To her credit she reported this, although it is a drop in the bucket compared to what was deliberately ignored :
In 1998, we conducted an audit of the procurement of military clothing and related items in response to a requirement in the National Defense Authorization Act forFY 1998. The Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 10a) and the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 2441 Note) require contracting officers to determine whether items manufactured in the United States or a qualifying country were available. The audit found that contracting officers at 12 military organizations improperly awarded 16 contracts for military and civilian clothing items valued at $1.4 million thatwere manufactured in China, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Additionally, the Air Force, in a separate review,identified 27 other improper procurements of Chinese-made boots valued at $182,511. The noncompliance with the Buy American Act and the Berry Amendment resulted in 43 potential violations of the Antideficiency Act.
Eachpotential violation of the Antideficiency Act requires a separate investigation to determine if there was a violation and assess accountability. Thus, each investigation can result in more work than the original contract requirement. We recommended that the Director, Defense Procurement, issue guidance to emphasize the requirement to incorporate and enforce the Buy American Act and Berry Amendment provisions and clauses in solicitations and contracts for clothing and related items. The Director issued the policy guidance on March 2, 1999.
SUMMARY
The Office of Inspector General remains supportive of reasonable efforts to streamline and improve the Department's acquisition programs. In that regard, we are committed to sharing with the Department and the Congress the benefit of our experience in this very complex area as new reform proposals are considered. We remain concerned about suggestions to limit or repeal controls that have been proven effective over time, such as the False Claims Act, the Truth in Negotiations Act, the Cost Accounting Standards, the statute that prohibits contractors from charging unallowable costs, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency. We believe that these controls have been critical to maintaining the Government's ability to adequately protect its interests in the acquisition area.
Many beneficial statutory reforms have occurred already in the acquisition arena. The challenge now is to encourage the Department to identify the underlying cause of remaining problems and initiate appropriate corrective actions. We stand ready to assist the Department and the Congress to move forward and address the challenges in acquisition in ways that will protect the interests of the Department and, ultimately, the taxpayers.