Defense Writers Group
6 March 2024
Moderator: It is my great honor to welcome Bob Hale, the Chair; and Ellen Lord, the Vice-Chair, of the Congressional Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution Reform. I don’t want to embarrass you, but since I’m no longer a New York Times reporter I’m allowed to have opinions. One of the reporters I was talking to about this event said it’s great to
be at a meeting with Bob and Ellen because you know there are at least two grownups in the room. [Laughter].
Mr. Hale: I hope we can live up to that.
Ms. Lord: Yeah.
Moderator: This report is so important and so breathtaking in its sweep that I’ll ask a small question and let you both have a
moment to have a big answer. Even though you’re not supposed to have a favorite among your children, I do want to ask about which of the recommendations you think are the most important and the most significant.
Mr. Hale: I’ll start. There are 28 recommendations. We think actionable recommendations. We’ve tried hard to make them specific. Fourteen of those, the Commission --
