GAO: Defense contracting down, civilian agencies steady over 5 years

Federal Times: Defense spending decreased by almost 31 percent between 2011 and 2015, while civilian obligations remained steady, according to an analysis of governmentwide contracting by the Government Accountability Office.

Looking at trends of the government’s discretionary spending over a five-year period (which included 2013’s sequestration), the GAO found procurement activity at military departments during fiscal 2015 — primarily the Air Force, Army and Navy — dropped from nearly $211 billion in services and $186 billion in goods to $144 billion in services and $129 billion in goods.

Read article