Letter From Colorado Delegation of State and Local Leaders Urges President To Expand Production of Medical Supplies
March 31, 2020
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The global COVID-19 pandemic has now spread to every state in our nation, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that up to 214 million Americans could contract COVID-19 as it continues to spread throughout the country. Schools, childcare centers and workplaces have been shut down across the country. Our healthcare system is preparing for impending shortages of critical equipment.
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. The country cannot rely solely on private industry initiatives to make up the growing deficit of critical supplies. We must use all tools at our disposal to ensure that front line workers have the resources they need to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
Critical medical supplies are already in short supply across the country. As noted in the March 21 letter from the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association, the “dwindling supplies of N95 respirators, isolation gowns, isolation masks, surgical masks, eye protection, intensive care unit equipment and diagnostic testing supplies” are insufficient to adequately respond to the projected COVID-19 outbreak. The CDC has reported that already orders for N95 respirators and facemasks are going unfilled by distributors, and the CDC has told healthcare workers to use homemade masks as “a last resort.” The nation’s supply of ventilators is wholly inadequate to meet the projected need over the next several months. Our nurses, doctors, and first responders deserve better.
As of March 30, Colorado has 2,627 COVID-19 cases with 414 individuals hospitalized throughout 47 counties. We have seen significant daily increases in these numbers, and expect these increases to continue despite our best efforts to flatten the curve. Colorado hospitals worry that without swift action, Colorado may experience a situation similar to Northern Italy where a shortage of critical medical equipment forced doctors to make life-or-death decisions about who most needed the limited resources. In Colorado, state health officials estimate that our state will be about 6,000 ventilators short of what will be needed during the peak of the pandemic.
Coloradans are committed to slowing the spread of COVID-19 so that our healthcare system is not overwhelmed. Governor Polis has issued a statewide stay-at-home order through April 11, closed Colorado schools through April 17, and closed most businesses through April 30. But 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.
We are heartened to see companies--like Colorado’s Genesis Plastics Technologies--stepping up to address this medical supply shortage, but we need leadership and coordination at the federal level to ensure that supplies are going to where they are most in-need, that pledged supplies are delivered in a timely fashion, and that manufacturers are producing enough supplies to meet the surging need.
We urge you to take aggressive action without delay, and thank you for your consideration as we work to protect the lives and livelihoods of Coloradans and all Americans.
Sincerely,
Leroy Garcia, CO Senate President, District 3
Steve Fenberg, CO Senate Majority Leader, District 18
Pete Lee, CO State Senator, District 11
Joann Ginal, CO State Senator, District 14
Tammy Story, CO State Senator, District 16
Mike Foote, CO State Senator, District 17
Rachel Zenzinger, CO State Senator, District 19
Jessie Danielson, CO State Senator, District 20
Dominick Moreno, CO State Senator, District 21
Brittany Pettersen, CO State Senator, District 22
Faith Winter, CO State Senator, District 24
Kevin Priola, CO State Senator, District 25
Jeff Bridges, CO State Senator, District 26
Nancy Todd, CO State Senator, District 28
Rhonda Fields, CO State Senator, District 29
Chris Hansen, CO State Senator, District 31
Robert Rodriguez, CO State Senator, District 32
Angela Williams, CO State Senator, District 33
Julie Gonzales, CO State Senator, District 34
KC Becker, CO Speaker of the House, District 13
Alec Garnett, CO House Majority Leader, District 2
Meg Froelich, CO State Representative, District 3
Serena Gonzales Gutierrez, CO State Representative, District 4
