Audits of federal defense contracts come up short

The agency that audits federal defense contracts isn't doing a good enough job, according to another federal agency that reviewed its work. That resonates in York County because of the county's military contractors, including Gichner Shelter Systems of Dallastown, BAE Systems in West Manchester Township and General Dynamics in Red Lion.

The Project on Government Oversight lists General Dynamics as the fourth-largest defense contractor, with $18.5 billion in contracts, and BAE as the sixth-largest at $10.1 billion. The Daily Record/Sunday News has a web page dedicated to BAE news where you can get the latest news on the company's defense contracts and on the vehicles it builds.

 This from The Associated Press:

"Pentagon auditors face serious problems in their ability to oversee contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars, according to congressional investigators, and a key senator says the agency in charge needs to focus more on quality than speed.

The Government Accountability Office reviewed 69 audits and other cost-related assignments by the Defense Contract Audit Agency and found only four complied with government auditing standards."

More here.

The Project on Government Oversight has a fascinating Twitter stream out of today's Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on DCAA. Samples (these are separate tweets; they don't represent a single conversation during the hearing):

Lieberman: Should we be creating a totally independent auditing agency, Auditor General, for the govt overall? #DCAA

McCaskill (@clairecmc): What has happened here has been a capital crime #DCAA

Coburn: Are there any safeguards if #DCAA not doing their job? GAO: We don't have any