Wesley Hallman: NDIA Wants to See ‘Plus-Up’ in FY 2020 Appropriations in Next Stimulus Package

Wesley Hallman, senior vice president of policy at the National Defense Industrial Association, told Defense News in an interview published Saturday that NDIA believes there should be an increase in appropriations for fiscal year 2020 as Congress considers another economic stimulus bill in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We don’t think that the FY21 should be paying the increased cost for FY20,” said Hallman, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. “So it would be a defense supplemental to cover the extra expense to produce on contract because of COVID-19.”

The Defense Logistics Agency and other agencies pay contractors through a working capital fund and Hallman said NDIA would like to see an increase in the fund to facilitate accelerated payments to vendors.

He also responded to questions about liability protections for contractors during the pandemic and other issues facing the supply chain.