# HASC Plans Expanded Contractor Oversight

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith has outlined plans for expanded defense oversight in the 120th Congress, potentially including re-establishing the committee’s oversight and investigations subcommittee, which has been inactive since 2019. The committee’s structure and subpoena rules remain unsettled, but contractors with significant Department of Defense business could face inquiries into contract awards, financial support, favoritism, and potential waste, fraud, or abuse.

- DoD contractors can prepare for possible scrutiny by organizing records and decision rationales related to contract awards and financial support; the signal does not identify new reporting or compliance requirements.
- The potential focus on favoritism and waste, fraud, or abuse makes clear documentation of procurement decisions and funding actions relevant to companies with substantial DoD work.
- Because the committee structure and subpoena rules are not settled, contractors should not assume a specific oversight process or inquiry timeline from these plans alone.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** November 06, 2026

### Government Entities
- House Armed Services Committee (HASC)
- Department of Defense (DoD)

### Sources
- [House Armed Services Committee Poised to Ramp Up Oversight of Defense Contractors | Inside Government Contracts](https://www.insidegovernmentcontracts.com/2026/11/house-armed-services-committee-poised-to-ramp-up-oversight-of-defense-contractors) - Inside Government Contracts