Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Jan. 16 lambasted a decades-old contracting program that provides business opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses, calling it a breeding ground for fraud and disparaging it as a “DEI” effort.
But experts and an executive from a firm that uses such contracts say the level of fraud critics like Hegseth alleged has been greatly exaggerated.
Some fear the harsh rhetoric around the program signals a desire to eliminate it, which they say would hurt small businesses and the Pentagon’s ability to quickly respond to unfolding emergencies.
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth described the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program in harsh terms, connecting it with diversity programs he has strongly criticized and ordering a strict review.
“We’re actually taking a sledgehammer to the oldest DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] program in the federal government,” Hegseth said. “A program few people outside of Washington have ever heard of, that I hadn’t heard of. It’s called the 8(a) program.”
Tracks with my experiences too. Its such a stereotype that its practically the third part of military retirement: military pension, then civilian job pension, then contractor job getting paid to do almost nothing riding out retirement.
Edit: actually, fourth part. Getting approved 100% disability while civilian would be the third.