A new military spending bill, praised by Trump, allocates billions to bolster the military industrial complex. Among the beneficiaries, Bechtel Corporation is cited as one of the companies receiving funding to aid in operating nuclear labs and production sites, raising concerns over the diversion of public resources to defense initiatives at the expense of social programs.

OpenSecrets data indicates that during the 2024 cycle, Bechtel Corporation contributed $328,054 and spent $790,000 on lobbying efforts. The data, aggregated from FEC, Senate, and IRS releases, highlights the firm's active engagement in political spending.

A Bechtel business, Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., has been awarded a U.S. Navy contract modification valued at $447 million for the provision of nuclear propulsion components, with work scheduled at its Pennsylvania site through September 2033. This follows a previous $706 million Navy contract awarded in December 2023.

Bechtel Corporation released its Modern Slavery Act Statement for the 2023 financial year, detailing comprehensive measures to mitigate modern slavery and human trafficking risks across its global supply chain and project sites. The statement outlines extensive due diligence processes, ethical recruitment practices, mandatory employee training, and robust supplier monitoring as part of its commitment to uphold human rights and labor standards.

The article details that Bechtel has not responded to inquiries regarding its association with the NEOM megaproject, amid documented concerns of judicial harassment and human rights abuses against protestors and displaced tribes by Saudi authorities. This non-response is highlighted alongside several other major contractors, underlining a broader corporate silence in the face of serious human rights issues.

Bechtel released a statement condemning the January 6 U.S. Capitol violence and outlining that its employee-run Political Action Committee will establish its contribution plan for the 2021-2022 election cycle based on a case-by-case assessment of the behavior of individual Members of Congress. This approach aims to ensure that contributions align with the company’s values and oppose extremist, authoritarian behaviors.

Bechtel Corporation was awarded a $680m Iraq reconstruction contract in 2003, raising concerns over its close political ties with the Republican Party. The award, combined with $1.3m in political donations—60% of which went to Republicans—suggests corporate favoritism and complicity in partisan political practices.