The election’s over. The new guy has been voted in and, to all accounts, he’s busy assembling his administration. So what issues will he and his cabinet face?
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has provided an assessment of that very question. Paramount on that list of issues is the need for information on science and technology. “Policymakers need reliable, timely information on science and technology topics as rapid developments increase complexity and affect the economy, national security, and more,” according to the GAO assessment.
In addition, the GAO has targeted cybersecurity as a major issue facing the new administration. The GAO has concluded: “A more comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy is needed to protect the critical infrastructure sectors we rely on every day. These include power grids, water systems, health care, transportation, and more.“
The GAO has also expressed concern over the security of the federal IT systems writing, “The federal government collects, uses, and shares a lot of data—including personally identifiable information from tax returns, social security, Medicare and Medicaid, and more. Increasingly, the federal IT systems that store this data are under threat from malicious actors.”
Other issues raised are military readiness, space programs, nuclear weapons sustainment and modernization, health care costs, and America’s fiscal condition.
The GAO has been in operation since 1921, providing Congress, the heads of executive agencies, and the public with timely, fact-based, non-partisan information that can be used to improve government and save taxpayers billions of dollars. The GAO’s work is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees or is statutorily required by public laws or committee reports.