Warren, Sheehy Push Armed Services Leaders in Congress to Get Military Right to Repair Done

Warren, Sheehy Push Armed Services Leaders in Congress to Get Military Right to Repair Done

Senators highlight record of right to repair support from top military leaders in Trump administration, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) wrote to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House (HASC) and Senate Armed Services Committees (SASC), highlighting broad support from top military leaders in the Trump administration for codifying the military's ability to repair its own equipment. The senators urged the committee leaders to pass their Warrior Right to Repair Act through the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect military readiness and stop the government's waste of taxpayer funds.

"We write with concern about the ability of our service members to repair their own equipment quickly and securely, and the impact that restricting the 'right to repair' has on our military's readiness, our service members' skills in a contested logistics environment, and growing maintenance costs that are borne by taxpayers," wrote the senators.

Without right to repair provisions, the U.S. military has faced severe delays and massive overcharges by defense contractors, even for simple repairs. In 2021, the Government Accountability Office first revealed that providing the military the right to repair its own equipment "could save billions of (taxpayer) dollars."

In their letter, the Senators highlighted strong support for right to repair from a broad spectrum of Trump administration military officials and national security analysts:

• General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that right to repair "would decrease reliance on external contractors, lower service fees, and allow for more efficient maintenance practices, ultimately leading to long-term cost savings."
• Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, stated that right to repair would "increas(e) the overall lifecycle cost of maintaining these systems by an estimated 30-50%."
• Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, told Congress that military right to repair is "how we make sure that we are ready to fight" and that contract restrictions are "not sustainable" and "dangerous."
• General Christopher Mahoney, Vice Commandant of the Marines, said that from the beginning of the contracting process, the Marines must be able to "clearly identify and prioritize the need for organic repair capabilities" and that military right to repair is "a critical investment in our long-term readiness and operational effectiveness."
• General Kenneth Wilsbach, Air Force Chief of Staff, told Congress that "the military should have the intellectual property for every system it employs, going forward," and that "(t)he ability to repair our own equipment is an important part of increasing readiness in many weapon systems."
• General James J. Mingus, former vice Chief of Staff of the Army, said that military right to repair is "crucial for advancing the Army's sustainment and readiness." In its Army Transformation Initiative, the Army singled out military right to repair as an important component of achieving President Trump's mission.
• Admiral Stephen Koehler, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Command, which operates where there is a high risk of a contested logistics environment, said sailors "must also have the confidence and authority" to install new parts without waiting on contractors and that "(w)e owe our warriors the right to repair."

"Military leaders understand that the consequences of DoD's inability to acquire the right to repair its own equipment have far-reaching implications for our military's readiness… It is more urgent than ever that Congress act decisively to provide DoD with the right to repair," concluded the senators.

Last year, the senators introduced the Warrior Right to Repair Act to require contractors to provide the Department of Defense (DoD) with access to technical data and materials the military needs to repair and maintain its own equipment. Intellectual property law experts have noted that the bill is "consistent with longstanding law and presents no conflict with manufacturers' IP rights" and merely requires DoD offices, "as market participants, to negotiate favorable terms that will save American taxpayer dollars and ensure the effectiveness and safety of the equipment relied upon by U.S. servicemembers."

Senator Warren has been a leader on right to repair in the military:

• In December 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass) and Sheehy (R-Mont.) blasted the removal of military right to repair from the FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
• In November 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, wrote to the National Defense Industrial Association, the trade association for big DoD contractors, regarding its opposition to the bipartisan right to repair reform in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
• In July 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) secured the Warrior Right to Repair Act in the Senate version of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act with bipartisan support in the Senate Armed Services Committee.
• In July 2025, Senators Warren and Sheehy introduced the Warrior Right to Repair Act to require contractors to provide the Department of Defense (DoD) with access to technical data and materials the military needs to repair and maintain its own equipment.
• In June 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Navy Secretary John Phelan told Senator Elizabeth Warren that he is a "huge supporter of right to repair" and expressed support for a bill guaranteeing the military can repair its own equipment and requiring contractors to offer repair materials for a fair and reasonable price.
• In May 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tim Sheehy called for every service of the military to follow the example set by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and ensure the military has the right to repair the equipment it owns. The senators also announced a new bipartisan bill to make the right to repair policies permanent.
• In May 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink said he agreed with Senator Elizabeth Warren and fully supported making the right to repair a strategic priority for the Air Force. He also agreed on the need to update the branch's policies to include the right to repair in contracts service-wide and prevent defense contractors from price-gouging the military.
• In May 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren uplifted how the right to repair can help the U.S. military and allied forces promote innovation and reduce costs.
• In May 2025, Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll announced that the Army will ensure right to repair provisions are included in future Army contracts, after pressure from Senator Warren.
• In April 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren secured a commitment from Mr. Michael Cadenazzi, nominee to be the next Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, to support AI competition and innovation in defense contracting.
• In March 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned General Randall Reed, Commander for Transportation Command, about the importance of the military's ability to have the right to repair its own equipment.
• In February 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned Mr. John Phelan, the nominee to be Secretary of the Navy, about his views on ensuring the Navy's right to repair its own equipment - one of Senator Warren's priorities.
• In January 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, a Palantir Executive agreed with Senator Elizabeth Warren that legal loopholes should not enable companies to price-gouge the military.
• In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned Mr. Dan Driscoll, nominee for Secretary of the Army, about his views on enhancing the Army's right to repair its own equipment and his commitments to address the revolving door between the Pentagon and contractors.
• In December 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) introduced the Servicemember Right-to-Repair Act to increase military readiness and cut costs by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment.
• In September 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to the Defense Department and to the defense contractor industry regarding the costly restrictions imposed on the Department of Defense that bar the military from repairing its own military equipment and instead force it to pay billions of dollars extra to military contractors.
• In July 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren included a provision in the Senate Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA that would require contractors to provide DoD with "fair and reasonable" access to repair materials with a bipartisan committee vote of 21-4.

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