Industry groups say contractors are tracking the Pentagon and Capitol Hill's plans to reimburse them for pandemic-related expenses as discussions continue.The Pentagon earlier this month issued new guidance making clear that it does not yet have funding from Congress to cover planned reimbursements under Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.In an interview with Inside Defense, Wes Hallman of the National Defense Industrial Association said that legislation as well as DOD's messaging on equitable adjustments have thus far been "unfunded mandates.""Until you appropriate funds to cover those, it's going to be really, really difficult," he said. "Without the appropriations, it's very hard to carry out what they've been asked to carry out."He said NDIA also has concerns about the lack of specificity in the 3610 guidance DOD has issued."In many ways, it still is more or less kind of top-level guidance," Hallman said. "Your larger companies are going to have the resourcing to make the claims even under this very nonspecific guidance. As you get to the smalls, it's going to be more and more difficult.... They don't have the expertise, they don't have the manpower, they don't have the time to do these things."Hallman said contractors are somewhat concerned about the lack of funding.
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