U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has introduced new legislation aimed at helping the Pentagon achieve a clean audit by 2028. In an opinion piece published in the New York Post, Ernst outlined concerns about waste and fraud in military spending and explained how her proposed RECEIPTS Act would address these issues.
“If we are asking American taxpayers to spend $1.5 trillion on defense spending, those taxpayers need to know that those dollars are being used appropriately,” said Ernst.
Ernst emphasized her ongoing support for service members while also highlighting her oversight role to ensure defense funds are spent on national security needs rather than lost to inefficiency or misuse. She cited data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which reported nearly $11 billion in confirmed military fraud over seven years. One example included a civilian Army employee in Texas who stole $109 million through a fake child-care company scheme, only uncovered after an IRS investigation.
According to Ernst, “The GAO also pointed out that its $11 billion estimate likely massively undercounts fraud that could be found if the Pentagon had better financial systems, oversight and internal controls.”
She further noted instances of excessive spending, such as the Air Force paying significantly above market price for equipment and misuse of military credit cards for personal expenses like casino withdrawals and nightclub visits.
“No wonder the Pentagon is the only federal agency that has never passed an audit,” Ernst wrote. She argued that this lack of transparency can have real consequences for both finances and troop readiness, citing grounded aircraft due to defective parts and deteriorating equipment worth over $1 billion because of poor tracking.
As chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus, Ernst stated: “I find that unacceptable, and it should be unacceptable to every taxpayer as well.”
To address these problems, she is leading the RECEIPTS Act, which aims to equip the Department of Defense with modern tools—including AI technology—to improve invoice review processes without relying heavily on consultants. The bill would also shift Pentagon accountants’ focus solely onto defense audits and streamline reporting requirements once a clean audit is achieved.
“For those that say the Defense Department is too complicated to accomplish this, consider that the US Marine Corps just passed its third audit,” she noted.
Senator Ernst’s legislative work builds on her roles across several Senate committees related to armed services and government oversight (official website). Her office provides constituent services throughout Iowa (official website), where she became both Iowa’s first female senator and first female combat veteran elected from any state (official website).
“Our troops and the American people deserve better than massively overpriced soap dispensers and funds handed to crooks and frauds,” said Ernst. “After 30 years of trying and failing, let’s finally get the Pentagon audit done and assure both troops and taxpayers that the military’s growing budget is money well-spent.”
