This article was originally published by The Lever , an investigative newsroom. If you like this story, sign up for The Lever ’s free newsletter.

The $893 billion defense policy bill that passed the House of Representatives last week would grant the Department of Defense unprecedented new authority to deploy private military contractors to the United States’ southern border.

A provision in the legislation, tacked on in a July amendment, for the first time gives the Defense Secretary authority to outsource the agency’s work at the border, a proposal that critics warn could prove a bonanza for the shadowy mercenary and private security firms that work with the Pentagon , often with little public transparency.

The provision was drafted by a lawmaker who has received significant

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