Federal Reports

The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, enacted in 2006, limited price increases for Market Dominant products to the rate of inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). In 2020, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), while establishing additional price authorities, confirmed the use of CPI-U in the price cap.The USPS OIG examined the potential impact on price authority, revenue and coverage of postal cost inflation since FY 2011 if the price cap had been based on six alternative inflation indices instead of the CPI-U. We selected the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U), Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE PI), Gross Domestic Product Price Index (GDP PI), Producer Price Index for Final Demand (PPI FD), Employment Cost Index (ECI), and Consumer Price Index for Delivery Services (CPI-DS). The analysis did not address the additional rate authorities such as mail density, and it did not consider mail elasticities.

In November 2022, we conducted unannounced inspections of six U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in the Miami area, specifically two Border Patrol stations and four Office of Field Operations ports of entry. Our inspections found the CBP facilities generally met the National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search (TEDS standards) for cleanliness, food and beverages, supplies and hygiene items, bedding, and medical care. However, we found inaccurate data in detainee custody logs at two Border Patrol stations. Detainee custody logs in Border Patrol’s system of record did not accurately account for amenities provided to detainees in custody.

For our audit of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA’s) monitoring of fiscal year (FY) 2019 disaster relief grants, our objective was to determine whether EDA monitored grants awarded under the FY 2019 EDA Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to ensure compliance with grant terms, conditions, and performance requirements. We found that EDA generally monitored grants awarded under the NOFO. However, we found that EDA could improve project monitoring activities by following up on late submissions of Federal Financial Reports and Project Progress Reports by the grantees.

Our objective was to assess the Postal Service’s effectiveness at managing hazardous waste and emergency response equipment at VMFs. We conducted site observations of hazardous waste and emergency response equipment at 16 VMFs designated by state-specific regulations as large quantity generators of hazardous waste. These 16 VMFs are all located in California and Massachusetts. Also, we visited three additional judgmentally selected VMFs in these two states and interviewed Postal Service Headquarters officials, VMF management, and employees.