Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, ranking member of the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, today called for better tracking of U.S.-supplied weapons going into Afghanistan.

A hearing today by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee examined a Government Accountability Office report that the U.S. military cannot account for nearly one-third of weapons supplied to Afghan forces.

“With millions of dollars of weaponry unaccounted for, taxpayers have every right to be concerned,” said Flake. “But more troubling is the prospect that these missing weapons may end up in the hands of militants, making the job of U.S. troops even more difficult and dangerous.”

Congressman Flake expressed disappointment that Democrats on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee did not give officials from the Departments of Defense and State adequate notice to be able to appear before the subcommittee to outline the Obama Administration’s proposals to address this problem.

“As the Obama Administration debates whether or not to send additional troops to Afghanistan, the Defense Department needs to act quickly to address this issue.  I look forward to their proposal.”