Duffey confirmed as DOD acquisition chief

The Senate has voted 51-46 to confirm Michael Duffey to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

Duffey, who previously served as deputy chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing that he would prioritize strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base and lowering barriers to entry for new companies.

“New companies face significant hurdles when attempting to work with the DOD,” Duffey wrote in answers to advance policy questions for the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Addressing these barriers requires a multipronged approach,” he continued. “This includes streamlining the acquisition and budgeting processes to provide clearer demand signals and proactive engagement with smaller, lesser-known companies to demonstrate that the DOD values their innovation and is committed to expanding the industrial base. By taking these steps, the DOD can attract fresh talent and ideas, ultimately bolstering its technological edge and improving national security.”

Duffey also wrote DOD needs to “better incentivize its acquisition workforce to take risks.”

In the first Trump administration, Duffey served in the Office of Management and Budget where he became involved in the administration’s decision to halt $250 million in aid to Ukraine. The aid freeze followed a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump asked him to investigate Joe Biden, who at the time was campaigning for president. Trump was later impeached over the incident.

Duffey comes to his new job as the White House has directed the overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and wants to see the Pentagon conduct a major defense acquisition program review.

The Pentagon is also in the midst of launching President Trump's ambitious Golden Dome missile defense program, which is expected to keep defense contractors working -- and earning -- in the years to come.