Dozens of Industry Groups Lobby Against Military Right-to-Repair Provision in Defense Bill

A Broad Coalition Against Section 828

A letter obtained by 404 Media shows dozens of industry trade associations lobbying against Section 828 of the Defense Reauthorization Act, a provision titled "Requirement for Contractors to Provide Reasonable Access to Repair Materials." The section would bar the Department of Defense from signing procurement contracts unless the contractor agrees to provide fair and reasonable access to repair parts, tools, and information.

Signatories to the opposition letter include the Institute of Makers of Explosives, the Aerospace Industries Association, the Irrigation Association, the Motorcycle Industry Council, the North American Equipment Dealers Association, the Plumbing Manufacturers Association, AdvaMed (representing medical device makers), TechNet (representing consumer tech companies), and state-level manufacturing groups including Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and the Arizona Manufacturers Council.

The Case for the Provision

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who helped introduce Section 828, has pointed to the Littoral combat ship as an example of the underlying problem. According to Warren, General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin treat much of the ship's repair data as proprietary, which has forced the Navy to delay missions and pay for contractor-affiliated repair technicians to travel to the ship rather than allowing sailors to perform repairs themselves.

Industry's Objections

In their letter, the opposing groups argue that the requirement would impose significant burdens on contractors nationwide, including small and medium-sized suppliers that support military readiness. They contend the law would undermine existing technical data rights statutes meant to balance the government's repair needs against contractors' trade secret protections. The letter also objects to proposed cost controls tied to the provision.

Nathan Proctor, senior director of US PIRG's right-to-repair campaign, criticized the lobbying effort, noting that most of the signatories — including motorcycle, farm equipment, and consumer device manufacturers — do not produce military equipment at all.