Ocasio-Cortez demands Trump order emergency manufacturing of medical supplies to combat coronavirus
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called on President Trump on Sunday to put the Defense Production Act into play and order the emergency production of medical supplies, arguing that the president’s reluctance to do so will “cost lives” as New York quickly becomes the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
“There are not enough face masks, gloves, ventilators, hospital beds to get us through this,” Ocasio-Cortez said during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Many hospitals are already at capacity or approaching capacity. And there is kind of no real stream in sight from the federal government on where these materials are coming from
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She added: “The fact that the president has not really invoked the Defense Production Act for the purpose of manufacture of emergency manufacture is going to cost lives.”
TRUMP ANNOUNCES HE IS INVOKING DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT TO FIGHT CORONAVIRUS
Trump announced last Wednesday that he would tap the Defense Production Act if needed in an effort to help the private sector ramp-up manufacturing and distribution of emergency medical supplies and equipment, and on Friday said that he has that “in gear.” So far, however, there has been no official announcement that the act has been invoked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The act, which was first enacted in 1950 as a response to the Korean War and has since been re-invoked more than 50 times since, will streamline production of medical supplies to help the country battle the coronavirus pandemic and require businesses to sign contracts or fulfill orders deemed necessary for national defense.
“It is absolutely needed,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “We are thankful to anyone who's pitching in on this effort, but we are nowhere near the beds, the capacity and the capacity that we need in this country.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he implored Trump during a phone call Friday to invoke the act immediately to order the manufacture of ventilators and other critically needed medical gear. The president told Schumer he would, then could be heard on the telephone making the order. He yelled to someone in his office to do it now, said Schumer’s spokesman, Justin Goodman.
Trump also announced an effective closure of the U.S. border with Mexico, prohibiting most travel except for trade. That brings it in line with the restriction on the Canadian border earlier this week.
The president, addressing reporters at the White House, announced a suspension of interest on federally owned student loans and said the Education Department will not enforce standardized testing requirements for students in elementary through high school for the current year. Under federal education law, states are required to administer standardized tests every school year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.