By Jody Godoy

(Reuters) – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is proposing legislation that would require defense contractors to grant the U.S. military a "right to repair" its equipment, as well as mandating the Department of Defense to integrate cost-saving measures into new weapon procurement plans.

This proposal comes amid a cost-cutting initiative led by President-elect Donald Trump. Warren's bill would ensure that contractors provide the military with "fair and reasonable access" to necessary parts, tools, and repair instructions.

Currently, the military often has to pay companies like Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT), Boeing Co (NYSE:BA), and RTX Corp prohibitively high costs for parts and rely on expensive original installation services for repairs, instead of utilizing trained military personnel to 3D print spare parts on-site quickly and affordably.

"Pentagon contractors are taking advantage of our military, forcing them to pay excessive prices and wait weeks for basic equipment repairs. Without the right to repair their own equipment, our servicemembers in the field are at risk," stated Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts.

For example, U.S. Marines stationed in Japan have had to send engines back to the United States for repairs, while the Navy has needed to send contractors out to ships for basic repairs, according to Warren's office.

Warren had previously aimed to include right to repair provisions in the Senate's 2025 defense spending proposal. The new legislation also requires the Department of Defense to publicly report on cost-saving strategies and instances where military repairs are contractor-dependent, with the Government Accountability Office tasked with reviewing compliance biannually.

U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat from Washington state, is sponsoring a similar bill in the House of Representatives. She emphasized that restricting repair work to contractors prevents military members from gaining essential skills.

"Military technicians want to be working with their hands to fix things – not getting stuck on the phone on hold with a manufacturer," she remarked.