Cunningham Joins Bipartisan Effort to Secure Personal Protective Equipment for First Responders and Health Care Workers
Mt. Pleasant, S.C. – Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to urge House leadership to ensure that health care workers, first responders, and others on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves and protect public health.
“Right now, there is not enough personal protective equipment for health care workers, first responders, and all others who are on the front lines protecting our communities,” said Cunningham. “There is no time to waste. Lowcountry hospitals and first responders need to be able to procure this equipment, and they need to know the federal government will guarantee the funds to support them.”
Given the limitations of local funding, Cunningham called for the creation of a direct reimbursement program for state and local governments, public safety agencies, volunteer fire and EMS departments, healthcare organizations, and affiliated entities that purchase PPE for this public health crisis.
“In our districts, it is clear that local funds are limited, and would quickly be drained if our local governments bought this equipment today in the amount that this crisis demands,” the lawmakers wrote. “Yet the need for PPE is not going away, and large orders today will likely save lives and taxpayer money in the near term, compared with smaller, piecemeal efforts limited by the constraints of local funding.”
The full text of the letter can be found online and below.
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House of Representatives United States Capitol Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader, House of Representatives United States Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy, As we continue our work to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic, it is critical we ensure our healthcare workers, first responders, and those on the frontline have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the public health. We fully support and encourage the full implementation of the Defense Production Act in order to address this critical healthcare equipment deficiency. But already our local health organizations, first responders, and county and state governments face shortages of this equipment, and they need to place orders now. There is no time to waste. In our districts, local funds are limited, and would quickly be drained if our local governments bought this equipment today in the amount that this crisis demands. Yet the need for PPE is not going away, and large orders today will likely save lives and taxpayer money in the near term, compared with smaller, piecemeal efforts limited by the constraints of local funding. The federal government can fix this immediately. Because local institutions are meeting the real-time need by placing orders now, we propose and urge the creation of a direct reimbursement program for state and local governments, public safety agencies, volunteer fire and EMS departments, healthcare organizations, and affiliated entities that purchase PPE for this public health crisis. These entities need to be able to approach manufacturers of this critical equipment directly, with the full confidence that they would be backed by the federal government in these purchases. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has existing reimbursement programs, the requirements are insufficient to meet demand in real time. A new federal reimbursement program should involve minimal certification requirements due to the urgency of the situation. These goods are durable but cannot be produced overnight. We need to stay ahead of the problem, and protect the heroes who are already being exposed to the virus every day without enough protection. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Representatives Conor Lamb (PA-17), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Mike Doyle (PA-18), Max Rose (NY-11), Mikie Sherill (NJ-11), Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Jared Golden (ME-02), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Gil Cisneros (CA-39), Jason Crow (CO-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Joe Cunningham (SC-01) and Cherie Bustos (IL-17).