Democrats try to force Trump to boost medical supplies production – By Peter Sullivan (The Hill) / Aug 7 2020
A group of Democrats is pushing to include provisions in a coronavirus relief package that would force President Trump to hit the gas on the Defense Production Act (DPA) and ramp up production of key medical supplies.
The measure from Sens. Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) and backed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) requires the Trump administration to use the powers of the DPA to ramp up production of testing supplies, protective equipment for health workers and any other supplies in shortage needed to fight COVID-19.
The 1951 law Democrats want Trump to more fully utilize gives the president power to direct companies to boost the manufacturing of supplies needed in an emergency. Trump has used the law’s powers on some occasions — for example, to increase production of swabs for testing — but he has not used it to the extent desired by Democrats and medical groups. Those groups note that harmful shortages still exist months into the pandemic.
“Here we are in August and the pandemic is getting worse, not better, and I still hear daily from constituents about a lack of access to masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, testing platforms, testing kits, reagents, and other necessary medical supplies,” Baldwin said.
Continue to article: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/510962-democrats-try-to-force-trump-to-boost-medical-supplies-production
