Political Quotes

“Mr. President, on November 15, the Pentagon announced that it completed its fourth consecutive annual audit and received a fourth consecutive failing opinion. This is what the Pentagon believes: If it somehow merely just conducts an audit, then somehow conducting that audit is a success despite the fact that it has been a requirement under the law for the last 30 years for Agencies--and that means all government Agencies--to conduct and pass an annual audit. The Department of Defense is about the only one that doesn't meet the requirements of the law. The Department points to other signs of progress, such as that they were able to downgrade one material weakness from a previous audit and the closure of some 450 adverse findings. That, somehow, is progress. It is not progress--at least, it doesn't meet the demands of the law. However, the fact remains that the Department of Defense is unable to accurately account for billions of taxpayer dollars it spends each year. Funding for the Department of Defense is crucial to our national security. Men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform and, hence, defend our country--these people deserve to be well paid and well equipped. In light of the rising threats around the globe, it is more crucial than ever that not one dollar is lost to fraud, waste, and abuse. A clean audit, which the Defense Department has never had, is the key to whether Department of Defense money is spent responsibly.…”