(NewsNation) – As the Pentagon works out details on a Sea corridor to transport humanitarian aid to GazaThe safety of U.S. troops offshore is a “paramount concern,” officials told NewsNation.

Still, some lawmakers are still concerned about their proximity to the war between Israel and Hamas, even as President Joe Biden said there will be no U.S. troops on the ground.

A Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, wrote a letter to Biden two weeks ago asking for a detailed plan for how this operation would run. He says he has received no response to his correspondence describing the operation as a “Significant misprioritization of U.S. military resources. “

During his term, Biden announced the construction of a temporary port on the coast of the Gaza Strip with the help of US military personnel State of the Union address in early March. Three days later, a US Army ship set sail Langley-Eustis Joint Base so that the Mediterranean can begin construction of the temporary pier.

The Biden administration is trying to speed up the process as the war between Israel and Hamas puts the people of Gaza in a dire situation. Officials say they hope to get help there within the next 60 days.

Pentagon officials told NewsNation that planning for the port is still underway, although the cost to U.S. taxpayers is still unclear. A Defense Department official told NewsNation it was “too early” in the operation to provide an assessment, but said the cost of not providing assistance was too high.

When it comes to securing the floating pier and seawall, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wants to “make sure our people are taken care of,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Monday.

Singh said the Pentagon is still “about 50 days” away from commissioning the pier and seawall, but added that this is a “rough” timeline.

“This is obviously something we take very seriously,” Singh said.

Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Defense Department spokesman, said that while the temporary pier will bring “much-needed assistance” to Gaza, it is “important to note that this is complementary to our ongoing efforts” to provide assistance to the people .

Exact details of the port are still being worked out with U.S. partners in the region, including the Israeli Defense Forces.

However, this is happening at a time when There is a threat of famine in the north of the Gaza Strip. According to a report by the international community’s agency for determining the severity of hunger crises, about 70% of people suffer from catastrophic hunger. Aid groups said deliveries by air and sea across the U.S. and other countries were too slow and too small.

Rep. Ron Estes, R-KS., said he wasn’t sure what the president’s goal was with the port.

“When (Biden) talked about building the dock, he said there would be no U.S. soldiers on site,” Estes said. “So I don’t know how he’s going to accomplish that without having people there to actually do the construction.”

Waltz said various threats on the ground pose security risks and he wants to know how the administration would ensure that aid actually reaches the Palestinian people.

“We have a lot of questions,” he said.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said U.S. Central Command troops would move the pier from the coast and then secure it with IDF assets so that U.S. troops would not be physically present in Gaza.

The CENTCOM commander is pleased with the Defense Department’s progress, Sullivan added.

“We are moving heaven and earth to fully integrate all of the complex logistics involved into the Gaza aid pipeline,” Sullivan said.

Vedant Patel, chief deputy spokesman for the State Department, said the agency remained “deeply concerned” about reports of impending famine in Gaza.

“This report makes it clear that the amount of aid reaching the people of Gaza is not enough and that more needs to be done,” Patel said. “We must redouble our efforts to ensure that aid gets to where it is needed.”

However, there is still “a lot of work” to do, he added.

“We understand what is happening in Gaza. There is a humanitarian crisis…,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday as she addressed the situation. “…We know we need to redouble our efforts.”

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan said she wants a ceasefire to end this crisis.

“I want the hostages brought home. I want all the hostages to be released,” she said. “And I want a ceasefire. I don’t want anyone else to die.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.