On the recordMay 28, 2020
We have lost over 100,000 lives to this pandemic--that we know of--and people on the front lines are still waiting for the PPE they need to protect themselves and our communities. Every single day, healthcare providers, States, and first responders tell us that they are being forced to compete for high-priced supplies, if they can find any at all. They are told to keep a 90-day supply for the fall surge, when it is a miracle if they have enough supplies for 2 weeks. Our frontline workers are feeling abandoned by their government. How can we blame them? The President is claiming victory in a crisis we are still fighting, visiting State after State and saying it is safe to reopen completely when it is not. He has the authority to use the Defense Production Act to increase production of PPE to save lives and chooses not to, while the safety of our frontline workers hangs in the balance. We have sent countless letters, introduced bills, and passed legislation. We need the President to act. The American people need straight talk, not magical thinking. We need leaders who listen to civil servants when they raise alarms, not fire the messenger. We can defeat this pandemic if we hear the facts and act on them. ____________________
