CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) Discusses Jump In Michigan's Coronavirus Cases And Deaths, Concerns Over Treatment, Hospitals Nearing Their Limit

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But keep in mind, in addition to the state running low on critical medical supplies, like ventilators, PPE, they don't have nearly enough tests. And add hospital beds to the list, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association warning, quote, "They're getting close to capacity for available beds."

I want to bring in Michigan Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin.

Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining us.

And you represent the 8th district of southeast Michigan. This includes counties that are near metro Detroit. And I wonder, do you know, what is the plan for hospitals that are running out of room and that are running out of supplies? What

[14:49:59]

REP. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): Sure. Well we just have the second big hospital say they're at capacity today. Obviously the big bill in the next couple of days will push a ton of money into our hospitals. It is really like a Marshal Plan. It puts a ton of money into personal protective equipment to make sure our frontline folks have what they need to protect us.

But they're all looking at secondary locations and schools and dorms, hotels. The Army Corps of Engineers is here helping us transition facilities so we have extra bed space. They're not waiting. They're just moving out. A lot of them at their own expense.

But we're just trying to keep a handle on this because the big goal that we're trying to avoid is the overrunning of our hospital system and triage medicine which is something I've only seen in my tours in Iraq.

KEILAR: Yes, OK. Right. So you've seen this upswing there in your state. You're having this spike. And you're still very much on the climb. So what is your biggest concern about where this is headed there in Michigan?

SLOTKIN: Yes, my biggest concern is that we just have a gap right now in the personal protective equipment for our frontline doctors and nurses and first responders. We're working hard. The states are duking it out amongst themselves.

Now FEMA is getting involved and we're hearing reports of FEMA bumping the states out of line so there's a clamoring going on for the equipment. We'll get some in but there's a delay.

So our governor, myself, lots of others in the state have made a public call for people to donate things. We've gone to our research universities, our dentists, our dermatologists, our tattoo parlors and nail parlors and asked for anyone with gloves, gowns, masks, to please bring it forward.

It is sad that we are here. But that is where we are. And that is what we have to do in order to protect the people who are protecting us.

KEILAR: You know, to that point, we talked about this in the commercial break and you referenced your time in Iraq, looking at folks who are there on the frontlines, medical and other essential workers, they're being called to serve and their answering this call to serve in a way that we haven't seen before. I think it is challenging our idea of just how essential and brave they are.

What needs to be done to take care of folks, some of whom look inevitably at this point with not having enough gear, some of them are going to die. What needs to be done?

SLOTKIN: Yes. I really think of them, right now, the way I thought of the first responders, the firefighters on 9/11. Everyone was running away from the buildings and they were running toward it. And that is what our health care workers and nurses and our hospital administration, what they're doing right now is running towards the problem and they're the front line of defense.

I think we need to think about what it means to be putting these people at risk. It is literally like sending our troops into battle without everything that they need. I think we need to understand the emergency supplies that we need to go in. But we need to think about what our obligations are if people expose

themselves and come down with the virus and end up very, very sick from the disease or from the virus.

I think we need to think about it in a different way. It is much more in line of think being how we support our troops on the front lines. And I think that is a mentality we'll have to shift a bit.

KEILAR: And, look, you're familiar with how controversial it was when proper armor was not provided to troops in these post-9/11 conflicts. It was maddening and got a lot of attention.

So there's a stay-at-home order in effect and health officials hoping it would help the curve but it didn't go into effect this week. What do you say to people that say this should have been faster?

SLOTKIN: Sure. Listen, we could spend a lot of time looking at lessons learned when this is done. And we will. This will not be the only pandemic that we'll deal with in our lives so we'll go through the lessons learned.

The truth is I don't see much value in doing that now. I'm trying to get supplies today for our folks in our hospitals. I'm trying to figure out how we bridge to the seven days, 10 days when our equipment starts to come in.

And then think about what the heck we'll do with our economy. Our appropriation that we're about to vote on here in the next 48 hours is a good first step. But it is not the only step.

So we'll have plenty of time to sort of quarterback it later but for right now I'm focused on what we can do now to help.

KEILAR: Yes. Very important focus.

Congresswoman Slotkin, thank you so much for joining us.

SLOTKIN: Thanks for having me.

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