March 28, 2024

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Passion For Business

Lawmakers ask for investigation on alleged redirection of COVID-19 funds

Two Democratic users of the Senate and Residence Armed Solutions Committees are formally requesting that the Department of Protection Inspector General examine reviews that the Pentagon redirected hundreds of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for COVID-19 response to protection contractors for “jet engine parts, overall body armor and dress uniforms,” in accordance to the letter. 

United States Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Solutions Committee and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a member of the Residence Armed Solutions and Oversight and Reform Committees, sent the letter dated September 25 to Sean O’Donnell, Performing Inspector General, Department of Protection.

They requested O’Donnell to examine reviews that the Pentagon redirected money from the Protection Creation Act intended for COVID-19 response to protection contractors for unrelated parts and products, a go that could be unlawful, the lawmakers claimed.

Congress allocated $one billion in money underneath the Coronavirus, Aid, Aid, and Financial Protection Act for DoD to manufacture private protective products and other supplies. 

Not only did DoD reportedly redirect the large vast majority of these money to protection contractors for assignments unrelated to combating the pandemic, some protection companies properly been given a double bailout since govt info shows they also been given financial loans by means of the Paycheck Defense Plan, a reduction program intended for struggling little companies, in accordance to the letter.

WHY THIS MATTERS 

Through the pandemic, lots of suppliers have dealt with shortages of private security products and detrimental margins. 

Providers have been given $50 billion and a lot more in qualified reduction from the $100 billion appropriation in the CARES Act and $75 billion from the Paycheck Defense Plan. 
Hospitals also been given accelerated and progress money, which are financial loans they are essential to fork out again. Quite a few suppliers carry on to deal with substantial profits shortfalls because of to COVID-19.

States need to have $six billion to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to People and hospitals carry on to endure a shortage of N95 masks, the letter states, indicating the money that went to the DoD are desired elsewhere. 

THE Bigger Trend

The lawmakers base their request, at least in element, on newspaper reviews showing that an mind-boggling vast majority of money had nothing at all to do with output of health-related products or addressing the nation’s provide shortages because of to the COVID-10 pandemic. 

Warren and colleagues previously questioned the DoD on what Warren claimed was its gradual and disjointed response to the coronavirus outbreak.

ON THE Report

“Instead of addressing the urgent requirements of a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 People, it seems DoD utilised taxpayer income intended to defend lives from COVID-19 to pad the pockets of protection contractors,” wrote the lawmakers. “The claimed misuse by DoD of federal money … is inconsistent with the will of Congress and may be unlawful.”

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
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