Pentagon told to favor U.S. firms in defense contracts—but broad waivers may gut the rule
H.R. 6882 — SAFE Services Act · Filed by Cory Mills (R-FL) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Dec 18, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to revise procurement rules to prefer U.S.-owned companies when buying professional services (engineering, architecture, legal, financial consulting, etc.) for military contracts. The preference applies "to the maximum extent practicable" and can be waived if no U.S. company can do the work cost-effectively or if urgent military needs require it; waivers must be reported to Congress within 30 days.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a straightforward procurement preference for U.S. companies in DoD professional-services contracts. It is not a tax measure, subsidy, or deregulation—it is a sourcing directive with national-security framing.
What the text implies
- The 'maximum extent practicable' standard is undefined and may be interpreted narrowly by contracting officers, potentially rendering the preference advisory rather than binding.
- Waiver authority is broad: SecDef can waive the preference if no U.S. company is 'capable' or 'cost-effective,' which may capture many routine procurements and undermine the bill's stated intent.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
U.S.-based professional-services firms (engineering, architecture, legal, consulting); Defense contractors with in-house professional-services capabilities