As hospitals plead for supplies, FEMA director has no answers on mask shipments

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

FEMA Director Peter Gaynor, appearing on network news broadcasts Sunday morning, was unable to answer questions about when resupplies of desperately needed protective masks would be available to health care workers.

“Can you tell us this morning when those masks will be distributed and how many?” asked ABC News’ Martha Raddatz.

“They have been distributed,” said Gaynor. “They’ve been distributed these past couple weeks. They’re shipping today. They’ll ship tomorrow. ... They have been shipping, we are trying to focus those shipments on the most critical hotspots in the country. Places like New York City, Washington State, California.”

“But will the health care systems there be overwhelmed before masks get there?” asked Raddatz. “I know you’ve been shipping some masks, but these 600 million ordered are very important and critical at this point. Will they get them in time before the health system is overwhelmed?”

https://news.yahoo.com/fema-director-pete-gaynor-hospital-supplies-coronavirus-no-answers-143616012.html

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. By refusing to sign the defense production act, he just killed an extra MILLION of us...

This is real bad.

He must be removed but GOP are cowards.

[Igel]

3. It was signed.

It's been renewed. He's claimed the authority.

The act doesn't make him Stalin or Hitler, able with the stroke of a pen to dictate to US citizens what they can do. (It used to be beefier, but Congress let some of the authority lapse and restricted other authorities.)

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R43767.pdf is the summary requested by Congress a few weeks ago and delivered shortly thereafter.

Title I mostly says that the President can re-prioritize a company's production goals and force acceptance of contracts. But also does this with subsidies, if necessary--but certain things have to be officially "found" (and there are processes for these) and if the amount is too large it needs a 30-day notice to Congress, which must then pass authorization. Funding is allocated, but it doesn't say if it's been used or not. It has odd things in it, too, like a preference for small businesses--in other words, instead of a 5 million N95-mask order to Big Corporation, they should put in time to find smaller companies for, perhaps, 5 1-million piece orders.

Mostly it seems to be, "What can Congress do to restrict the use of the DPA--more reports, a special oversight committee, more robust rule-making requirements, perhaps restrict some of the authority that's there." Less interest in making it efficient and useful, more interest in Congressional control and greater expression of distrust.

However, before Title I can be implemented, it has to be shown that businesses aren't prioritizing the government's orders--else the authority would have no effect. And it has to be shown that there isn't sufficient capacity or that materials required for production are in short supply. I haven't heard a whimper to that effect yet. In fact, as far as I can tell companies have been responding as quickly as they can to actual orders placed. It's just that the people shouting the loudest about the need to place orders haven't actually done so, at least as of last week.

[Eliot Rosewater]

4. ,,,

Link to tweet

I’m calling on the Federal Government to nationalize the medical supply chain.

The Federal Government should immediately use the Defense Production Act to order companies to make gowns, masks and gloves.

Currently, states are competing against other states for supplies.

so he signs it then doesnt use it...semantics

[CottonBear]

2. "Heckava job, Gaynie." N/T

[Windy City Charlie]

5. Most likely

Most likely saving them for the rich people that will probably need them eventually.