WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee pushed through its version of the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill early Friday morning, adopting new “right to repair” provisions and adding $500 million for a second destroyer.
The panel adopted the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act in a 44-12 vote as the clock struck midnight, with Democrats making up all the of “no” votes.
Over the 14-hour markup, HASC members debated more than 900 amendments on topics spanning the war with Iran, the official name of the Defense Department, and Kid Rock.
While most measures either failed or succeeded on party lines, a “right to repair” amendment was one of the few points of the night where both Republicans and Democrats found common ground — while also being one of the most consequential moments for the defense industry.
The measure, offered by a bipartisan duo of Reps. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., and Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., would enable the Defense Department to obtain government purpose rights by default for “any technical data, computer software, or computer software” unless the contractor provides evidence that it needs to retain more restrictive intellectual property rights.
