WASHINGTON – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., commended the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Monday for receiving a good audit opinion for Fiscal Year 2011 from the accounting firm KPMG.
This was the first time since the Department was established eight years ago that it received a passing grade for its financial controls. In previous years, KPMG was unable to reach a conclusion about DHS’s balance sheet.
“I want to heartily congratulate Secretary Napolitano, her leadership team, and the employees of the Department of Homeland Security for balancing their books for the first time in the Department’s history,” Lieberman said. “While the ultimate goal is to achieve a totally clean audit, this year’s result represents a turning point for the Department and reflects the Secretary’s strong leadership, which has helped improve DHS operations in many ways.”
KPMG found that the Department’s assets and liabilities were adequately reflected in its balance sheet, with an exception related to the Coast Guard’s uncertainty about the value of its assets and liabilities. That exception was the reason for a “qualified” opinion.
-30-