Sen. Menendez advocates Defense Production Act be invoked

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is urging President Donald Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) as a means of accelerating COVID-19 national response, supply production and readiness.

“In the midst of a pandemic, state and local governments should not be left on their own scrambling to buy ventilators for patients, personal protective gear for health care workers on the frontlines, and other critical medical supplies,” said Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee that has jurisdiction over the DPA. “We need the federal government to aggressively step up its leadership in the battle against COVID-19 by mobilizing the mass production of urgently-needed equipment, preparing for the staging of temporary hospitals and beds, and using every lever of executive power to save lives. It is time the United States of America live up to its history of defeating extraordinary challenges and prevailing in the face of great uncertainty.”

Menendez said he is calling upon the powers to be exercised to defend the health and safety of the American people. The DPA has been expanded beyond ensuring military preparedness, but also domestic preparedness, response, and recovery from natural hazards and national emergencies.

The senator cited worst-case Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) projections detailing up to 21 million of the up to 214 million people that could contract COVID-19 would require hospitalization when the hospital system has less than 1 million staffed beds nationwide.