Political Quotes

“We in Congress have a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely. No Federal department should get a free pass, especially one responsible for managing over 50 percent of all annual discretionary spending. The law requires all Federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, to present auditable financial statements to Congress. Unfortunately, it has been over 16 years and the Pentagon has yet to comply with this law. How can we be expected to oversee the Pentagon's spending habits when we have no confidence in the numbers that DOD has presented? My ``Audit the Pentagon Act'' presents a ``carrot and stick'' approach to addressing this issue. It gives the DOD additional transfer authority if it receives a clean audit, allowing it greater flexibility to reprogram funds among accounts. Failure to achieve a clean audit results in serious consequences. I urge my colleagues to support this bill which improves fiscal accountability and oversight of the Pentagon's budget process. ____________________”