WASHINGTON—The IT Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS), a division of ITI, released the following statement today from Senior Vice President for Public Sector Trey Hodgkins after House Armed Service Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.) released a "discussion draft" on acquisition reform, to be rolled in to the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“Our companies want to infuse innovation into the government to boost our nation’s technological competitive edge, but often find the Defense Department’s acquisition process hinders their ability to get technologies to the warfighter” Hodgkins said. “ITAPS is pleased to see Chairman Thornberry lay out his vision for improving the acquisition processes. His proposals around building an online marketplace for commercial items, enhancing the acquisition workforce, and streamlining the process come at a time when we are working with lawmakers, on multiple fronts, to pass reforms that will help the government modernize its aging and vulnerable computer systems. It's becoming clear that Congress recognizes the need to invest in technology, and we look forward to working with Chairman Thornberry and his colleagues throughout the NDAA process ahead."

ITAPS has been a strong proponent for bipartisan legislation being advanced in Congress, the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act; and for modernizing the Department of Defense’s information technologies, especially through the NDAA, to drive IT modernization and acquisition reforms throughout the federal government to adopt the latest innovations in cybersecurity, efficiency, and productivity.

# # #

Related [Public Sector]