Senator Elizabeth Warren Challenges Defense Industry on ‘Right to Repair’

By Jody Godoy

(Reuters) – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has inquired with defense industry groups about their earnings from contracts that limit access to replacement parts and tools. This inquiry pushes back against their resistance to a proposed bill that would grant the U.S. military a “right to repair” its own equipment.

On Wednesday, Warren sent a letter to the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and three other groups asking how much they spent on lobbying against the provision included in the 2025 defense spending bill.

Key defense contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and General Dynamics are members of these groups.

The proposed provision would require contractors to offer the Department of Defense (DoD) “fair and reasonable access” to parts, tools, and instructions, aiming to minimize costly delays caused by seeking repairs from proprietary service providers which Warren states undermine military readiness.

“Right-to-repair restrictions waste taxpayer dollars and place service members at risk,” Warren emphasized. She added that military personnel across the globe, especially in active combat, “should not have to rely on a company thousands of miles away” for equipment repairs.

The rise of 3D printing enables the military to produce and repair many of its parts in the field. However, original equipment manufacturers often retain the right to reclaim field repaired parts, charging for replacements or requiring original parts to be utilized while equipment remains inactive.

The NDIA, along with other associations, communicated with the Senate and House Armed Services Committees in July, labeling the “right to repair” provision as unwarranted and suggesting it would deter their members from selling to the DoD.

Warren refuted this claim in her letter, mentioning public instances where expenses and delays resulted from contracts compelling the military to await authorized repair services. She cited an example where engines had to be shipped from Japan to the U.S. rather than being repaired onsite.

Warren additionally reached out to the DoD for more examples of how these issues have impacted missions and budgets, and whether the agency intends to employ a law that facilitates the transfer of intellectual property developed using federal research funds.

Warren requested responses from the groups and the agency by October 11.