GAO Lists 13 'Urgent Issues' for Transition

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today published a list of 13 "urgent issues" facing President-elect Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress during Obama's transition into the White House and his first year in office.

The GAO also launched a transition website aimed at making Obama's transition "an informed and smooth one across the federal government." The site lists agency-by-agency issues, money-saving opportunities, management challenges, and a long-term fiscal outlook for the federal government.

The "urgent issues" published today are as follows:

• Caring for Service Members


• Defense Readiness


• Defense Spending


• Food Safety


• Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan


• Oversight of Financial Institutions and Markets


• Preparing for Large-Scale Health Emergencies


• Protecting the Homeland


• Public Diplomacy and International Broadcasting


• Retirement of the Space Shuttle


• Surface Transportation


• The 2010 Census


• Transition to Digital TV

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