Lawmakers intention to deep-six Pentagon ‘want lists’
The coalition of watchdog teams had needed to amend the Senate Armed Providers Committee’s fiscal 2023 NDAA so it might delete the statutory necessities for the UPLs. That committee invoice by no means bought a vote on the Senate flooring. As an alternative, negotiators from the 2 chambers reconciled the Home-passed invoice with the Senate committee’s invoice. The Home handed that ultimate measure Dec. 8, and the Senate is anticipated to clear it this week.
One of many teams calling for a halt to the protection want lists is the Nationwide Taxpayers Union.
“Want lists are among the many high components pushing the Pentagon topline greater and better every year,” stated Andrew Lautz, director of federal coverage on the Nationwide Taxpayers Union, in an e mail to CQ Roll Name. “This bipartisan, bicameral laws would assist decelerate what’s turn out to be a wasteful and distortive budgeting follow.”
Julia Gledhill, an analyst with the Middle for Protection Data, one other watchdog group within the coalition, informed CQ Roll Name by e mail that solely defense-related departments and businesses are required to submit want lists to Congress.
“They’re pointless at finest, and so they bypass a price range course of Congress already struggles to observe — to the detriment of each the taxpayer and clear policymaking,” Gledhill stated.
