Letter to General awk Carlisle, President and CEO of National Defense Industrial Association - Moulton Requests PPE for Defense Workers

Letter

General Carlisle:

As the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) is focused on supporting our defense and national security, we write to you today with specific questions about how your membership is planning to ensure continuity of operations and provide health and safety protections for their workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. My hope is that these questions are easy to answer because plans and protections are already in place, or that the questions spur necessary planning and implementation as the virus inevitably spreads.

I am aware that the defense industrial base was identified as a Critical Infrastructure Sector by the Department of Homeland Security. The DIB sector is defined as the worldwide industrial complex that enables research and development as well as design, production, delivery, and maintenance of military weapons systems/software systems, subsystems, and components or parts, as well as purchased services to meet U.S. Military requirements. The designation identifies the essential critical infrastructure workers during the COVID-19 response emergency, and provides guidance to State and local officials as they work to protect their communities while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety as well as economic and national security.

As of today, I am aware that there have been multiple defense contractor facilities that have closed or modified their operating status due to active COVID-19 cases. I also realize that due to a lack of widespread testing availability, many people are asymptomatic yet unknowingly positive. While most of the country is committed to sheltering in place, DIB workers are continuing to go to work to provide for the safety and security of Americans through this pandemic, along with our first responders, medical workers and the military.

With this in mind, how is your membership addressing the following questions:

How are you adjusting operations at your facilities due to the outbreak of COVID-19?
What worker protections are in place to prevent transmission of COVID-19? Are CDC and OSHA guidelines being followed? If not, what challenges have prevented implementation of these guidelines?
How is PPE being sourced to workers? Is PPE being sourced to all workers or only those with specific functions or with specific exposure risk?
Is existing PPE adequate to limit infection amongst your workforce? If not, what is being done to mitigate the shortage?
Do you need assistance procuring proper PPE to keep your workforce safe?
How are workers being notified of confirmed infections?
Are workers who test positive being put on sick leave while quarantined or forced to take paid time off?
Times like this is when your advocacy is needed most--for our men and women who are performing their duties to keep our country safe. Thank you for all that you do, and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Seth Moulton

Member of Congress

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