On the recordFebruary 17, 2011
This is unbelievable. But I rise today in support of my amendment. It really does hit at the heart of the issue of fiscal responsibility, discussed with such passion on the floor over the past few days. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why a point of order would be called on this amendment. It's short and to the point. If enacted, all it would do is freeze the Department of Defense programs at the fiscal 2010 level, unless the financial statements of the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2010 are validated as ready for audit within 6 months of enactment of this act. This amendment would exempt military personnel, Reserve personnel, and National Guard personnel accounts, as well as the defense health program account from this potential funding freeze. Let me take a moment and clarify what is expected of the Department of Defense in this amendment. My amendment would simply require a determination that the Department's financial statements comply with generally accepted accounting principles, applicable laws, regulations, and that they reflect reliable internal controls. These are just basics if you are managing a budget. Sadly, the Department of Defense Inspector General and the GAO have documented time and time again the Department's inability to answer this basic question: Where are our defense dollars going?
