Sessions Announces Hearing on Examining the Progress and New Audit Approaches to DOW Financial Management

WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) today announced a hearing titled “DOW Financial Management: Examining Progress and New Audit Approaches.” This hearing builds on the Subcommittee’s larger investigation into the Department’s discretionary spending and ineffective financial management that prevents them from achieving a clean audit. During the hearing, members will review progress towards a clean audit over the past year. In addition, Members will consider DOW’s proposals to produce a single Department-wide financial statement audit and shift away from a traditional focus on financial management controls. This approach will effectively emphasize addressing the highest priority challenges and confirming balance statement accuracy over implementing fixes to address persistent material weaknesses.

“I applaud Secretary Hegseth for making it a top priority that the Department of War achieve a clean audit by the congressionally mandated deadline of 2028. It is important that the Department also establish sustainable processes and address root causes to ensure clean audits beyond the deadline. The Department of War’s inability to achieve a clean financial audit is extremely concerning. While progress has been made to help DOW become more transparent in its financial management processes, much more work needs to be done to fully understand the weaknesses that are holding the agency back and preventing it from passing an audit. It is crucial for members of this Subcommittee to analyze the ways DOW plans to safeguard American taxpayer dollars and strengthen financial accountability and explore the bipartisan actions Congress can take to help get DOW over the finish line,” said Subcommittee Chairman Sessions.

WHAT: “DOW Financial Management: Examining Progress and New Audit Approaches”

DATE: Wednesday, May 13, 2026

TIME: 2:00 p.m. ET

LOCATION: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

WITNESSES:

• Thomas Harker, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of War
• Ryan A. Busby, CPA, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Operations, U.S. Army

• Brett Mansfield, Deputy Inspector General for Audits, Department of War Office of Inspector General
• Asif Khan, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, U.S. Government Accountability Office

WATCH: The hearing is open to the public and will be livestreamed here.