Citing a recently released report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) spoke out against the efficiency of the Department of Defense (DOD).
“The GAO’s findings should alarm our defense leaders and all American taxpayers,” Calvert said. “The Defense Department is an incredibly large organization, which is why it is so concerning to read the GAO’s findings that at the top levels there are no procedures in place to thoughtfully and comprehensively assess what personnel are necessary to execute their mission.”
Calvert recently introduced the Rebalance for an Effective Defense Uniform and Civilian Employees (REDUCE) Act. This legislation would require the DOD to reduce its non-uniformed workforce up to 15 percent within the next seven years, which would bring the ratio of civilian-to-uniformed employees in line with historical averages.
With the reductions coming systematically over a period of time, Calvert believes the department’s ability to maintain a strong national defense will be preserved.
“In a time of budgetary constraints, our uniformed personnel will ultimately suffer if we cannot improve the efficiencies in our civilian defense workforce,” Calvert said. “We must make the smart and prompt decisions necessary to make the appropriate adjustments – no matter how difficult that is – to protect our soldiers, our national security, and taxpayers.”