Rep Marie Gluesenkamp Perez commended the Army’s move to include right to repair in contracts and urged other branches to follow suit to reduce costs and boost readiness.
Rep Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) is urging other branches of the US military to follow the Army’s lead in adopting right to repair provisions in contracts, following a Department of Defense directive aimed at reducing repair delays and costs.
The directive, issued in late April, instructs the Army to include right to repair provisions in both new and existing contracts to address barriers caused by intellectual property restrictions that limit access to maintenance tools, software, and technical data.
Gluesenkamp Perez praised the move, emphasizing that the policy will not only save taxpayer dollars but also provide servicemembers with valuable hands-on experience.
“When military technicians are spending time on hold with manufacturers, shipping equipment overseas for simple fixes, or flying out authorized contractors—it’s not only time-consuming and costly—but they’re being deprived of experience working with their hands to fix equipment they rely on,” she says in a release.
Broadening Right to Repair Policy
Gluesenkamp Perez, who co-sponsored the Servicemember Right-to-Repair Act with Sen Elizabeth Warren (MA), emphasized that expanding the right to repair policy across all branches of the military would strengthen readiness and reduce costs.
The Servicemember Right-to-Repair Act, introduced in the 118th Congress, seeks to increase military readiness by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment without being hindered by proprietary restrictions.
“I’m glad that the Army has heard our calls for reforms and will be prioritizing right to repair provisions in its contracts—and I encourage the other branches of our Armed Forces to follow suit,” Gluesenkamp Perez says in a release.
The Pentagon’s right to repair directive is part of a broader effort to reform acquisition processes, modernize Army contracts, and reduce inefficiencies in military logistics.
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