Did the Defense Department violate congressional intent?

[AHE]

The funds, set aside under the Cares Act economic stimulus package passed in March, were given to the Pentagon to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” But the Defense Department decided to divert most of that funding toward long-standing defense concerns such as drone technology, body armor and dress uniforms.

Smith, whose committee position would have put him in close contact with the Defense Department as it developed its spending plans, said the decision to repurpose funds shows how the Trump administration “continues to exploit the trust of the American people.

Instead of focusing on a clear, coordinated strategy to produce and acquire the medical supplies necessary to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, the Trump Administration carved up this billion-dollar appropriation and spent three dollars on defense contracts for every dollar it spent on acquiring health resources, Smith wrote in a news release.

Instead of addressing the urgent needs of a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 Americans, the Trump Administration is using money meant to protect lives from COVID-19 to pad the pockets of defense contractors, Warren wrote in an emailed statement.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... gon-covid/