Barr leads GOP colleagues in calling out DOD over missed deadline on equipment report

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) led 27 House Republicans in demanding that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) immediately provide an overdue report to Congress on United States equipment and property removed, left behind, or destroyed in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

“We write to you with deep concern regarding non-compliance with congressionally mandated reporting of United States property, equipment and supplies left behind after the disastrous August withdrawal from Afghanistan,” wrote Rep. Barr and his colleagues in a Jan. 14 letter sent to DOD Secretary Lloyd Austin. “The DOD is over two weeks late on its reporting deadline, totally disregarding congressional accounting of taxpayer-funded equipment abandoned by this administration and left in possession of the Taliban.”

The report was mandated by Congress in the Continuing Resolution enacted into law in September 2021 that required it to be submitted to Congress within 90 days, putting the report’s deadline at Dec. 29, 2021, according to the lawmakers’ letter.

“It is with gravest concern that even after a three-month window to produce the required information, the DOD still has not given Congress an accurate accounting of United States equipment still in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan where terrorist groups are reconstituting,” wrote the members, who also included U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Tom Emmer (R-MN), David Valadao (R-CA), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Bill Johnson (R-OH), Young Kim (R-CA), and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY).

Rep. Barr and his colleagues noted that the lack of information prevents Congress from accurately and effectively conducting oversight over the tens of billions of dollars of equipment invested in Afghanistan over the past 20 years and creates vulnerabilities in America’s national security, according to their letter. 

“While the National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA] for Fiscal Year 2022 (P.L. 117-81) contains a similar 90-day reporting requirement, Congress should not have to wait until the NDAA’s March 2022 deadline to receive this critical information concerning Afghanistan. That is why Congress required your department to comply by Dec. 29, 2021,” wrote the lawmakers. “We urge that you work with your Service Secretaries and General McKenzie to produce the required information for Congress immediately.”