Defense Spending Reduction Caucus Slams Pentagons 8th Failed Audit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), co-chairs of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, released the following statement after the Pentagon announced it failed its eighth consecutive audit late last month:

“It’s rich that just weeks after the Pentagon failed its eighth consecutive audit, Donald Trump called for boosting the Pentagon’s budget beyond the already unthinkable $1 trillion mark, to an even more outrageous $1.5 trillion. We cannot justify continuing to increase the Pentagon’s budget when the agency cannot even successfully pass a fiscal audit. The lack of accountability and transparency at the Pentagon is simply unacceptable, yet Congress continues to pour more and more taxpayer dollars into the agency each year. No other federal agency would be allowed to operate this way. It’s past time to rein in wasteful spending on ineffective weapons programs, stop rewarding wealthy and powerful defense contractors, and restore fiscal discipline to the Pentagon.”

Every federal department is required to conduct an annual audit; however, it took years for the Pentagon to complete its first one in 2018, and after eight attempts, it still has not passed.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.