March 25, 2020 10:25 a.m.
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced new legislation to expedite the procurement of medical equipment, under the Defense Production Act, to combat the spread of coronavirus, and keep health care workers on the frontlines of the pandemic safe.
Merkley said despite President Trump’s announcement that he will invoke the DPA to spur equipment production, he has yet to follow up with any concrete plans to do so. Merkley said his legislation would require the president to follow through without delay.
Merkley said “the time is right now to answer the urgent calls from our health care professionals for the protective equipment they need to do their jobs and help our communities battle the coronavirus crisis”. He called the proposal “a commonsense critical tool that can help us meet those critical needs, while also helping American manufacturers stay on the job”.
Merkley said the proposal will:
*Immediately require a major purchase order for 300 million N95 masks, which will allow the industry to begin scaling up productions of masks and other PPE materials.
*Require the National Response Coordination Center to conduct a national assessment on current medical supply needs and a follow up major purchase order to fulfill the needs identified on the assessment.
*Waive restrictions on dollar limitations for orders executed under DPA and a 30-day waiting period for orders that exceed $50 million.
*Authorize increasing funding for DPA accounts that are being considered for supplemental COVID-19 supplemental packages.
Merkley was joined by Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin in introducing the legislation.