Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office
Fast Facts
For the last 5 years, our work yielded an average of $158 in financial benefits for every $1 invested in us, as well as an annual average of over 1,300 other benefits.
In this testimony before the House Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro discusses GAO's FY 2023 budget request. We're continuing to evolve with the changing economic and security landscapes and technological developments.
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Highlights
GAO Results
For over a century, GAO has been committed to providing nonpartisan, professional and objective program and technical expertise to support Congress in overseeing the executive branch; evaluating government programs, operations and spending priorities; and assessing information from outside parties.
Since 2002, GAO’s work has resulted in about $1.26 trillion in financial benefits. Our work has helped change laws, improve public safety and other services, and promote better management throughout the government. Our average return on investment for the past five years is $158 to $1. We have also identified on average over 1,300 program and operational benefits that produced a more effective and efficient government each year during the same time period.
GAO FY 2023 Request and Priorities
GAO requests $810.3 million for FY 2023, an increase of $91.1 million (12.7 percent) over the enacted FY 2022 level. GAO also requests the use of $61.0 million in offsets and supplemental appropriations. With this budget request, we are planning to achieve and maintain 3,500 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in FY 2023.
The request for $810.3 in appropriated funds includes $25 million in no-year funds to help meet the congressional directives and requests for oversight of federal infrastructure spending included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Overall, the resources extended to GAO in the FY 2023 budget request will enable GAO to continue to increase our capabilities to review the opportunities and challenges associated with rapidly evolving science and technology issues; complex and growing cyber security developments, increasingly complex national security issues and the re-emergence of long-term, strategic competition; and rising health care costs.
The FY 2023 budget request also prioritizes GAO’s multi-year effort to ensure we have the 21st century tools and technologies needed to support our workforce and achieve our mission, including enhanced cloud data management and storage solutions, and IT security upgrades to combat the ever-growing cybersecurity threats toward U.S. assets. Lastly, this request continues support for long deferred infrastructure maintenance needs as our workforce returns to the workplace.
GAO FY 2021 Key Results
GAO documented $66.2 billion in financial benefits and over 1,200 in program and operational benefits in FY 2021. GAO issued 578 reports and more than 500 legal decisions, and made 1,602 recommendations to improve government operations. GAO also testified at least once before 45 separate committees or subcommittees on a range of issues.
The Congress continues to use GAO’s work to inform its legislative decisions. For example, recently enacted legislation, such as the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2022, Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2021, and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included more than 50 directives for agencies to implement our recommendations or take actions based on recommendations or findings. Most recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2022 included over 25 directives that would spur agency action on GAO’s recommendations.
For more information, contact Bill Anderson at (202) 512-2908 or andersonwl@gao.gov.