Coalition Including TAPP Warns Against Codifying Gov’t Ownership of Equity Stakes in Private Corps.
The Trade Alliance to Promote Prosperity today signed a coalition letter with more than two dozen organizations to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House Armed Services Committees, urging against plans to codify government ownership of equity stakes in private corporations.
In part, the coalition wrote, "As the Senate and House Armed Services Committees negotiate a final version of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, we the undersigned organizations and individuals from across the political spectrum urge legislators to set aside provisions that would authorize the Department of Defense (DOD) or other agencies to acquire equity stakes in private companies. This proposal would have serious consequences for the rule of law and for our national security... Whether through executive action or congressional sanction, continued federal investment in private companies is deeply troubling and sets a dangerous precedent for the future in which the full force of government ownership could be used to execute partisan, moral, or philosophical agendas in the marketplace. Enshrining this practice into statute would deal a serious blow to our security and democratic institutions.”