Summary: Lax oversight of the White House Communications Agency, which provides the President with worldwide communications support, has resulted in budgeting problems and questionable procurements, including the acquisition of nonstandard, redundant telephone and computer equipment that did not interface and was costly to maintain. This testimony discusses (1) GAO's 1994 effort to assess activities and funding of the agency and (2) events that led to the separate review and reports by the Defense Department (DOD) Inspector General. In GAO's view, the Inspector General's work disclosed serious management issues that warrant the attention of top management at both the White House and the Pentagon. The Inspector General's staff told GAO that the Defense Information Systems Agency and the White House Communications Agency have taken steps to overcome these shortcomings. Because these long-standing problems cannot be solved immediately and areas of disagreement continue, GAO urges continued congressional monitoring.
