the Department of Defense have expanded the use of Presidential Drawdown Authority beyond the statutory $100 million annual ceiling to provide billions in ammunition, missiles, and other equipment to Ukraine.
This Q&A report looks at DOD's implementation of this authority. DOD hasn't updated its guidance to reflect potential risks of sending more equipment from DOD's inventory ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Presidential Drawdown Authority: Guidance Should Reflect Expanded Use Fast Facts The President, Congress, and the Department of Defense have expanded the use of Presidential Drawdown Authority beyond the statutory $100 million annual ceiling to provide billions in ammunition, missiles, and other equipment to Ukraine. This Q&A report looks at DOD's implementation of this authority. DOD hasn't updated its guidance to reflect potential risks of sending more equipment from DOD's inventoryto foreign partners. Specifically, some equipment may not be replaceable in a timely manner.
We recommended that DOD's guidance address this to help decide how much or which equipment to provide to foreign partners.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Since 2022, the President, with special authority from Congress, has greatly expanded the use of Presidential Drawdown authority (PDA). This authority is used to provide defense items from Department of Defense (DOD) inventories, such as ammunition and missiles, and services to foreign partners--especially Ukraine. From fiscal year 2022 to 2024, Congress used its authority to add billions of dollars to the $100 million yearly ceiling for PDA. From October 2021 through January 2025, the President authorized the drawdown of $31.7 billion of defense articles and services to Ukraine, and also used PDA to authorize more than a billion dollars in assistance to Taiwan and Haiti.
In doing so, DOD and State have generally followed Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) steps for developing these PDA packages for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Haiti; however, GAO identified some gaps in guidance. Specifically, GAO found that DOD has not conducted Operations and Maintenance (O&M) budget impact assessments for the 21 packages GAO reviewed. These assessments have previously identified the adverse impact of diverting funds from other activities to support PDA packages. DOD guidance did not identify the purpose or specific elements of these assessments. In a 2016 report, GAO made a recommendation directing the Secretaries of the military departments to develop guidance that assigns responsibility for the preparation of O&M budget impact assessments and includes direction on how such assessments should be conducted as part of drawdown planning. However, the military services have not yet implemented this recommendation. Absence of this guidance may prevent DOD officials from making fully informed decisions, potentially depriving decision-makers of information about impacts of PDA packages on the services' O&M budgets.
While replacement funding is not traditionally provided to replace defense articles and services provided to partners through PDA, Congress occasionally appropriates funding for this purpose. DOD officials said they consider replacement needs when choosing equipment to provide to Ukraine. Since the start of Russia's invasion into Ukraine, DOD has received $45.8 billion to replace equipment provided to Ukraine using PDA.
Status of Obligations of Funds by Year of Supplemental Appropriation for Replacement of Defense Articles Sent to Ukraine as of November 2024 (dollars in billions)
According to DOD officials, as of February 2025, DOD had planned to obligate all the remaining $45.8 billion of replacement funding and would require an additional appropriation to replace some defense articles and services previously included in drawdown packages for Ukraine. The replacement funding was a part of the five Ukraine supplemental appropriation acts, which provided $174.2 billion to help combat Russian aggression and to preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity. DOD has not developed guidance that accounts for the potential that the services will need to replace defense articles provided through PDA, but DOD officials told us a draft instruction may do so. Adjusting or developing new guidance on using funds available to replace DOD equipment provided to partners through PDA would help ensure U.S. military services do not face greater than anticipated readiness impact.
Why GAO Did This Study
While presidents have used PDA numerous times since 1961, the way PDA has been used for Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022 is unprecedented. This report is one of several engagements we initiated in response to a provision included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which provided resources for us to exercise oversight of the funding provided in the Ukraine supplemental appropriations acts. Further, a House Report accompanying the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, 2024, included a provision asking GAO to review DOD's execution of PDA and related funding and notifications since February 24, 2022.
