FAS

Senate to Hold Hearing on GAO and Intelligence Oversight

02.25.08 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The simplest, most effective and most achievable way to improve congressional oversight of intelligence might be to utilize the Government Accountability Office to audit and evaluate intelligence programs, a prospect that is opposed by the Director of National Intelligence.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on Friday, February 29 to consider pending legislation that would bolster GAO’s role in intelligence oversight. The Federation of American Scientists will be represented among the witnesses.

“The need for more effective oversight and accountability of our intelligence community has never been greater,” said Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) last year. “Yet the ability of Congress to ensure that the intelligence community has sufficient resources and capability of performing its mission has never been more in question.”

publications
See all publications
Emerging Technology
Blog
Who Governs Government AI? The Challenge of Federal Implementation

Our analysis of federal AI governance across administrations shows that divergent compliance procedures and uneven institutional capacity challenge the government’s ability to deploy AI in ways that uphold public trust.

03.11.26 | 12 min read
read more
Environment
Blog
Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy

From California to New Jersey, wildfires are taking a toll—costing the United States up to $424 billion annually and displacing tens of thousands of people. Congress needs solutions.

03.11.26 | 3 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Your DNA, Your Data: Preventing Genetic Discrimination in the Growing Bioeconomy

To secure the U.S. bio-infrastructure, maintain global leadership in biotechnology, and safeguard American citizens from emerging threats to their privacy, the federal government must modernize its approach to human genetic and biological data.

03.05.26 | 8 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Policy Memo
Report
Why Credit Access Makes or Breaks Clean Tech Adoption and What Policy Makers Can Do About It

To ensure an energy transition that brings broad based economic development, participation, and direct benefits to communities, we need federal policy that helps shape markets. Unfortunately, there is a large gap in understanding of how to leverage federal policy making to support access to capital and credit.

03.04.26 | 21 min read
read more