Oakland City Wire

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) on June 22 proposed an amendment to address waste, fraud and abuse within the Pentagon that was included in the final text of the Fiscal Year 2024 Department of Defense Appropriations bill. The amendment passed by a voice vote.

Congresswoman Lee’s amendment would require the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to Congress that includes comprehensive pricing data from defense contractors to ensure they aren’t taking advantage of American taxpayers’ dollars.

Find Congresswoman Lee’s remarks on her amendment below. To watch her remarks, click here.

“Madam Chair, my amendment would address the fraud, waste, and abuse within the Pentagon.  My amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to Congress that includes comprehensive pricing data from defense contractors to ensure they aren’t taking advantage

“The Pentagon has long had difficulty responsibly managing its finances. As the only federal agency to fail an audit, and certainly the only agency to fail 5 audits, it’s not surprising that fraud, waste, and abuse is common in the DoD. 

Recently, 60 minutes conducted a six-month long investigation that uncovered extensive price gouging by defense contractors selling to the DoD.  The most troublesome aspect of this investigation is that the DoD hasn’t proposed a solution to this price gouging crisis.

“In fact, the DoD can’t even identify a number or general amount they are overpaying on items, nor do they know which items they are being overcharged for.  This is just another example of the Pentagon’s inability to responsibly manage the funds provided to them by taxpayers.

“As members of Congress, we have a responsibility to exercise oversight over executive agencies and the appropriated dollars we provide them with.  My amendment takes the first step in addressing this issue. We must require the Pentagon to hold defense contractors accountable for their behavior. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment in preventing defense contractor abuse and requiring the Pentagon to finally act on price gouging. 

“Madam Chair, trust in government is built upon accountability and transparency.  The Pentagon has taken advantage of Congressional generosity for far too long.  It’s time for members to do our jobs and rightfully hold shady defense contractors accountable for fraud, waste and abuse.

“Just last week, my Republican colleagues pushed forward with an Agricultural Appropriations bill to punish families with children that rely on food assistance.  Those benefits are a measly six dollars a day.  But while my Republican colleagues are eager to take food out of the mouths of hungry children, fat-cat defense contractors are fleecing taxpayers for billions.  And the Republican response is to cut SNAP benefits, while providing ever-increasing budgets for DOD.

“If we don’t center our priorities on the basic needs of our families, what will be left to defend?  Let’s put hungry children and families ahead of shady defense contractors.  I urge all my colleagues to support my amendment and ensure our federal agencies are responsibly managing taxpayer dollars.”

Original source can be found here