From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
With President Trump and Sen. Warren both voicing support, the military right-to-repair issue gains rare cross-aisle momentum, and SEMA's advocacy is shaping the national conversation.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is tapping into SEMA's position as a leader on the military right-to-repair issue, sharing the aftermarket's perspective as she amplifies the fight nationally. SEMA is prominently featured in Sen. Warren's recent press release on the issue, including a quote from the organization and a citation of our letter, signed by more than 300 small businesses seeking to supply the military with vehicle parts to support readiness.
- The bipartisan effort, which has won over President Trump, would insert right-to-repair reforms into the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), opening a potential new pathway for aftermarket industry businesses to engage in government contracting to sell their parts to the military.
Sen. Warren's engagement with SEMA further elevates the role our industry plays in Washington, D.C., as a solution-oriented industry seeking common-sense solutions that empower American small businesses and enable the aftermarket to innovate and thrive. In fact, in a letter to the National Defense Industrial Association, the trade association for big defense contractors, regarding its opposition to the bipartisan right to repair reform in the FY 2026 NDAA, Warren emphasizes the importance of the specialty automotive aftermarket, which emerged after service members returned home from World War II and put to use skills learned during their service.
"Before the consolidation of the defense industrial base and after World War II, tens of thousands of service members returned home and created the specialty automotive aftermarket," wrote Warren. "They utilized their engineering expertise to improve the performance of motor vehicles, creating products to increase everything from horsepower to handling to the style of their vehicles. Allowing these same opportunities for service members to develop skills repairing and maintaining complex systems will benefit them--and the entire American economy--in their post-military careers."
Questions? Contact SEMA's Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs, Eric Snyder, at erics@sema.org.
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