A group of Democratic senators is asking DOD why it has used less than a quarter of the money Congress provided for its part in the national pandemic response, and the Pentagon has promised the information is forthcoming.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacted in late March appropriated $10.6 billion for DOD’s role in the response. The Senators said in a Thursday letter that financial reports show only 23% of that has been spent.

“We are concerned by the delays in providing this important information, the lack of transparency in the use of emergency funds appropriated to the department, and troubling signs that funds appropriated for particular purposes, in some cases pursuant to the request of the department will instead be spent for other purposes,” their letter said. “Lacking a spend plan, we are not even sure what those purposes may be.”

The letter was signed by Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii) and Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.).

Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman responded that DOD “remains committed to legally and responsibly executing these funds on the highest priorities to protect our military and their families and safeguard our national security capabilities,” according to a Defense News report. “As we have seen, this is an evolving and dynamic situation where priorities and requirements change, which is why it is so important that we remain faithful and accountable stewards of the taxpayer dollar.”

Hoffman said the CARES Act spend plan would be delivered to lawmakers by Friday evening, ahead of the schedule set forth in the legislation.

Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Jay Grabiec