WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) in introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 (NDAA) that would require President Trump to unlock the full authority and power of the Defense Production Act to scale up nation-wide production of the testing supplies, personal protective equipment, and medical equipment needed at the local level to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“From the start of this pandemic, the Trump administration has failed to get our frontline health care workers the supplies and protection they desperately need. The president has given us no choice but to force his hand in increasing national production of testing and personal protective gear needed to save lives and fight COVID. That’s exactly what this NDAA amendment does, and I’m proud to support it,” said Murphy.

“President Trump must use the full power of American industry to meet the powerful, urgent need for more medical equipment and supplies. As the pandemic’s damage and danger spread, health care professionals, first responders, and frontline workers deserve every possible tool to combat this virus and save lives. This administration has consistently failed to ensure adequate supplies. If the President will not act, Congress must mandate that he do what public health officials are demanding to curb this insidious disease,” said Blumenthal.

“New coronavirus cases are rising in states across the country, which means we need more testing supplies, more testing, and more personal protective equipment for workers on the frontlines of this pandemic,” said Baldwin. “President Trump’s response to this pandemic has been a failure of leadership, so this amendment will force action to increase national production of testing supplies, personal protective equipment, and medical equipment needed to save lives.”

The amendment is identical to legislation Senators Murphy and Baldwin co-introduced in April, with the support of 45 Democratic Senators. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the president to utilize all available authorities under the Defense Production Act to mobilize a federal response to the pandemic through an equitable and transparent process. Key parts of their legislation are included in the House-passed HEROES Act, but the Republican majority in the Senate has failed to take action on the legislation.

The amendment is also cosponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). 

The NDAA is being considered on the Senate floor this week.

The full amendment is available here.

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