April 13, 2020
Dear Senator,
On behalf of more than 600,000 active and retired members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), I strongly urge you to co-sponsor the ‘‘Medical Supply Chain Emergency Act” (S. 3568) introduced by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). There has been a serious shortage of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic; we need to take immediate action to ensure these supplies are made and available for workers.
The Medical Supply Chain Emergency Act would require the President to act under the Defense Production Act (DPA) and have the federal government expand the manufacturing of medical supplies including masks, ventilators, respirators, coronavirus tests, etc. The bill would also create a coordinated procurement and distribution process for states and health care facilities.
This legislation would resolve the rising competition among states for PPE. The pandemic has caused states to fiercely bid against each other for medical supplies. If passed, under the DPA, the president could authorize PPE production and federalize the allocation of those resources to the states for a fair and reasonable price.
Essential workers are on the frontline risking their lives every day for our country. They remain working without the proper equipment and the Machinists Union urges you to cosponsor this legislation to produce PPE. Help us save lives and help get more Americans back to work manufacturing lifesaving equipment.
To sign on as a cosponsor, please contact Alec Johnson (Alec_Johnson@Murphy.Senate.gov) with Senator Chris Murphy’s staff.
For more information, please contact the Machinists Legislative Director Hasan Solomon at (301) 967-4575 or hsolomon@iamaw.org.
Thank you,
Robert Martinez, Jr.
International President
