The Department of Defense is close to handing over a ten-year contract worth over $10 billion to Amazon Web Services (AWS) to handle all of the cloud computing for the Pentagon. Awarding a sole source contract would harm national security and destroy competition for government wide cloud computing services. The process has been stalled by Congress because they have become so concerned about potential cronyism in favor of Amazon, they have put the contract on hold and are mandating that the Defense Department explain the circumstances surrounding the drafting of the request for this contract.
Amazon, with Jeff Bezos at the helm, has enough influence with Secretary James Mattis and other officials that the Department of Defense seem immune to the obvious problems with this request for proposal. This proposal would not only put national security at risk, but also was born from cronyism and the use of raw power to push the administration into approving the deal.
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