John Deere, Garmin, and Philips Potentially Undermined Military Right to Repair

Nearly $2 million was spent by companies on lobbying related to the defense policy bill, which included a right-to-repair provision. Last year, Congress removed military right-to-repair provisions from the defense policy bill. Lobbying reports indicate companies like John Deere, Garmin, and Philips spent millions lobbying the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) regarding repair issues. Pentagon officials supported the military right to repair, but lawmakers removed this provision and a contractor-backed alternative. Funds were contributed by military contractors and others regarding right to repair and intellectual property. John Deere spent over $700,000 on NDAA lobbying and right-to-repair bills. Garmin paid $60,000, and Philips spent over $1 million on NDAA lobbying. Senator Elizabeth Warren intends to continue advocating for military right to repair into law. The movement is currently stalled, with the NDAA requiring creation of a digital system for managing repair data but doesn’t advance right to repair.