The Pentagon, headquarters of the US Department of Defense (Photo: Disclosure / Ned T. Johnson)
The US Department of Defense’s accounts for 2021 failed an audit. The annual appraisal started in 2017 but till date the accounts have not been approved in any year. The budget for this branch of the US government was set at $706 billion in 2021 and perhaps closer to $770 billion in 2022.
Among the reasons for out-of-order accounts, in addition to the huge structure, are archaic management systems and bureaucracy. “It’s the Pentagon,” said Congressman Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California. “They’re responsible for American security. If, in fact, the audit systems are dated, if they can’t audit and show how they’re spending, then I’m worried they’re going to do with the really important things.” how are you doing.”
An example of a defect in the accounts was the omission of a Navy warehouse with $126 million worth of aircraft replacement parts, according to government audit office United States of America (GAO).
Some consider the adjustment time required for such a large area of government to be normal. “It took the Department of Homeland Security a decade to pass the audit and it’s a fraction of the size of the Department of Defense (DOD),” says Mackenzie Eaglen, senior research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “There’s a slight assumption that, by not passing an audit, the department doesn’t know how it’s spending its money. They know. What they really don’t know is detailing it in business mode.” “
“Currently the DoD has work to monitor taxpayer dollars to make sure there are no unauthorized spending. Every penny is controlled,” says Frederico Bartels, senior analyst at the Heritage Foundation.