Recommendations
GAO recommends that DOD ensure PDA guidance addresses how replacement needs should be considered when developing PDA packages. DOD partially concurred and indicated that an upcoming instruction will address replacement needs.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Comptroller, DSCA, and OUSD (P&R) to ensure PDA guidance addresses how replacement needs should be considered when developing PDA packages.
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107475
Federal Aviation Admistration: Key Provisions in the 2024 Reauthorization Act and Related GAO Work
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Federal Aviation Admistration: Key Provisions in the 2024 Reauthorization Act and Related GAO Work
Fast Facts
The U.S. national airspace system is the busiest and most complex in the world, with over 45,000 flights per day. The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs FAA on how the agency is to ensure its safety and efficiency.
We testified on key areas of this act, our open recommendations to FAA, and our ongoing work in response to several of the act's mandates. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Federal Aviation Admistration: Key Provisions in the 2024 Reauthorization Act and Related GAO Work Fast Facts The U.S. national airspace system is the busiest and most complex in the world, with over 45,000 flights per day. The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs FAA on how the agency is to ensure its safety and efficiency. We testified on key areas of this act, our open recommendations to FAA, and our ongoing work in response to several of the act's mandates.We've made recommendations on several related FAA activities, including aviation safety issues and air traffic control modernization.
Implementing our open recommendations will help FAA fulfill its mission to ensure the safety and efficiency of U.S. air travel.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (the Act) communicates congressional direction for how FAA should carry out aspects of its mission and helps ensure the safety and efficiency of the U.S. airspace system. The Act is broad and contains provisions on areas including FAA's organizational structure, controller staffing and aviation workforce, modernizing the national airspace system (NAS), and supporting safety and efficiency for both conventional users and new entrants such as drones.
The Act contains 36 provisions for GAO to study various issues related to FAA and the NAS. In addition, the Act requires FAA to implement various GAO recommendations. GAO has 50 open recommendations to FAA that address, for example:
* Air traffic control modernization delays and challenges and urgent actions needed to address aging legacy IT systems.
* Certifying small aircraft and aviation products, better preventing and detecting fraud and abuse in aircraft registration, and sharing information with law enforcement on persons who intentionally point lasers at aircraft.
* Challenges related to skill gaps and assessing training in critical competencies to ensure FAA's aviation workforce can help it prepare for changes in technology.
* Integrating new operations--such as drones and commercial space vehicles--into the NAS, while ensuring safety and efficiency.
GAO maintains that implementing these recommendations will better position FAA to address the widespread challenges it faces in modernizing the NAS and fulfilling its commitment to ensuring that the U.S. has the safest, most efficient airspace system in the world.
Why GAO Did This Study
With over 45,000 flights daily, the U.S. national airspace system is the busiest and most complex in the world. FAA is responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation within the U.S. Its primary mission is to ensure the safety and efficiency of air transportation, including air traffic control, aircraft certification, and certain airport operations.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 was signed into law on May 16, 2024, and authorizes FAA activities through fiscal year 2028. Congress directed FAA to take various actions to maintain and improve the safety and efficiency of air transportation while accommodating new entrants such as drones and commercial space vehicles.
This testimony provides an overview of key areas of the Act, GAO's open recommendations to FAA in these areas, and the work GAO is doing in response to several provisions in the Act. This statement draws from several GAO reports completed since fiscal year 2020.
Recommendations
There are currently 50 open GAO recommendations to FAA from reports that GAO has issued since 2020. These recommendations cut across several FAA activities addressed by the Act including modernization of the NAS, aviation safety, FAA's workforce, and integrating new entrants, such as drones, into the NAS. In most cases, FAA concurred with GAO's recommendations and is taking actions to address them.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108502
Federal Rulemaking: Potential Effects of Legislation to Offset Direct Spending Resulting from Regulations
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Federal Rulemaking: Potential Effects of Legislation to Offset Direct Spending Resulting from Regulations
Fast Facts
For 18 of the last 20 years, agencies have been required to analyze their regulations and propose ways to offset the costs of certain regulations. For example, a new regulation that led to an increase in specific spending would require the agency to propose a cut in spending elsewhere of a comparable amount.
