Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, joined a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to President Trump requesting a strong, coordinated federal effort to support our first responders by addressing the national shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). The shortage of PPE puts first responders at risk to COVID-19 and will hamper the ability of emergency personnel to serve on the front lines during this public health crisis.
“[We] urge you to continue exploring every possible avenue to increase the supply of PPE to put more of this critical equipment into the hands of those who need it most, including first responders,” wrote the Senators. “Specifically, this requires utilizing your authorities under the Defense Production Act to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity by incentivizing private firms to produce PPE, including respirators, gloves, gowns, and eye protection, and to allocate some of these resources to first responders.”
The Senators concluded, “Without aggressive federal action, we risk leaving first responders across the country without the tools and equipment they need to keep both themselves and our communities safe during this crisis.”
Joining Senator Collins in signing the letter were Members of the Law Enforcement Caucus and the Fire Services Caucus, including Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Tom Carper (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Click HERE to read the full letter.