Ed Markey: “I want to start my remarks by saying to the people of Massachusetts and families all across the country: Many of you are…”

“I want to start my remarks by saying to the people of Massachusetts and families all across the country: Many of you are making big sacrifices--quarantining yourselves, postponing or canceling major events, dealing with closed schools and daycare. We are grateful. Right now, our primary goal needs to be to slow the spread of this virus, and we all share in that responsibility. So we thank you for everything you are doing to keep your loved ones and everyone else's loved ones safe at this time. We are at war with the coronavirus, and we need a massive wartime manufacturing mobilization for coronavirus testing kits and personal protective equipment for medical personnel and emergency responders. That is why, last weekend, I was the first to call on President Trump to immediately use existing authorities under the Defense Production Act to bring all of the power of the Federal Government to bear in mobilizing industry to meet this crisis. It is why I authored the Senate resolution calling on him to do so. It is why I spoke directly to Vice President Pence yesterday to urge the administration to take this critical action, and I am glad they are doing so. The Defense Production Act allows the Federal Government to direct supplies of critical materials and equipment that our hospitals and first responders need. It allows us to mobilize industry to expand production and gives us the power to coordinate industry to respond to this crisis.…”