The Washington Post has reported that much of that money was spent on weapons, surveillance, body armor and other non-pandemic relief purposes.
Getty An overhead photo of the Pentagon (right) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (left) The Pentagon was granted $1 billion in coronavirus relief funds in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in late March for protective equipment, testing and other pandemic-related causes. However, The Washington Post reported that much of that money was spent on weapons, surveillance, body armor and other non-pandemic relief items, leading to multiple Congressional investigations. The @DeptofDefense reportedly redirected most of the $1B it received to make COVID-19 PPE and medical supplies to defense contractors for jet engines & uniforms. @RepRoKhanna & I have asked @DoD_IG to investigate this possibly illegal misuse of funds. https://t.co/fdznRdFCum Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 25,2020 Under the CARES Act, the U.S. military was authorized to spend $1 billion under the Defense Production Act for coronavirus response. The CARES Act also allocated $160,300,000 for the Army, $360,308,000 for the Navy, $90,000,000 for the Marine Corps and $155,000,000 for the Air Force “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally. The Washington Post reported that although some CARES Act funds were spent on masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE), “$688 million was ultimately allocated towards the defense industrial base, mostly for projects that have little to do with the coronavirus response,” such as: The Post also reported that tens of millions of dollars were used for “satellite, drone and space surveillance” equipment. How the military plans to test service membersHow does the Pentagon plan to get all troops and service members tested for COVID-19? Military Times’ Pentagon Bureau Chief Meghann Myers breaks down the strategy and pitfalls that lay ahead for the military as it tries to fight back coronavirus among its ranks.
