Sending Office: Honorable Niki Tsongas
Sent By:
Sean.Duggan@mail.house.gov
SUPPORT DEFENSE INNOVATION – SUPPORT BIPARTISAN CLARK AMENDMENT (Clark/Russell/Gallagher/Tsongas)
Dear Colleague,
We ask that you support keeping the Department of Defense (DoD) at the cutting-edge of technology by supporting our
bi-partisan amendment (#139, Rules #15).
The FY19 Defense Appropriations bill now under consideration made a dramatic cut to DOD’s Research and Development budget request for DIUx of $29 million. Today’s bill cut that funding by roughly half to $15 million. This amendment would simply restore the
DOD’s budget request. The Congressional Budget Office has found this amendment to have
no net budgetary impact.
We’d like to offer responses to a number of arguments raised during floor debate:
- Return on Investment. DIUx has a
proven track record of delivering revolutionary capabilities to the Department of Defense and the taxpayer. Just
one DIUx program alone now saves the Air Force 3-400,000 pounds of jet fuel per day, and has recouped
DIUx’s entire FY18 enacted appropriations multiple times over. We believe this progress warrants further modest investments in this program’s future.
- National Economic Benefit. DIUx has opened four locations spanning the continental United States, successfully expanding the Pentagon’s exposure to critical non-traditional defense talent, companies, and technologies,
and has solicited bids from over 650 companies in 42 states.
- Efficiency: DIUx is popular within the chain of command precisely because it is efficient, expedient, and cost-effective. DIUx:
- Fields capabilities in 90 days or less, at a fraction of the cost traditional procurement would pose; and
- Gives DoD access to top American innovators to whom warfighters would otherwise lack access.
- Robust Oversight. DIUx is subject to increased oversight as Congressionally mandated by the FY18 NDAA, and is required to ensure that each program meets a verified Combatant Commander need.
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