The use of charge cards has been one focus of the DOGE project, which has said its scrutiny has resulted in cancelation of 500,000 cards out of a starting number of more than 4 million. Image: GSA
By: FEDweek StaffTwo leading congressional Republicans have asked the GAO to perform a “comprehensive review of the issuance and management of government purchase, travel, fleet, and integrated charge cards,” following an inspector general report calling on DoD to tighten controls over cards issued to both military and civilian personnel.
“With tens of billions in taxpayer funds at stake each year, a comprehensive assessment is urgently needed to identify systemic risks, eliminate inefficiencies, and restore accountability to federal charge card programs,” wrote Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, head of the Senate DOGE caucus.
Prior GAO reports “have found that agencies consistently fail to use modern tools to analyze purchase card data to prevent waste and fraud,” they wrote, noting that a DoD inspector general report earlier this year similarly found that the department was not effectively using its monitoring system.
That report pointed out transactions including purchases of “personal subscriptions to television, music streaming, cellular phone plans, and cloud storage; various games; and mature-rated live video apps”; “bar, lounge, nightclub, tavern-alcoholic drinks” on or around holidays and major sporting events; and cash withdrawals at casino ATMs.
“This is not the first report DoD OIG has conducted in recent years, and the problem has not improved,” they wrote. They asked for information including the criteria agencies use in issuing cards, how well they monitor card use, training provided to card holders, and the frequency of purchases from some three dozen “high-risk merchant” categories.
The use of charge cards has been one focus of the DOGE project, which has said its scrutiny has resulted in cancelation of 500,000 cards out of a starting number of more than 4 million.
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