“The Pentagon has no idea where the hell all the taxpayer money that has been funding it went for the past 6 years, but they have the audacity to ask for more funding for [DEI] programs.”
Following a report on Tuesday that the Pentagon has requested around $114 million for "diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility" programs in the 2024 fiscal year, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene called out the department for the ask as they failed a sixth consecutive audit.
"The Pentagon has no idea where the hell all the taxpayer money that has been funding it went for the past 6 years, but they have the audacity to ask for more funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs?" Greene wrote. "Does Joe Biden want the military to be a lethal fighting force or a clown show??"
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View on XAccording to Fox News, the Department of Defense wrote in its Strategic Management Plan for the fiscal years from 2022 to 2026, "The FY 2024 President’s Budget request demonstrates the DoD’s commitment to DEIA and includes $114.7 million for dedicated diversity and inclusion activities."
"This funding across the Military Departments, OSD Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute is investing in programs and initiatives aimed at furthering DEIA, and incorporating DEIA values, objectives, and considerations in how we do business and execute our missions," the plan continues.
In 2022, the department earmarked $68 million for DEIA initiatives in the 2022 fiscal year and $86.5 million in 2023.
In its Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request, the Department of Defense wrote, "Leaders at all levels are responsible for fostering a climate of inclusion that supports diversity, is free from problematic behaviors, and does not tolerate retaliation or reprisal against those filing complaints."
"Ultimately, recruiting and retaining a force with diverse backgrounds, thought, experience, expertise, and education enhances DoD’s global joint warfighter capabilities fundamental to all DoD activities."
The Pentagon recently failed its sixth annual audit in a row and has passed just seven of 29 sub-audits in 2023. Auditors found that around half of the Department of Defense’s claimed assets could not be accounted for.
According to The Hill, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he "feels we need to be doing better at this and moving faster," but added that a successful audit is still years away.
Around 1,600 auditors looked through the department’s $3.8 trillion in assets and $4 trillion in liabilities, conducting around 700 site visits.
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