Grassley said he sent a letter to Chairman Pete Domenici because of talk on Capitol Hill that a tentatively set hearing with the Secretary may be canceled. "That would be a serious mistake," Grassley said. "Any move to increase defense spending should be accompanied by a justification from the highest level and an opportunity for senators to ask questions about the Defense Department's plans for more spending."
Last month, Cohen began what was described as a series of speeches in "nontraditional" venues to advocate for the largest sustained increase in defense spending in 15 years.
"It is critical that the Secretary of Defense himself make a commitment to ensure that any new money directed toward the national defense be used to improve conditions for our troops and enhance our military capability. Otherwise, there's a tremendous risk that new money will just be squandered by bad management," Grassley said.
Last year, Grassley conducted a government oversight hearing that revealed the Defense Department has paid millions of dollars in bogus schemes because of lax internal controls.
This year, Grassley said news of a budget surplus "has cast a spell" over official Washington. "I'm standing guard to make sure years of hard work for the taxpayer don't unravel at the first scent of a surplus. As it stands, the Defense Department's books are in shambles and cannot be audited. The financial systems lack internal controls," Grassley said.
Grassley is the second most senior Republican on the Budget Committee.
