GAO Underscores Problems in Research Programs. On June 21st, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released the findings of a year long General Accounting Office (GA)) study of the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) research programs for CFS. The report validates allegations from The CFIDS Association and patient community that research has been set back considerably. It confirms the damage done by the CDC's misallocation of CFS funds, and further charges that the CDC and NIH have failed to coordinate research efforts. The limited scope of the investigation and lack of recommended corrective measures in the final report is disappointing. However, despite its limitations, the report provides documentation of the numerous deficiencies in the federal government's response to CFS, and is a valuable tool in justifying requests for future action by Congress and federal agencies. The report documents: *A declining CFS research program at the National Institutes of Health since 1996, including diminishing expenditures and staff *Lack of effective communication between NIH and CDC about CFS activities *CDC's misspending of CFS research funds, which has impeded progress in research on CFS *Department of Health and Human Services' ineffective leadership of the CFS Coordinating Committee The satisfactory elements of the NIH and CDC CFS programs reported by GAO were largely the result of the advocates' work with Congress to stimulate and direct an improved response to CFS. Advocates who attended the Association's Lobby Day on June 22 asked federal representatives to: *Maintain strong report language in FY 'O1 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bills *Direct increased funding for CFS research by NIH, along with a proactive plan to stimulate extramural research in this field following the October 25, 2000 State of the Science meeting *Monitor additional agency audits being performed by GAO, the Inspector General and outside accounting firms *Direct the Secretary of Health to actively participate in the CFS Coordinating Committee, and to appoint a non-federal chairman of the committee, consistent with other DHHS advisory committees For more information: GAO plans to post the text of the report on its web site at http://www.gao.gov/. A more detailed analysis of the report content will be published in the summer issue of The CFIDS Chronicle, due out in mid-August.