Colorado Leaders Urge President Trump To Increase Production of Critical Medical Supplies
Today, 43 members of the General Assembly alongside 65 other elected officials from across Colorado formally wrote President Trump urging him to expand production of critical medical supplies in response to the COVID-19 epidemic:
We write to urge you to immediately exercise your authority under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand national production of much needed medical supplies including masks, ventilators, and respirators. We applaud your decision to use this authority to increase one company’s manufacturing of ventilators, but ask you to use the full extent of your authority under the Act to ensure sufficient supplies and distribution of all necessary medical equipment.
Senator Faith Winter, who spearheaded this bipartisan effort, argues that the United States is fast approaching unprecedented devastation if proper steps are not immediately taken to arm medical professionals with the necessary supplies:
“We need aggressive, ambitious action to combat this virus. Every day more people are becoming sick, and without life-saving equipment, hospital staff will be overwhelmed by impossible working conditions that will likely cost countless lives,” said Senator Faith Winter (D-Westminster). “In Colorado, we are doing everything we can to flatten the curve and buy time to increase our health care capacity. But a key part of increasing this capacity is to get the necessary supplies. I know that Americans will rise to the occasion and manufacture the goods we need.”
Currently, the medical community is experiencing dangerous shortages of respirators, isolation gowns, surgical masks, eye protection, intensive care unit equipment, and diagnostic testing tools. With dwindling reserves, hospitals fear that they will be wholly unprepared for the inevitable surge of ill patients as COVID-19 continues to sweep across the nation.
In Colorado, it is projected that local hospitals will reach critical capacity within weeks if the rate of infections continues:
Without an increase in manufacturing capacity for critical medical supplies and federal coordination in distributing these supplies, Colorado will not have the needed resources to protect our frontline workers and effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the Defense Production Act (DPA), President Trump has the authority to compel private companies to prioritize the manufacturing of critical goods in the face of a national emergency. It also allows the federal government to direct fair distribution of resources — ensuring that communities hardest hit by the pandemic are addressed first.
You can find the full text of the letter here.