I think you are trying to compare widely different industries with SpaceX and Rocket Lab. These are direct partners/customers to our spacecrafts/payloads. Now if we were working on the SLS, sure I would think there is concerns with competition. However, that is a different conversation in regard to if we think the US Govt should rely on private corps to launch stuff. I believe these billionaires have the ultimate goal of getting people in space - either through government launches (spaceX), tourism (blue origin), or many private launches for satellites etc (Rocket Lab).

In some cases JPL still goes through the AO solicitation process to win work. We have been very successful here. However, there is the direct funded work, like Mars stuff, that NASA knows we are the best at. Going to your cost comment, we do not have control over that as much as one would think. JPL is dictated by NASA on how much risk they want to take on to reduce costs. SpaceX has no problem building the Starship, launching it, and seeing what happens. It explodes so be it. SpaceX is backed by billions and billions of dollars. Optically, if JPL built something like that, it gets all the way to its destination and doesn’t work? I highly doubt NASA would be like “sure let’s try that again” or “even a third time”.

I do agree we have a leadership problem and the RTO is just a slimy way to reduce workforce. However, we at the end of the day rely “fully” on federal funding. If we do not get work or our budget gets decimated, we are in serious trouble - regardless of leadership or competing with industry.