Senators introduce bill for central coordination of the medical supply chain

Move is necessary to truly aid in the fight against COVID-19

U.S. PIRG

WASHINGTON — The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act was introduced Wednesday by U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. The bill would create a central, transparent system for procuring and distributing medical supplies during the COVID-19 crisis, and would help resolve a chaotic market where states, local governments, and hospitals are being forced to compete against each other and the federal government for critical supplies.

U.S. PIRG has been calling for central coordination of the medical supply chain, mobilizing support from more than a hundred mayors and county executives across the country in a letter to President Trump. 

In response to the bill introduction, Matthew Wellington, Public Health Campaigns director for U.S. PIRG, issued the following statement:

“A fractured supply chain is forcing states and hospitals to bid against each other to save the lives of their citizens and patients. The result? Skyrocketing prices and healthcare workers still not getting what they need to protect themselves and care for patients two months into this health crisis.

“We’ve been calling on the federal government to create a transparent, centralized system for getting critical medical supplies directly to impacted areas. This bill would accomplish that. We applaud Sens. Baldwin, Murphy and Schumer for their leadership and lend our full support to the legislation.”