We looked at the 2-year period when this wasn't required (2021 ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Federal Rulemaking: Potential Effects of Legislation to Offset Direct Spending Resulting from Regulations Fast Facts For 18 of the last 20 years, agencies have been required to analyze their regulations and propose ways to offset the costs of certain regulations. For example, a new regulation that led to an increase in specific spending would require the agency to propose a cut in spending elsewhere of a comparable amount. We looked at the 2-year period when this wasn't required (2021to 2023). Only 4 of the 153 regulations we reviewed from that time would have needed to propose cost offsets.
For the 5 months after the requirement was reinstated in 2023, none of the 28 published regulations would have needed to propose an offset.
Highlights
What GAO Found
For most of the last 20 years, regulations issued by federal agencies have been subject to some version of administrative pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements. Agencies were required to propose potential offsets to certain estimated increases in direct spending (also called mandatory spending) resulting from regulatory actions. In January 2021, President Biden revoked these requirements. In June 2023, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 reinstated similar administrative PAYGO requirements. GAO found that four rules published during the time frame when no requirements were in place could have been subject to offset reporting requirements had they been in place at the time. Most rules estimated increased federal costs of less than $1 billion in the first 10 years and therefore would have been exempt.
GAO's Analysis of Rules That Could Have Been Subject to 2023 Administrative Pay-As-You-Go Provisions
GAO reviewed the 28 major rules published in the first 5 months following enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. GAO found the range of federal costs agencies estimated to be $0 to $156 billion, with half of the 28 rules estimating no federal cost. According to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) staff, none of the 28 rules were ultimately subject to administrative PAYGO requirements because they did not increase direct spending above the law's thresholds or they received a waiver.
OMB issued guidance and reviewed agency compliance with administrative PAYGO requirements through its established regulatory review process. OMB was responsible for assisting agencies in determining how the act applied to a rule, if a rule might be exempt or eligible for a waiver, and the required reporting.
Why GAO Did This Study
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, enacted on June 3, 2023, reinstated certain administrative PAYGO requirements, which then expired on December 31, 2024. January 2021 to June 2023 was the only period between 2005 and 2024 when administrative PAYGO requirements did not exist in any form.
GAO was asked to review the effects of the administrative PAYGO provisions of the 2023 act. This report reviews (1) how many rules published between January 20, 2021, and June 3, 2023, could have been subject to the requirements of the act; (2) the estimated costs of the 28 major rules published in the first 5 months of the act; and (3) OMB's process for monitoring agencies' compliance with administrative PAYGO requirements under the act.
For the first objective, GAO analyzed rules and related documentation to determine whether they would have been subject to the act. When additional information was needed, GAO contacted the relevant agency to request that information. For the second objective, GAO reviewed economic analyses and summarized the federal cost estimates for each of the 28 major rules. For the third objective, GAO reviewed relevant laws, executive orders, and OMB guidance. GAO also interviewed OMB staff about their process for ensuring compliance with administrative PAYGO requirements.
For more information, contact Yvonne D. Jones at jonesy@gao.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107642
Military Generals and Admirals: Information on the Effects of Senate Nomination Blanket Holds
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Military Generals and Admirals: Information on the Effects of Senate Nomination Blanket Holds
Fast Facts
The Senate must vote on whether to confirm nominations for generals and admirals. On two occasions since 2020, a Senator put a "hold" on the confirmation process. One hold in 2023 lasted 10 months, affecting 447 nominees. Department of Defense senior leaders said this hold weakened national security.
In this Q&A, we found the hold didn't stop military units from completing missions. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Military Generals and Admirals: Information on the Effects of Senate Nomination Blanket Holds Fast Facts The Senate must vote on whether to confirm nominations for generals and admirals. On two occasions since 2020, a Senator put a "hold" on the confirmation process. One hold in 2023 lasted 10 months, affecting 447 nominees. Department of Defense senior leaders said this hold weakened national security. In this Q&A, we found the hold didn't stop military units from completing missions.It did affect DOD leadership continuity, career progression, and some families--e.g., by delaying planned moves. DOD took steps to lessen these effects by adjusting assignments, delaying retirements, and using civilian leaders in acting roles.
