Deluzio Continues Fight for Real Competition in the Defense Industrial Base, Introduces Bill Requiring Report on Defense Industry Mergers and Acquisitions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Armed Services Committee member Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) introduced a new bill to help lawmakers and the public better understand the impact of mergers and acquisitions on competition in the defense industrial base. His new bill, the Defense Contractor Competition Act,requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess and report back on how consolidation in the defense industry impacts competition and the effectiveness of the government's tracking of consolidation and anti-competitive practices.

"We need free and fair competition in every part of our economy, especially when it comes to our defense. Our troops and our national security depend on it," said Congressman Deluzio. "I'm introducing the Defense Contractor Competition Actto better understand how consolidation in the defense industry impacts competition and how the Defense Department responds. Armed with more information, I will continue pushing for more accountability, transparency, and competition to both muscle up our defense industrial base and to better protect public money."

The committee-passed FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act includes the language of the Defense Contractor Competition Act.It now awaits a vote by the full House of Representatives.

Specifically, the Defense Contractor Competition Actwould require a GAO report that would:

• Conduct an assessment and submit to Congress a report on how mergers and acquisitions in the defense industry impact competition
• Include an assessment of the Department of Defense's (DOD) processes to identify and measure the effects of consolidation on competition
• Investigate the effectiveness of information sharing between the Attorney General, FTC, and SECDEF in the merger review process
• Analyze the DOD's measurement of the effects of vertical integration of defense contractors on competition
• Provide an update on the DOD's current implementation of previous recommendations from the GAO, Secretary of Defense, and the Defense Science Board on how to enhance competition in the defense industrial base

Congressman Chris Deluzio is one of the leading voices in the House of Representatives fighting for stronger competition and against price gouging in the Department of Defense. He secured several pieces of language in the 2026 committee-passed NDAAto take up these issues head-on, and it's been a top priority in his annual NDAA work. This year, Congressman Deluzio also introduced the Best Price for Our Military Actandpreviously introduced the Stop Price Gouging the Military Actwith Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) to close loopholes in current acquisition laws, tie financial incentives for contractors to performance, and provide the DOD with the information necessary to prevent future rip-offs.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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