Festooned with American flags, President Trump signed the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act into law on Tuesday. The final product, a 646-page bill negotiated over a period of months between House and Senate lawmakers, authorizes nearly $700 billion for Pentagon operations. President Trump hailed the bill in a signing ceremony as the beginning of a military build-up that he promised during the campaign. “Now,” Trump declared, “Congress must finish the job by eliminating the defense sequester and passing a clean appropriations bill.”

But before White House officials and defense hawks on Capitol Hill celebrate, they should take a good, hard look at the opportunity that was missed. Congress and the administration could have used the NDAA process to incorporate the Pentagon reforms that are so desperately needed.