The Lawmakers Fighting to Modernize the Pentagon
From Cogs of War by War on the Rocks
June 8, 2026 · 34 min
About this episode
Jonathan interviews Reps. Rob Wittman and Pat Ryan about their efforts to modernize the Pentagon through bipartisan initiatives.
Congress rarely moves fast, but Reps. Rob Wittman and Pat Ryan are trying to change that. The two lawmakers founded the bipartisan House Defense Modernization Caucus in 2024 and have driven reforms through two consecutive defense authorization acts, targeting acquisitions and other bottlenecks. Jonathan sits down with both congressmen to discuss their initiatives, how a caucus without markup power actually moves legislation, and whether bipartisan cooperation on defense can last.
People in this episode
Host: Jonathan
Guests: Rob Wittman, Pat Ryan
Topics covered
- defense modernization
- bipartisan cooperation
- legislative reform
- acquisitions
- Congress
- Pentagon
Keywords
- defense
- modernization
- Congress
- bipartisan
- legislation
- acquisitions
- reform
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: House Defense Modernization Caucus, Congress, Pentagon
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