Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Michael Burgess Re-Introduce the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2017
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Michael Burgess held a bipartisan press conference to re-introduce the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2017. This legislation would impose a penalty of 0.5% on the Pentagon each year that it fails to undergo an audit.
“What’s taking place at the Pentagon is simply outrageous. It’s been nearly twenty-seven years since Congress passed the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, which required an audit of every agency. In the two and a half decades since that bill became law, the Pentagon has refused to follow the law and conduct an audit. That’s simply unacceptable!” said Congresswoman Lee. “The Pentagon consumes more than half of the federal discretionary budget, but we still have no clear idea where hard-earned taxpayer money is going. It’s past time to end the culture of waste, fraud and abuse at the Pentagon and demand transparency on how this funding is being spent.”
“President Trump wants to rebuild the military. I do too. The U.S. Armed Forces are the arsenal of democracy that is key to our freedom,” said Congressman Burgess. “No one can justify wasting the dollars that should be spent on our men and women in uniform, and the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2017 will ensure that we are able to efficiently and effectively support our military at home and abroad.”
The Audit the Pentagon Act currently has 33 original co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, including 24 Democrats and 9 Republicans.
###