Trump administration plan to provide millions of free face masks fizzled
The big picture: The scale of this undertaking would have been extraordinary, mobilizing an enormous public-private partnership to deliver protective cloth masks to millions of people — in one iteration of the idea, maybe even to every American.
Details: Administration officials had considered a partnership in which Hanes and Fruit of the Loom manufactured millions of cloth face masks and the U.S. Postal Service would have helped deliver them.
Robert Kadlec, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, was the key driver of the idea and had vocal support from Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger.
The idea came up a few weekends ago during a coronavirus task force meeting in the Situation Room, while Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was briefing the team on Hanes' decision to start making cotton masks.
Kadlec seized upon and later expanded upon the concept, arguing for a partnership among Hanes, Fruit of the Loom and the Postal Service. He wanted to publicly announce the proposal in conjunction with the then-upcoming federal guidance encouraging people to wear masks.
“If CDC is going to recommend face coverings, the government should at least provide them for its citizens," a former senior HHS official familiar with the discussion said.
Where it stands: Hanes has already announced that it's retooling its factories to make masks for health care workers to help alleviate shortages. But Kadlec's idea for a bigger partnership has been tabled.
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“Everything Trump Touches Fizzles”
