U.S. lawmakers have decided to eliminate provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 that would have guaranteed military members the right to repair their own equipment. The final language of the NDAA, shared by the House Armed Services Committee, removed two key sections from the Senate and House bills that focused on the right to repair. Additionally, a section from the House version of the bill, which repair advocates feared could establish a ‘data-as-a-service’ arrangement with defense contractors, was also taken out.
According to a report by WIRED, defense contractor lobbying efforts appeared to influence lawmakers, such as Mike Rogers and Adam Smith, prompting the removal of these repair provisions, despite bipartisan support and backing from the Trump administration.
While this decision is a setback for the broader right-to-repair movement, which seeks to facilitate independent device repairs, it also averted the potential reliance on repair-as-a-service subscription models within the military.
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tim Sheehy highlighted the Pentagon’s historical dependence on a flawed acquisition system defended by career bureaucrats and corporate interests.
Source: WIRED
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