A markup of the proposed fiscal 2019 defense policy bill released by the office of House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) does not include a plan to shut down the Defense Information Systems Agency, Nextgov reported Monday.The chairman’s markup of the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act released Monday calls for the Defense Department to have a plan in place by March 1, 2020 to transfer all of DISA’s communications and IT contracting functions to other Pentagon components and eliminate the Washington Headquarters Service.
DISA and the Washington Headquarters Service were among the seven DoD agencies that Thornberry proposed to eliminate in April through a bill in an effort to generate more than $25 billion in savings.
The proposed bill would direct the Pentagon’s chief management officer to implement a 25 percent reduction in DoD’s contracting, logistics, property management and human resources spending by Jan. 1, 2021.
FCW reported that the draft NDAA would provide more funds for artificial intelligence, machine learning, direct energy and hypersonic technology programs and would require DoD to establish a “separate alternative acquisition process†for space initiatives.
The measure would impose a ban on technology products from Chinese firms such as ZTE and Huawei and is scheduled for a full committee markup on Wednesday, May 9.
