DesitdownNews(Pentagon fails 7th audit in a row, unable to fully account for $824B)

Описание: Pentagon Fails 7th Consecutive Audit, Unable to Fully Account for $824 Billion Budget

For the seventh year in a row, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has failed to pass a comprehensive financial audit, raising serious concerns over accountability and oversight in managing its $824 billion annual budget. The audit, which is among the largest and most complex in the federal government, revealed persistent issues in tracking assets, expenditures, and inventory.
The 2024 audit, conducted by independent accounting firms, examined over $3.8 trillion in assets and $4 trillion in liabilities, encompassing more than 20 defense agencies, the armed services, and other DoD components. The results indicated widespread discrepancies, with the Pentagon able to fully account for only 39% of its records, a marginal improvement from the previous year.

The audit uncovered issues such as:
• Untracked military equipment: Billions worth of equipment could not be fully located or verified.
• Overpayments and improper transactions: Instances of duplicated payments or expenditures lacking adequate documentation.
• Inventory mismanagement: Warehouses and storage facilities failing to maintain accurate records.

The Pentagon has long acknowledged its financial systems are outdated and fragmented, complicating efforts to achieve audit readiness. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks stated that while progress has been made, “the scale of the challenge is unprecedented, and reform will require sustained effort over years.”
The Pentagon’s repeated audit failures have drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, watchdog groups, and taxpayers. As the largest single discretionary spender in the U.S. government, the Defense Department’s budget accounts for over half of all discretionary federal spending.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said, “It’s unacceptable that the Pentagon continues to operate without proper financial accountability while receiving a massive portion of taxpayer dollars. We must demand better oversight.”

Critics argue that the inability to track spending undermines public trust and raises questions about waste, inefficiency, and potential misuse of funds.

The audit results have reignited calls for reforms within the DoD’s financial management systems. Proposed measures include:
• Upgrading technology systems to consolidate and streamline financial data.
• Enhanced training for personnel handling budgetary and logistical processes.
• Legislative oversight to tie future funding increases to measurable improvements in financial accountability.

Some lawmakers have floated the idea of tying audit success to budget appropriations, a controversial move that has garnered pushback from defense advocates who fear it could hinder national security operations.
With defense spending expected to rise amid escalating global tensions, the pressure on the Pentagon to improve financial oversight is intensifying. Lawmakers have called for public hearings to scrutinize the department’s response to the audit and demand concrete timelines for achieving accountability.
Meanwhile, watchdog groups are urging Congress to prioritize transparency and efficiency in future defense budgets. “The Pentagon’s inability to pass an audit should be a wake-up call,” said Nick Schwellenbach of POGO. “We need to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used effectively to support national defense—not lost in bureaucratic inefficiencies.”
The Pentagon has vowed to continue efforts to modernize its systems and address deficiencies, but achieving audit readiness remains a long-term challenge. For now, the repeated audit failures serve as a stark reminder of the complexities and inefficiencies in managing the world’s most expensive military apparatus. #desitdown #news #globalnews #Pentagon #fails #7th #audit #inarow, #fullyaccount #$824B