Timmons Opens Hearing on Accelerating Defense Innovation

WASHINGTON—Today, Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Chairman William Timmons (R-S.C.) delivered opening remarks at a hearing on “Clearing the Path: Reforming Procurement to Accelerate Defense Innovation.” In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Timmons emphasized that burdensome procurement and acquisition processes in the Department of Defense hinder the innovation of new defense technologies and threaten U.S. national security. He pledged to use the hearing to explore ways to modernize the procurement system, remove barriers to innovation, and foster collaboration between the government and defense contractors. 

Below are Subcommittee Chairman Timmons’s remarks as prepared for delivery: 
 
Good morning and welcome to the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs.  

Thank you to all our members for being here today to examine the future of our defense procurement system.  

Today’s hearing focuses on a critical challenge—the outdated, cumbersome process by which the Department of Defense acquires new technology—and how that process slows down the pace of innovation.  

The stakes could not be higher.  

If we want to outpace strategic competitors, we must modernize the way we identify, test, acquire, and scale cutting-edge defense technologies. 

South Carolina plays a vital role in our national defense industrial base.  

In my own district, Lockheed Martin builds the F-16 Fighting Falcon in Greenville—a cornerstone of American airpower.  

Across the state, defense companies manufacture everything from aircraft to submarine components.  

But we must do more to ensure the next generation of innovators are inspired.  

We should be just as excited to see startups take root and thrive in our defense ecosystem.  

Unfortunately, for too many of those innovators, the path to partnership with the federal government is blocked by a procurement process that is opaque, rigid, and often punishing.  

The risk of entering the defense market—both in time and cost—deters even the most promising companies.  

And for those who try, many never make it past what many in the industry have called the “valley of death,” where transformative technologies die on the vine between prototype and production, often because of bureaucratic red tape.  

To be fair, there have been efforts to fix this—from alternate contracting authorities to pilot programs.  

But most reforms have been short-term, ad hoc, or have traded speed for oversight.  

What we need are lasting, transparent, and commercially available viable solutions that enable agility without sacrificing accountability.  

Our witnesses today bring a wealth of expertise—from frontline military service to deep knowledge of defense contracting.  

They understand both the promise of innovation and the bureaucratic inertia that holds it back.  

As we’ll hear, innovation thrives in environments that reward speed, flexibility, and calculated risk-taking—the very qualities the current defense procurement system too often discourages.  

A culture of risk aversion has led to seven consecutive failed audits and spiraling cost overruns in even our most critical programs. 

But this is not a hopeless story. Reform is possible. 

Through modernization of our procurement system, we can remove barriers to innovation and foster collaboration between government and industry.  

I look forward to today’s discussion and to exploring actionable steps to move our procurement system into the future—not only to keep pace, but to be leaders on the world stage. 

Thank you again to each of our witnesses for participating today, and I look forward to your testimony.