The Senate Armed Services Committee is considering the nominations of two more people. The confirmation hearing for Ronald Moultrie to become under secretary of defense for intelligence and security and Mike McCord to become under secretary of defense (comptroller) was Tuesday.
- The first question at the hearing centered around the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution System (PPBES), which former Defense Department Comptroller Bob Hale said is what the department uses to put together and execute budgets.
- Hale said the system is widely criticized and needs more flexibility to handle high-tech programs but also provides important benefits.
- A major topic in McCord’s testimony was financial audits, which Hale said has momentum behind it but still needs a lot of attention.