James Coleman, CO State Representative, District 7
Leslie Herod, CO State Representative, District 8
Emily Sirota, CO State Representative, District 9
Monica Duran, CO State Representative, District 24
Lisa Cutter, CO State Representative, District 25
Brianna Titone, CO State Representative, District 27
Kerry Tipper, CO State Representative, District 28
Tracy Kraft-Tharp, CO State Representative, District 29
Dafna Michaelson Jenet, CO State Representative, District 30
Yadira Caraveo, CO State Representative, District 31
Matt Gray, CO State Representative, District 33
Kyle Mullica, CO State Representative, District 34
Shannon Bird, CO State Representative, District 35
Mike Weissman, CO State Representative, District 36
Dominique Jackson, CO State Representative, District 42
Daneya Esgar, CO State Representative, District 46
Mary Young, CO State Representative, District 50
Cathy Kipp, CO State Representative, District 52
Barbara McLachlan, CO State Representative, District 59
Julie McCluskie, CO State Representative, District 61
Eva Henry, Adams County Commissioner, District 1
Chaz Tedesco, Adams County Commissioner, District 2
Emma Pinter, Adams County Commissioner, District 3
Mary Hodge, Adams County Commissioner, District 4
Steve O’Dorisio, Adams County Commissioner, District 4
Elise Jones, Boulder County Commissioner, District 1
Deb Gardner, Boulder County Commissioner, District 2
Matt Jones, Boulder County Commissioner, District 3
Ron Engels, Gilpin County Commissioner, District 1
Linda Isenhart, Gilpin County Commissioner, District 2
Gail Watson, Gilpin County Commissioner, District 3
Gwen Lachelt, La Plata County Commissioner, District 2
Greg Poschman, Pitkin County Commissioner, District 3
Tim Corrigan, Routt County Commissioner, District 1
Beth Melton, Routt County Commissioner, District 3
Hilary Cooper, San Miguel County Commissioner, District 1
Ann Mullins, Aspen City Council
Rachel Richards, Aspen City Council
Nicole Johnston, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Aurora
Crystal Murillo, Aurora City Council Member, Ward I
Juan Marcano, Aurora City Councilmember, Ward IV
Alison Coombs, Aurora City Council Member, Ward V
Curtis E. Gardner, Aurora Council Member, At-Large
Angela Lawson, Aurora City Council Member, At-Large
Allison H. Hiltz, Aurora City Councilmember, At-Large
Jacque Whitsitt, Mayor, City of Basalt
Sam Weaver, Mayor, City of Boulder
Aaron Brockett, Boulder City Councilmember
Rachel Friend, Boulder City Councilmember
Guyleen Castriotta, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Broomfield
William Lindstedt, Broomfield City Councilmember, Ward 2
Deven Schaff, Broomfield City Councilmember, Ward 3
Jean Lim, Broomfield City Councilmember, Ward 3
Laurie Anderson, Broomfield City Councilmember, Ward 4
Heidi Henkel, Broomfield City Councilmember, Ward 5
Yolanda Avila, Colorado Springs City Councilmember, District 4
Amanda Sandoval, Denver City Councilmember, District 1
Jamie Torres, Denver City Councilmember, District 3
Candi CdeBaca, Denver City Councilmember, District 9
Debbie Ortega, Denver City Councilmember, At-Large
Robin Kniech, Denver City Councilmember, At-Large
Angela Cobian, Denver Public School Board Member, District 2
Brad Laurvick, Denver Pubic School Board Member, District 5
Angie Malpiede, Regional Transportation District Board, Chair
Adam Haid, Town of Erie Trustee
Michal Rosenoer, Edgewater City Councilor
Julie Pignataro, Fort Collins City Councilmember, District 2
Jamie Harkins, Mayor, City of Lafayette
JD Mangat, Lafayette City Councilor
Chelsea Behanna, Lafayette City Councilor
Dana Gutwein, Lakewood City Councilmember, Ward 5
Kathi Wright, Loveland City Councilmember, Ward 2
Andrea Samson, Loveland City Councilmember, Ward 2
Rob Molloy, Loveland City Councilmember, Ward 1
Katie Gill, Morrison Board of Trustees Member
Paul Sutton, Morrison Board of Trustees Member
Joyce Downing, Northglenn City Council Member, Ward 2
Katherine Goff, Northglenn City Council Member, Ward 3
Julie Mullica, Northglenn City Council Member, Ward 3
Jenny Wilford, Northglenn City Council Member, Ward 4
Mark Lacis, Mayor Pro Tempore, City of Superior
Julia Marvin, Thornton City Councilor
Anita Seitz, Mayor Pro Tempore, City of Westminster
Kathryn Skully, Westminster City Councilor
Jon Voelz, Westminster City Councilor