DOD wants change in limits

Defense Department officials asked Congress to change a law that limits defense task and delivery order contracts to five years, including options and modifications, according to Deirdre Lee, the Pentagon's director of procurement.

Lee said the limitation would end the Defense Department's use of award-term contracting, which rewards high-performing vendors with contract extensions.

Lee said congressional staff members said it was a mistake to limit contracts to a total of five years. The provision should have limited only the base term of a contract to five years, she said.