In This Story
Jeff Kojac, Baroni Center director of studies, presents how Congressional leadership is needed for Defense acquisition rapid innovation and adaptation. For example, as Senate and House committees mark up their Defense bills in May and June, and debate Fiscal Year 2025 funding for the next eight months, appropriators and authorizers should show leadership by improving the effectiveness and speed of how we buy our weapon systems. Why? The bottom line is to be more effective and timely in answering ever-evolving technologies, missions, and threats, DoD program offices must have latitude to exercise discernment and judgment. Currently, DoD program offices do not have that latitude.
Kojac identifies several Congressional Commission on PPBE Reform recommendations that could positively impact this year’s legislation, including:
- Increase the Below Threshold Reprogramming to $15 million
- Give program managers more flexibililty to shift “colors of money” within programs
- Amend 10 U.S. Code § 3136 governing the Defense Modernization Account to keep expiring funds within a Program Executive Office
- Allow new defense lab technology developments to begin during Congressional Continuing Resolutions