{"id":49034,"date":"2018-06-27T15:07:04","date_gmt":"2018-06-27T15:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/27\/delay-for-proposed-disa-elimination-clears-key-hurdle\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:32:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:32:06","slug":"delay-for-proposed-disa-elimination-clears-key-hurdle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/06\/27\/delay-for-proposed-disa-elimination-clears-key-hurdle\/","title":{"rendered":"Delay for proposed DISA elimination clears key hurdle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 A measure intended to delay the Defense Information Systems Agency\u2019s proposed elimination<\/a> was added to the House\u2019s annual defense spending bill Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But will it work? That\u2019s complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md., said his amendment to the proposed fiscal 2019 defense appropriations bill would bar the Pentagon from spending money to draft plans to transfer DISA\u2019s functions elsewhere in the Defense Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amendment passed the House by voice vote, while the bill itself is expected to come to a vote in the House on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has targeted DISA for elimination in a larger search for efficiencies militarywide. U.S. Cyber Command would absorb DISA by January 2021, under his plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a floor speech Tuesday, Brown claimed his amendment \u201cprevents from executing this change.\u201d The idea is to push the timeline back for long enough so that a different Congress might re-address the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a Republican aide to the House Armed Services Committee said the amendment does not do what Brown intends it to do. That\u2019s because its language mentions the transfer and not any study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t oppose it because it doesn\u2019t do anything,\u201d the aide said. \u201cThere isn\u2019t any [proposed] funding to impact DISA reorganization until 2021.\u201c <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DISA oversees the operation of DoD networks and IT, as well as significant parts of federal communications, mobility, satellite communications and cloud services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agency has a total budget of nearly $10 billion and more than 5,000 employees and 7,500 contractors. Officials at the agency have repeatedly declined to discuss a possible closure, saying they do not comment on pending legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown, in his speech, cited the White House\u2019s opposition<\/a>, from a May 22 statement of administration policy on the House NDAA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, the Office of Management and Budget said, \u201cThis action would increase the cost of acquiring information technology, weaken the Department\u2019s ability to secure its cyber networks, and inhibit DISA\u2019s mission to provide seamless communication to warfighters and senior leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t