Watchdogs

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Undervalued coal sales have cost the U.S. an estimated $62 million in potential lost revenues in recent years, according to a Tuesday report from federal investigators who recommended broad changes to the government's coal leasing program to stem further losses.

The report from the Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General comes amid rising pressure from Congress and environmentalists to make sure taxpayers are getting their fair share from coal sales on public lands.

Social Security is already facing a financial crisis as more people rely on payments and fewer taxpayers pay into the program. Now it may soon face a people crisis.

The Social Security Administration is ill-prepared to deal with the large numbers of its workers who are planning to retire, even as the agency's workload is increasing, according to a new Government Accountability Office report that warns that one of the consequences could be an increase in erroneous retirement and disability payments.

The Internal Revenue Service can improve its handling of tax examinations and audits, allowing it to recoup more of the estimated $450 billion annually in unpaid taxes, investigators said.

Although not directly tied to the embattled tax-exempt office that has come under fire from lawmakers this week, the report by the Government Accountability Office shows there’s still room for improvement with how the IRS conducts reviews of tax records.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Government auditors told a House panel Tuesday that efforts to build four veterans medical centers are taking on average about three years longer to complete than estimated and costing an additional $366 million per project.

Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., said the Veterans Affairs Department's oversight of major constructions projects doesn't meet industrial standards and described it as dysfunctional. Coffman, who chairs a House subcommittee, said the construction problems ultimately lead to delayed health care for veterans.