Press Releases

An amendment offered by U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright to cut government costs was included in the FY18 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the House today.

This amendment would require the Secretary of Defense to brief Congress on compliance of a cost-savings program authorized in the FY17 NDAA.

A 2016 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the Department of Defense could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by transferring excess ammunition to other government agencies rather than storing, demilitarizing, or disposing of the ammunition. The GAO report recommended implementing a formal process for the more cost-efficient process.

An amendment offered by Rep. Cartwright to implement GAO’s recommendation was included in the FY17 NDAA. Specifically, the FY17 amendment establishes a formal process to provide other government agencies with information on the availability of DOD’s surplus, serviceable ammunition. The FY18 amendment requires a briefing to congressional defense committees on the compliance of the FY17 provision.

The NDAA is an annual bill that authorizes the budget authority for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. The FY18 NDAA passed the House by a 344-81 vote.

“I was pleased my amendment was included, and I was happy to vote for a bipartisan bill that gives our troops a pay raise, increases military end-strength, does not raise TRICARE fees, and fills military readiness gaps,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Saving some money in the long run on surplus ammunition handling will help fund these critical priorities.