The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday slammed the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying the president has sought to “downplay” the significance of the spread.
Sen. Jack Reed argued that the U.S. is behind in its approach to combating COVID-19 and pointed to the president’s stated intention to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) which the Rhode Island Democrat said should have already been put to use.
“Instead of preparing and mobilizing for this pandemic, President Trump tried to downplay it,” Mr. Reed said in a statement. “As a result, America is not as ready as we should be.”
He acknowledged that the administration has taken some steps necessary to coordinate an effective response, but we’ve “got to do more.”
Mr. Trump said earlier on the day he is invoking the DPA in the fight against a coronavirus that, as of Tuesday evening, has impacted all 50 states and put the White House on a “wartime” footing.
The Korean War-era law gives the president broad authority to “expedite and expand the supply of resources from the U.S. industrial base to support military, energy, space and homeland security programs,” according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.
On Tuesday, Mr. Reed urged the president to invoke the DPA and mobilize the authorities permitted by the act to alleviate stresses on the healthcare system and respond to the pandemic.
“Invoking the DPA is a step in the right direction that will enable the federal government to team up with the private sector to increase the availability of needed health supplies,” he said.
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