California Rep. Ami Bera wants to see more federal control over things like purchasing and stockpiling medical supplies to meet the needs of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I don’t think the federal government is doing enough to do command control to make sure the necessary equipment gets to the necessary places at the right time,” Bera told Cheddar.
The representative said he’s happy that President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, which gives the president power to mandate U.S. companies to manufacture certain, needed supplies, but that it should have been employed earlier for maximum effect.
He echoed the complaint from several governors that the decentralized nature of the response has forced states into bidding wars over equipment such as ventilators.
“There can’t be 50 governors competing against one another to get the personal protective equipment, to get ventilators, to get diagnostic tests,” he said. “It’s best managed at a central location so you can quickly move that equipment, those tests, to the places that need it immediately and continually re-stockpile.”
A former doctor and health professional, Bera said he would offer his own medical services if the crisis got bad enough.
“I’m a physician as well, and if things get pretty bad, I’ll go into practice at my old facility,” he said.
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