Promotion Ceremony for a Marine Corps Four-Star General
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Senate, in its capacity to give advice and consent to the President on appointing officers of the United States, must vote to confirm all nominations for senior military leaders, known as general and flag officers (GFO), that the President has approved. During the confirmation process, a Senator can object to approving nominations through Senate procedures, thereby placing a "hold" on them. When a Senator objects to a category of nominations, such as all GFOs, this is known as a "blanket hold." Since 2014, GAO identified two occasions--in 2020 and 2023--where GFO nominations were on a blanket hold from Senate confirmation. GAO found that
* for 14 days in July 2020, a Senator placed a blanket hold affecting 42 GFO nominees; and
* for 10 months in 2023, a Senator placed a blanket hold affecting 447 GFO nominees.
Due to the relatively short duration of the 2020 hold, this report largely focuses on the 2023 hold.
Number of Individual General and Flag Officer Nominees on Blanket Hold During February to December 2023
In response to the 2023 blanket hold on GFO nominations, various former and then-current senior leaders within the Department of Defense (DOD) issued statements mentioning risks to national security. For example, a group of former Secretaries of Defense who served in bipartisan administrations wrote that the hold sent the wrong message to adversaries. Further, senior DOD leaders expressed concerns about potential impacts to service members and their families as a result of the hold.
GAO did not find challenges to unit-level readiness--that is, individual military units' ability to meet missions--from the 2023 hold, based on analysis of key DOD reports and meeting with a DOD official involved in readiness oversight. Specifically, upon reviewing 2023 and 2024 readiness reports that DOD submitted to Congress, GAO did not find that DOD had identified the 2023 hold as a readiness challenge.
GAO found that the 2023 hold disrupted the standard flow of leadership across the department, as well as the military promotion cycle and pay for some of the nominated officers. For example, the hold affected some of the officers' ability to accrue time-in-grade requirements--specified amounts of time that GFOs must spend in a grade before they are eligible for promotion.
The 2023 hold also affected some military families. According to DOD officials, some families were not able to move to planned duty stations, enroll children at their next schools on time, or start new spousal employment opportunities. In some instances, GFOs also sold their homes, lived in temporary housing, and paid for storage out of their own pocket. In contrast, some families experienced limited impact, such as National Guard GFO nominees who did not require moves to new duty stations.
GAO found that DOD mitigated effects of the 2023 hold through proceeding with planned assignments for some officers, deferring retirements, and having senior civilian executives or other GFOs serve in acting capacities. Specifically, in some instances, incumbent heads of organizations were asked to remain in place until their successor had been confirmed. In other instances, individuals who were in the normal line of succession, such as deputies, stepped into the head role in an acting capacity.
Why GAO Did This Study
GFOs are the senior military leaders within DOD who plan and implement U.S. military operations across the domains of land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. They also have high-level interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational responsibilities. According to the Secretary of Defense, prompt transitions of confirmed military leaders are necessary for the United States' security.
GAO was asked to review issues surrounding past Senate holds on GFO nominations. This report describes effects on military readiness, leadership continuity, nominated officers, and military families as a result of past Senate blanket holds on GFO nominations, and the steps DOD took to mitigate the effects of the holds.
To conduct this work, GAO reviewed DOD guidance and related laws and regulations. GAO also reviewed congressional documents to identify the universe of blanket holds that occurred within the last 10 years and analyzed data on Congress.gov to identify and derive summary characteristics of the GFOs affected by holds. In addition, GAO reviewed or assessed relevant DOD reports, documents, and public statements of senior DOD leaders, and interviewed DOD officials. Further, GAO reached out to 12 senior DOD civilian and military leaders to offer them an opportunity to provide additional information. They declined or did not respond to GAO's offer.
For more information, contact Diana Maurer at maurerd@gao.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107679