Audit the Pentagon Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7555
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-12: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-22T08:08:11Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation aims to incentivize the Department of Defense (DoD) to obtain clean (unqualified) audit opinions on its financial statements by imposing automatic budget reductions on components that fail to do so after fiscal year 2025.
Key Provisions
- Requires automatic spending cuts of 0.5% in the first year and 1% in subsequent years for any DoD department, agency, or element that does not achieve an unqualified audit opinion.
- Applies reductions proportionally across all programs, projects, and activities within the affected component.
- Directs the reduced funds to the General Fund of the Treasury for deficit reduction.
- Excludes military personnel accounts, reserve and National Guard personnel accounts, and the Defense Health Program from reductions.
- Allows the President to waive reductions if they would harm national security or deployed forces, subject to certification and reporting requirements to congressional committees.
- Mandates an Office of Management and Budget report within 60 days of any reduction, detailing affected entities and amounts.
Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill introduces new mandatory financial penalties tied to audit performance, a mechanism not previously applied to DoD components under current law. It builds on existing requirements for financial statements and external audits but adds automatic, escalating reductions for repeated failures.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Could reduce discretionary funding for non-excluded DoD operations, potentially affecting procurement, maintenance, and administrative activities.
- On citizens: Funds from reductions would support broader deficit reduction rather than specific defense programs.
- On international relations: No direct provisions address foreign policy or alliances.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Department of Defense components and their leadership.
- Congressional defense and appropriations committees.
- The President and Office of Management and Budget.
- Members of the Armed Forces (through excluded personnel and health accounts).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The waiver process requires presidential certification on national security grounds and reporting to both House and Senate committees, creating a structured executive-congressional check. The bill explicitly preserves protections for classified programs by prohibiting any requirement to declassify details.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (22)
Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10], Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6], Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large], Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-12: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 2026-02-12: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-12: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Audit the Pentagon Act of 2026 — issued 2026-02-12 — PDF (5 pages)