Washington, D.C. — Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the below statement on the Department of Defense’s (DOD) first-ever agency-wide audit.

“The American military is the arsenal of our democracy, and it is imperative that Congress has an accurate understanding of its resources. American taxpayers have the right to know what we've bought, how much it cost, where it is, whether it's working, and what we need for the future. The Pentagon must be held to the same level of accountability as other agencies when it comes to the spending of taxpayer dollars. Quite simply, the national defense is too important to remain a black box.

“After almost thirty years of neglecting to complete a required audit, it is encouraging that the DOD has at last followed through on its obligation to the American people. Despite failing the audit, its completion provides a much-needed baseline from which to begin additional oversight. As Congress seeks to rebuild our Armed Forces, it is more important than ever to ensure that the DOD is working to meet its full potential. To best serve our men and women in uniform, we must guarantee that funding is allocated where needed most. Though much oversight work remains, this is a positive step forward.”

Background:
In 1990, Congress passed the Chief Financial Officers Act requiring every department and agency in the federal government to produce verifiable financial statements that can be fully audited. Until this year, the Department of Defense was the only agency that failed to complete this task.

For nearly five years, Dr. Burgess has been committed to ensuring that the DOD is a responsible steward of American taxpayer dollars. Since 2015, his amendment to require an agency-wide audit has been included in the National Defense Authorization Act.