Letter to the Hon. Michael Pence, Vice President of the United States - Kennedy & Clark demand answers -- again -- on production of PPE & ventilators

Letter

Dear Vice President Pence,

We are writing to follow up on Rep. Kennedy's letter of March 13, 2020 in regards to the urgent need for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical equipment across the United States. From hospitals to health centers to first responders to newly created remote testing sites, the shortage of PPE in particular is forcing frontline workers to decide between their own health and the health of patients seeking urgent care.

When you briefed Congress on March 4, you indicated that domestic manufacturers would be ramping up capacity to produce PPE once the first supplemental from Congress went through. On March 6, the President signed the $8.3 billion supplemental into law, yet there appears to be no significant uptick in domestic manufacturing of PPE to date. Every single day, we are hearing directly from medical providers, hospitals, community health centers, and first responders about the urgent need for PPE.

Just yesterday, President Trump signed a declaration pursuant to the Defense Production Act. That declaration grants the President the authority to direct private industry to produce critically needed medical equipment, such as PPE and ventilators. However, the President indicated he would only exercise these powers if necessary. We urge this Administration to immediately exercise these authorities and mobilize our private sector to meet this need.

It is hard to imagine circumstances more dire than what we are currently facing. We cannot wait any longer to get these production lines moving. What is the Coronavirus Task Force doing to assist manufacturers in producing critically needed medical equipment?

Additionally, we are writing to urge the Task Force to be transparent about the state and status of the national stockpile. What products do we have in the national stockpile to help alleviate the immediate need of PPE and other medical equipment like swabs for testing? How long will the stockpile last and bridge the need until domestic manufacturing ramps up? What is the status of releasing products from the stockpile to medical providers in need? During these times of uncertainty, transparency is critical to providing reliable, continuous information to the public.

Thank you for your attention to these urgent requests.

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