▁significant ▁un cert aint ies , ▁and ▁other ▁limitations '. ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Public ▁Deb t ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁initi ative ▁to ▁advoc ate ▁sust ain ability , ▁the ▁G A O ▁publish es ▁a ▁Federal ▁F is cal ▁Out look ▁Report , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁data ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁def ic it . ▁The ▁US ▁def ic it ▁is ▁presented ▁on ▁a ▁c ash ▁rather ▁than ▁acc ru als ▁basis , ▁although ▁the ▁G A O ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁acc ru al ▁def ic it ▁' prov ides ▁more ▁information ▁on ▁the ▁longer - term ▁imp lications ▁of ▁the ▁government ' s ▁annual ▁operations '. ▁In ▁F Y ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁US ▁federal ▁government ▁had ▁a ▁net ▁operating ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 2 , 0 8 0 ▁billion , ▁although ▁since ▁this ▁includes ▁account ing ▁prov isions ▁( est im ates ▁of ▁future ▁li abilities ), ▁the ▁c ash ▁def ic it ▁is ▁$ 1 , 2 9 4 ▁billion . ▁ ▁Qu in qu enn ial ▁Str ateg ic ▁Plan ▁The ▁most ▁recent ▁G A O ▁strateg ic ▁plan , ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 2 3 , ▁sets ▁out ▁four ▁goals , ▁namely : ▁Address ▁current ▁and ▁emer ging ▁challeng es ▁to ▁the ▁well - be ing ▁and ▁financial ▁security ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁people ; ▁Help ▁the ▁Congress ▁respond ▁to ▁changing ▁security ▁thre ats ▁and ▁the ▁challeng es ▁of ▁global ▁inter dep end ence ; ▁Help ▁transform ▁the ▁Federal