DARPA and Congress battle over spending, project priorities

Congress is yet again threatening to cut the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s budget, this time by $150 million, which is "a reflection of continuing concerns about timely and effective execution of funds by the agency, as well as concerns about specific programs,” according to the Senate Armed Service Committee, as reported by Noah Shachtman at Wired’s Danger Room blog.

The looming cuts underscore the ongoing struggle between DARPA and not only Congress, but also the Pentagon, both of which are displeased to say the least with the agency’s plan to spend $1 billion in the next five years as it works on projects that are geared toward revitalizing the American manufacturing industry and particularly defense manufacturing.

However, not everyone is incredulous when it comes to DARPA’s technological advances and manufacturing strategy; in fact, on June 24, President Barack Obama recognized the agency and its “cutting-edge ideas to create new jobs, spark new breakthroughs, [and] reinvigorate American manufacturing.”