Pentagon

ATR president Grover Norquist and a team of bipartisan lawmakers have introduced the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2017. The legislation calls for a clean audit of the Department of Defense, aiming to bring its finances in line with the rest of the federal government.

At a press conference on June 27th, the bipartisan group called for government accountability while expressing their full support of the armed services. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) said in a statement, “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.”

Last week Norquist and Rep. Burgess have released an op-ed in USA Today explaining the situation facing the DOD. With a budget of $600 billion, the American people deserve to know where their taxpayer dollars are going. This new legislation will ensure government commitment to military readiness while also providing answers to the public.

Efforts to audit the Pentagon have seen renewed enthusiasm after the 2016 election. DOD’s new Undersecretary of Defense, David Norquist, testified in his Senate confirmation hearing that he supports a full audit.