As House Democrats work on the next defense authorization bill, they will “continue [to] make sure we can maintain and attract the best personnel” but will balance that with a focus on acquisition reform, Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) told Defense News in an end-of-the-year interview.
“We need to make sure we encourage as many competitors as possible,” Smith said. “I’m thinking of small businesses that might be intimidated by the bureaucracy and able to offer the ideas that they have, thus reducing the competition for goods and services that can help the military.”
Smith said part of the problem is the slow process.
“I want [to] empower people at DOD to purchase the best technology right now,” he said. “Keep it simple: Buy the thing that’s going to work now. And the committee is going to pursue that type of reform.”
The Defense News interview took place before recent developments in Iran.
Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jensen Stidham
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