Big-name tech companies are pushing against a defense spending bill provision that gives each military agency the power to force technology vendors to exclude subcontractors that the government thinks could pose a security risk, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Most upsetting to these tech companies -- including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Cisco Systems and Hewlett-Packard -- is that the government would not be required to disclose any reason for excluding a subcontractor.

IT companies and their industry groups have been meeting with officials in Congress and the Defense Department in an effort to soften the provision, according to the article.

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