A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers led by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) is pressing top military officials to detail how they will speed up hiring across critical defense facilities, following a policy change Congress approved in the fiscal year 2026 defense bill.
In an April 16 letter sent to the secretaries of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy, Rep. Moore and fellow members of the bipartisan Military Depot and Industrial Facilities Caucus asked each service branch to outline how it plans to use expanded “direct hire authority” to address workforce shortages at depots, arsenals, and shipyards.
“Our depots desperately need talent, and a slow bureaucratic hiring process prevents depots from hiring the best of the best,” Rep. Moore said in an April 17 statement.
In their letter, the congressman and his colleagues seek detailed responses from each service, including how direct hire authority is being used to manage workforce attrition and recruitment needs, how many positions have been filled using the authority in the current fiscal year compared to the previous two years, and how many hires are planned for the next fiscal year.
They also want each department to submit a written strategy explaining how it will apply a broader definition of the “defense industrial base” when using the expedited hiring process.
The policy change, included in the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act, allows more positions at facilities such as Hill Air Force Base in Utah to qualify for fast-track hiring. It also expands eligibility beyond hands-on repair roles to include support jobs such as software technicians, analysts, and safety personnel.
Rep. Moore and his colleagues noted that the shift is intended to reduce reliance on private contractors and help the military retain skilled workers, including United States military veterans who might otherwise leave for faster hiring opportunities in the private sector.
Among the six other lawmakers who signed the letter were U.S. Reps. Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL), as well as U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK).