Curious About Homeland Security's Massive Ammo Buys? So is the Government Accountability Office
The Department of Homeland Security has raised eyebrows with what was first reported as plans to buy 1.6 billion rounds of ammo over the next few years—enough for five shots in the dome of each and every American–but which the agency now claims is the far more reasonable (so they seem to think) 750 million rounds.
Amongst the eyebrows raised are those of the Government Accountability Office, which is, according to U.S. News and World Report, planning to look into this matter:
The Government Accountability Office tells Whispers it is now investigating large ammunition purchases made by the Department of Homeland Security. Chuck Young, a spokesman for GAO, says the investigation of the purchases is "just getting underway."
The congressional investigative agency is jumping into the fray just as legislation was introduced in both the Senate and the House to restrict the purchase of ammo by some government agencies (except the Department of Defense). The AMMO Act, introduced Friday, would prevent agencies from buying more ammunition if "stockpiles" are greater than what they were in previous administrations.
Why do they need so much goddamned firepower? It's all about extensive training, says Homeland Security's Humberto Medina to a House Oversight Committee hearing. Extensive, extensive training. "They have to be proficient at a very high level," says Medina.