At Least 2,000 Firearms Stolen From Military During 2010s, Congress Wants New Rules

Congress is pushing for more accountability for military weapons after an Associated Press investigation found that at least 2,000 firearms from the military were stolen during the 2010s and were later used in crimes.

Under Congress' proposal, the Department of Defense would require lawmakers and civilian law enforcement to be more educated on how weapons are being stolen from military armories, warehouses and shipments.

Military officials have acknowledged the issues in interviews, and General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators in June that he would seek a "systematic fix," regardless of what Congress did, to solve the problems with how the military keeps track of weapons. Spokespeople for the Marines and Army have said their branches will be making changes for better tracking.

Senate and House lawmakers have responded to the issues by writing stricter accountability into the National Defense Authorization Act and, in coming weeks, will compare each chamber's version of the act and reach conclusions of any differences before the legislation heads to President Joe Biden's desk.