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The Pentagon’s seventh consecutive audit failure is a glaring indictment of the Department of Defense’s financial mismanagement. $2.5 trillion in taxpayer dollars is currently unaccounted for!! This is a problem that demands urgent attention and accountability, not yet another National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that increases the defense budget by 1% with minimal oversight or reform.

It's not only about the sheer amount of money involved; it’s about the fundamental principle of transparency and good governance. Taxpayers deserve to know how their hard-earned money is being spent. The Pentagon’s repeated failures to provide a clear and accurate accounting of its finances undermine public trust and erode confidence in the government’s ability to manage taxpayer funds responsibly.

Congress must take decisive actions to address this ongoing crisis. It’s time to hold the Pentagon leadership accountable for their failures. That is why I was proud to introduce an amendment to the FY2024 NDAA (and again in this year’s NDAA too) that would return 1.5% of funding to the Treasury for deficit reduction is any DOD component failed an independent audit.

This amendment was successfully voted out of the House last year, included in the final conference bill, and signed into law by the President. This provision runs through FY33 and is a small step to hold the Pentagon accountable. BUT there is more work to be done. Requiring the audits is the bare minimum. PASSING the audit is the next step.  

We cannot continue to tolerate this level of financial mismanagement. Why should we give them more money if they keep losing it? The American people deserve better, and frankly, cannot afford it any longer. The time for excuses is over. It’s time for the Pentagon to step up and deliver the accountability that taxpayers demand.