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Read. Follow. Verify.Assessing Military Acquisition Reform: House Armed Services Committee Hearing
Record date · January 1, 2019
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What This Bill Does
The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on March 7, 2018, to evaluate the progress of recent reforms to the Department of Defense's (DOD) military system. The committee reviewed how new laws intended to increase agility and streamline procurement are being implemented by the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
This hearing monitors how the military is spending taxpayer funds on equipment and technology, directly impacting the speed at which the armed services can acquire new capabilities and the efficiency of defense procurement processes.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Department of Defense
The agency must implement new acquisition laws and report on their effectiveness to the committee.
Defense Contractors
Changes to acquisition laws impact how these companies bid for and fulfill government contracts.
Key Facts
- The committee has enacted hundreds of legal changes over the previous three years to improve DOD acquisition agility.
- Recent reforms aim to reduce statutory requirements and increase participation from commercial industry in the defense sector.
- New authorities have been granted to support rapid prototyping and the use of 'other transaction authority' for contracting.
- The hearing focused on whether the military services are effectively utilizing the new authorities granted by Congress.
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- The committee is considering additional legislative steps for the upcoming fiscal year's defense bill.
- The hearing featured testimony from the Service Acquisition Executives (SAEs) of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Frequently Asked Questions
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News Coverage
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Decentralization of Acquisition
The committee explicitly shifted more authority and responsibility for acquisition decisions from the central DOD level back to the individual military services.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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