Contract Management at Arlington National Cemetery

On July 29, 2010, the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight held a hearing to examine the mismanagement of contracts at Arlington National Cemetery.  The hearing followed a June 2010 report by the Army Inspector General that found problems with hundreds of graves at Arlington, including unmarked or improperly marked graves, mishandling of cremated remains, and incorrect information in the Cemetery’s records about whether graves were occupied.  At the hearing, the Subcommittee released information showing that the problems with graves at Arlington could have been far more extensive than the Army or anyone else had previously acknowledged.  The documents and information obtained by the Subcommittee suggested that 4,900 to 6,600 graves may have been unmarked, improperly marked, or mislabeled on the Cemetery’s maps.

The hearing examined what progress has been made to improve the management and oversight of contracts at Arlington since the Subcommittee’s July 2010 hearing.  The hearing also reviewed the findings of new reports issued by the Army and the Government Accountability Office as required under Public Law 111-339, a law introduced by Chairman McCaskill and signed into law on December 22, 2010.