Khanna eyes Defense Department contracting, excess property for DOGE action

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) took aim at the U.S. defense budget for potential cuts doled out by the newly created "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE).

"I want the U.S. to have the greatest military in the world and the resources to counter increasingly sophisticated threats from our adversaries, but we need a more sensible approach. That is why I have been the only member on the House Armed Services Committee to vote against the bloated defense budget," Khanna wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday by NBC News, referring to his vote against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2024.

"And that is why I look forward to working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce waste and fraud at the Pentagon, while strongly opposing any cuts to programs like Social Security, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau," Khanna added.

Khanna's op-ed comes as the House advanced the annual defense bill, preparing it for a final vote later this week. The legislation allocates $883.7 billion for defense purposes and includes bipartisan provisions such as a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted service members, increasing the U.S.’s presence in the Indo-Pacific and funding the construction of seven new ships. But the typically bipartisan bill contains some Republican-led amendments related to culture war issues that could cause it to become more partisan.

The Defense Department's budget for fiscal 2024 came in at $842 billion, which is $69 billion more than the $773 billion sought in fiscal 2023. Congress approved $816 billion for the Pentagon last fiscal year and all defense-related spending equaled $857 billion.

Khanna in his op-ed also took a hit at how much of the defense budget is going to defense contractors, citing a report from CBS News last year that said that nearly half of the $842 billion budget would go to contractors.

"The department’s acquisition processes lacks sufficient controls for defense contractors who can get away with overcharging the government. We have a phenomenal workforce, but they must be paired with state-of-the-art systems and policies to ensure contracts only go to qualified contractors with reasonable prices," Khanna wrote, suggesting that DOGE should provide recommendations for better management of government spending and acquisition.

Elon Musk, who co-leads DOGE with Vivek Ramaswamy, has been critical of wasteful spending at the Pentagon, while progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) have expressed similar sentiments and even a willingness to work with DOGE.

Sanders drew headlines when he said Musk was “right” about defense spending, because the Pentagon has “lost track of billions.”

Similarly, Pocan said he was "more than willing" to work with the advisory panel, "especially on the defense budget."

Khanna also proposed that DOGE could help reduce the amount of money being used to maintain "excess military property and facilities" in the U.S. and overseas, as well as cutting the Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile program, a costly Trump-era weapon that aided in better military deterrence from Russia and China.

Khanna in the op-ed called on lawmakers to work together with DOGE.

"Let’s put politics aside and work with DOGE to reduce wasteful defense spending," Khanna wrote.

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