Steve Feinberg is a modern heir to the “dollar-a-year” men: business leaders who brought their experience managing American industry into government to strengthen the nation’s defense.
asserted
who → bring → defense
That tradition today is rare, with many positions filled by policy experts instead.
asserted
positions → fill → experts
Congress should consider what our nation stands to lose if Feinberg’s tenure ends in frustration.
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tenure → consider → frustration
Coming from private equity, Feinberg brought experience turning around distressed enterprises, allocating capital, making executive decisions, and achieving measurable results.
asserted
Feinberg → come → results
What he brings to the Pentagon is an understanding of how to get private sector businesses to perform and deliver.
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businesses → bring → Pentagon
However, in addition to his management skills, he brought his reputation.
asserted
he → bring → reputation
To help our warfighters, Feinberg has put his relationships and credibility behind an effort to change how the Pentagon buys weapons and how industry produces them.
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industry → help → them
When he asks companies to invest, expand production, and move faster, his reputation for achieving results gives those requests weight.
asserted
reputation → ask → weight
But his personal credibility is unfortunately not a check that can be cashed without Congress.
asserted
that → cash → Congress
Without money and the authorization to spend the money, his deals will come to a hard stop.
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deals → spend → stop
This is why Congress will have the final say about Feinberg’s future.
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Congress → have → future
Reuters recently reported that the White House has considered possible replacements for Feinberg and consulted senators about whether they could be confirmed.
uncertain
they → report → senators
No decision has been announced, and administration officials have disputed the reporting.
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officials → announce → reporting
The discussions could reflect dissatisfaction with Feinberg, disagreements within the administration, or the ordinary maneuvering of Washington.
uncertain
discussions → reflect → Washington
Whatever their origin, Congress should be asking whether it is giving him a reason to stay.
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it → ask → reason
Feinberg is the linchpin to our warfighters getting more weapons, drones, and advanced technology.
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Feinberg → get → weapons
Much of this is funded within the $350 billion in reconciliation funding, along with the need to replenish the stock expended in the war with Iran.
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Much → fund → Iran
This funding is especially important for unmanned systems, where the military is still determining which technologies, designs, and operational approaches will prove most useful.
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technologies → determine → systems
Feinberg faces the challenge of expanding an industry while its products and requirements continue to evolve.
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products → face → industry
Industry needs this money to build capacity, along with flexible funding to support repeated experimentation.
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Industry → need → experimentation
The consequences of Feinberg’s departure due to a lack of money to modernize would extend beyond his reputation to both warfighters and industrial partners alike.
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consequences → modernize → warfighters
Companies asked to commit their own capital would probably never believe any future government assurance.
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Companies → ask → assurance
The next administration will also struggle to find someone willing to occupy the position.
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administration → struggle → position
To be clear, this is a self-inflicted, own-goal problem created entirely by the Pentagon’s political leadership.
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this → inflict → leadership
In a shockingly completely bipartisan fashion, the Pentagon not only completely failed to make Congress a partner in this effort, but they also seemed intent on going out of their way to alienate just about every single member of Congress on any given issue.
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they → fail → issue
Securing congressional support is part of the job since Article 1 of the Constitution makes Congress solely responsible for both money and raising and maintaining the military.
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Congress → secure → military
But Congress’s frustration with that failure cannot become a reason to leave the military or nation without needed capabilities.
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frustration → become → capabilities
Lawmakers can demand explanations and hold officials accountable while still funding national defense.
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officials → demand → defense
The costs of withholding necessary resources will fall on military readiness and production capacity, whatever message Congress intends to send to Pentagon leadership.
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Congress → withhold → leadership
Our national security is a core constitutional function of Congress, so they will need to solve this problem.
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they → need → problem
Congress, therefore, has four tasks.
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Congress → have → tasks
It must fund wartime replenishment and readiness.
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It → fund → replenishment
It must fund the $350 billion in modernization funding with the flexibility needed to support modern technologies and experimentation.
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It → fund → technologies
It must enact a full-year fiscal 2027 defense appropriation.
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It → enact → appropriation
Finally, it must pass the National Defense Authorization Act to provide the authorities needed to carry out the work.
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it → pass → work
This is Washington, and each measure faces political obstacles.
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measure → face → obstacles
Some view war funding as an endorsement of the war.
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Some → view → war
Others see additional defense spending as competing with domestic priorities.
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Others → see → priorities
Still others view a defense appropriation as leverage in broader negotiations.
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others → view → negotiations
The administration has certainly compounded these difficulties by failing to build sufficient support with Congress.
asserted
administration → compound → Congress
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
