Noteworthy provisions in the Pentagon budget bill

 

December 14, 2024

Editor’s Note: This is our last edition of Weekly Spotlight for the year. We will be back on January 11, 2025. Happy holidays! The House voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week, and there are a few provisions for increased accountability at the Pentagon that are worth celebrating. The fiscal year 2025 NDAA includes language that would limit the number of F-35’s the Pentagon can take possession of until there is a plan in place to address a number of the issues with the fighter jets — a win for negotiating accountability for the Pentagon’s incredibly troubled weapons system, albeit a long past due one. Additional provisions would improve tracking of military housing complaints to strengthen oversight of the private companies with the housing contracts, and increase transparency around when former senior government officials take jobs working for foreign interests — a revolving door we’ve highlighted in the past in our investigation into a wave of retired and Reserve military personnel taking highly lucrative jobs working for foreign interests. The massive bill now makes its way to the Senate for its vote. And as worthwhile as it is to note the wins, there are still a number of concerning issues in the NDAA. One is a provision to ban gender-affirming care for service members’ children under the military’s health care program. The Senate must excise the discriminatory provision in its version of the bill — the NDAA should support and protect military families and should not be weaponized against them. Your support will power progress in the months ahead. We’re pushing back against corruption and wrongdoing in the federal government, and we need your help. Donate now to resource the critical work of demanding government accountability in 2025 and beyond. ANALYSIS F-35 Testing Report Reveals Problems with Production Decisions The decision to enter full rate production on the flawed F-35 shows that current statutes do not support sufficient congressional oversight. Read More QUOTE OF THE WEEK “They’re trying to take advantage of President-elect Trump’s popularity and the fact that he just won an election, and see if they can get this business up and running and off the ground.” Scott Amey, General Counsel, in ABC News OVERHEARD ONE LINERS “We’re always very concerned with the sort of trading on the family name stuff that happens in politics and the conflicts of interest that stem from that.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs, in Al-Jazeera   WANT MORE FROM POGO? Eyes on the federal government from every angle:   Paper Trail: Quick links to the news in the world of government oversight The Bunker: Military intelligence from POGO's Mark Thompson Click here to update your newsletter subscriptions.   🎧 Bad Watchdog Podcast 📺 YouTube 📱 Instagram 💸 Support our work

pogo.org The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

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Pentagon takes note

 

August 24, 2024

Editor’s Note: There will be no Weekly Spotlight next weekend. We will be back in your inbox on September 7, 2024. Over the past year, we’ve published two investigations into the privatized industry of military family housing and the rigged housing dispute process that overwhelmingly favors housing companies over service members and their families. The uneven dispute process has made it so that military families living in poor, unsafe, even hazardous housing conditions are silenced and left without recourse when they attempt to raise concerns and hold their landlords accountable. Our investigations made it to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin last month, when lawmakers cited our findings in a letter demanding the Pentagon strengthen its oversight of the private housing companies — and the secretary appears to have taken note. Last week, the Department of Defense launched a searchable database that allows military families to submit housing feedback publicly and directly to the Pentagon. It’s encouraging that the Pentagon appears to be responsive to the findings of our recent investigations. We’re continuing to dig deep into the state of privatized military housing and will keep exposing the issues we find. WANT MORE FROM POGO? The latest from us, straight to your inbox For updates on POGO’s investigations, upcoming events, and more ways you can get involved, subscribe to our emails. ANALYSIS We Built a Surveillance State. What Now? For decades, Republicans and Democrats have greenlit a massive surveillance apparatus. What happens when this powerful tool is in the hands of the wrong person? Read More QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The Pentagon has got to stop developing bejeweled platforms designed to last for a half-century or more. U.S. weapons have gotten so expensive and take so long to develop that there’s little chance for real competition and the innovation it can generate.” Mark Thompson, National Security Analyst, in Washington Examiner OVERHEARD Read the whole thread on X. ONE LINERS “Whistleblower retaliation is rampant. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Democratic or a Republican administration. It happens across all agencies and it happens in overt and more covert ways.” Joe Spielberger, Policy Counsel, on Future Hindsight   WANT MORE FROM POGO? Eyes on the federal government from every angle:   Paper Trail: Quick links to the news in the world of government oversight The Bunker: Military intelligence from POGO's Mark Thompson   🎧 Bad Watchdog Podcast 📺 YouTube 📱 Instagram 💸 Support our work

pogo.org The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

Project On Government Oversight 1100 13th Street NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 United States