WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised concerns over defense industry groups’ opposition to a provision in the 2025 defense spending bill that would grant the U.S. military the “right to repair” its own equipment. In a letter sent to the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and other industry groups on Wednesday, Warren questioned how much their members, including top defense contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and General Dynamics, profit from withholding replacement parts and tools from the Department of Defense (DOD).
The “right to repair” provision seeks to provide the DOD with “fair and reasonable access” to parts, tools, and repair instructions to enhance military readiness and reduce costly delays. Warren argues that current restrictions requiring military personnel to rely on proprietary service providers “waste taxpayer dollars and place service members at risk,” especially in combat zones.
While the defense groups, including the NDIA and the National Association of Manufacturers, claim that the provision would discourage companies from selling to the DOD, Warren countered with examples of costly delays caused by contracts that required authorized repair services. In one instance, military personnel were forced to ship engines from Japan to the U.S. instead of repairing them on-site.
Warren also sent a letter to the DOD, seeking further examples of how the current restrictions impact military missions and budgets. She asked both the defense groups and the DOD to respond by October 11, as she continues to push for reforms that would allow the military to repair its own equipment and reduce reliance on external contractors.