Measure targets defense budget transparency

Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Kaialiʻi Kahele (D-HI) have introduced a bill they said seeks to bolster public understanding of the manner in which defense budget tax dollars are allocated.

Their bill — the Defense Budget Transparency Act of 2022 (H.R. 7574) — directs the Secretary of Defense to prepare a report highlighting on the impact of pass through budgeting while requiring future defense budgets to identify when dollars are allocated to a branch of the armed forces not falling under the control of the service for which allocated.

“Once again, the Pentagon’s official budget request fails to reflect the true Air Force budget,” Bacon said. “On paper, the general public and most members of Congress would be surprised to learn that the actual budget request for the Air Force is $40 billion less than the Pentagon says it is, while defense-wide costs are actually $40 billion higher than reported. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that Americans and their elected representatives know how our defense dollars are being spent.”

Bacon maintains the legislation would establish a minimum level of transparency regarding how defense resources are allocated between the military services and the Pentagon’s fourth estate.

“For decades, the U.S. Air Force budget has been underfunded and over burdened by non-Air Force expenses, resulting in the most outdated air fleet in its history. The Defense Budget Transparency Act will ensure that the U.S. Air Force budget is fairly represented so that the Air Force is better positioned to modernize and maintain a competitive advantage against our adversaries,” Kahele said. “Last year, I urged the Department of Defense to reallocate the Air Force ‘pass-through’ budget to a DoD defense-wide budget account, only to be met with resistance.”