Spencer predicts clean audit for Navy in five to six years

Navy Secretary Richard Spencer today told Congress he predicts the Navy will achieve a "clean audit" in five to six years.

The comments came during a joint Senate Armed Services seapower and readiness and management support subcommittees hearing after questions from Sen. Angus King (I-ME).

The results of the Defense Department's first-ever audit were published last month, and the Pentagon failed to receive a "clean" opinion, Inside Defense reported.

"We failed the audit," Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters. "We never thought we were going to pass an audit. Everyone was betting against us that we would even do the audit. . . . It was an audit on a $2.7 trillion organization. The fact we did the audit is substantial."

Spencer told senators the Navy has worked to "change the conversation" and view the audit as a tool to understand how the organization is operating, rather than an "invasion for financial reasons."

"If you look at our list of deficiencies, there are many, but this was the first time in the barrel for the Navy. It was eye-opening," he said.