Lawmakers Block Military’s Right to Repair
▼ Summary
– US lawmakers removed right-to-repair provisions for military equipment from the final 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
– The removed sections included Senate and House proposals that would have allowed service members to repair their own gear without manufacturer approval.
– Defense contractor lobbying successfully influenced key lawmakers to strip these bipartisan provisions from the bill.
– While the pro-repair language was cut, a competing proposal to make the military dependent on subscription repair services was also removed.
– Supportive senators argue the removal benefits contractors and bureaucrats at the expense of service members and taxpayers.
A significant setback for the military’s ability to fix its own gear has emerged from the latest defense funding negotiations. Lawmakers have stripped key right-to-repair provisions from the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026. This annual defense policy bill, released by the House Armed Services Committee after considerable delay, saw the removal of several sections aimed at ensuring service members could repair their equipment without mandatory manufacturer involvement. The deleted language included Section 836 from the Senate draft and Section 863 from the House version. Also excised was a separate House provision, Section 1832, which advocates feared could have locked the military into costly subscription-based repair services with defense contractors.
The decision follows intense lobbying efforts by defense contractors, which appear to have persuaded key legislators overseeing the final bill reconciliation. The provisions had previously garnered bipartisan backing and were even promoted during the previous presidential administration. Their removal marks a notable victory for corporate interests over a reform movement seeking to reduce reliance on original equipment manufacturers for maintenance and fixes. While this is a defeat for repair advocates, the competing push to formalize subscription repair models for the military also failed to make it into the final legislation.
In a joint statement, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tim Sheehy, who championed the Senate repair language, expressed strong disapproval. They criticized a Pentagon acquisition system they describe as dysfunctional and perpetuated by entrenched bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists. The senators noted that military right-to-repair reforms have support from a broad coalition, including former White House officials, service secretaries, small businesses, and service members themselves. They argue that opposition stems solely from entities profiting from the current, restrictive system, ultimately burdening both warfighters and taxpayers with higher costs and longer downtime.
The outcome highlights the ongoing struggle within the broader right-to-repair movement, which fights for policies allowing owners and independent technicians to fix devices without seeking manufacturer permission or paying prohibitive fees. Although the effort to secure these rights for the armed forces has stalled in this legislative cycle, the debate over control, cost, and readiness within military supply chains is certain to continue.
(Source: Wired)
