FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on Goldwater-Nichols Military Reform

Original title: [H.A.S.C. No. 114-130] Goldwater-Nichols Reform: The Way Ahead

January 1, 2017

military reform Goldwater-Nichols Act defense policy bureaucracy command structure

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

This hearing serves as a foundational step in legislative efforts to reorganize the U.S. military's command structure, which could impact defense spending and the administrative efficiency of the Department of Defense.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Defense

The agency's command structure and administrative organization are the primary subjects of the proposed legislative reforms.

Military Personnel

Changes to command structures and organizational hierarchy directly impact the operational and administrative environment for military staff.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on July 7, 2016, to discuss potential updates to the 30-year-old . Lawmakers and expert witnesses reviewed proposals to streamline military command structures and reduce bureaucratic overhead.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on July 7, 2016, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The committee is reviewing the 30-year-old Goldwater-Nichols Act to determine if updates are needed.
The House has approximately 12 provisions related to Goldwater-Nichols and strategic planning under consideration.
The Senate has approximately 20 provisions related to Goldwater-Nichols under consideration.
Ranking Member Adam Smith raised concerns regarding whether the current military command structure is too top-heavy with bureaucracy.
The committee is exploring potential cost savings through the consolidation of military command structures.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Goldwater-Nichols Act?

It is a federal law passed 30 years prior to this hearing that established the current command structure and strategic planning framework for the U.S. military.

Why is the committee reviewing this law now?

The Chairman stated that no law is successful for all time and that the committee is preparing for a conference with the Senate to reconcile different reform proposals.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Bipartisan interest in bureaucratic reduction

Both the Chairman and the Ranking Member expressed a shared interest in reducing military bureaucracy and command-structure overhead, indicating a potential for bipartisan cooperation on this issue.

William M. 'Mac' Thornberry Adam Smith

Connected Entities

personDov Zakheim“Witness, Senior Fellow at Center for Naval Analyses”Map →

personCarter F. Ham“Witness, Former Commander of U.S. Africa Command”Map →

personWilliam M. 'Mac' Thornberry“Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee”Map →

personAdam Smith“Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee”Map →

personJohn J. Hamre“Witness, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense”Map →

organizationHouse Armed Services Committee“Committee conducting the hearing”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools