High-wire act: How to unify research and procurement with a tight budget Olivia Letts and Stephen Rodriguez 4 days ago (AlexSava/Getty Images) Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told Congress: “The [Defense Department’s] problem is not innovation, but innovation adoption. Its outdated, industrial age budgeting process creates a valley of death for new technology, allowing basic research and also procurement of weapons systems, but preventing the flexible investment needed in prototypes, concepts, and experimentation of new concepts and technologies like [artificial intelligence].” In his statement, he succinctly addressed the tension that appropriators face: To address American national security priorities, should more funding be directed toward research or procurement?