“The Inspector General’s report is a damning indictment of the Trump Administration’s failure to do its job and assist states where the coronavirus pandemic is pushing the capacity of health care systems to their limits. The President and his Administration must take whatever steps are necessary to deliver urgent medical equipment and supplies, particularly masks and ventilators, needed to protect and save lives. Delay in action and denial of the severity of this crisis are not options; only a concerted federal effort to provide emergency assistance to the states can help us overcome this challenge. That is why I am calling on the President to engage in full the Defense Production Act and appoint a senior military leader to oversee that effort and ensure that the federal government is doing all it can to meet its responsibilities to states in need of emergency medical equipment.   “I urge the Administration to get serious about this crisis. Action is urgently required, which is why Congress took swift bipartisan action in March with three pieces of major legislation to address the coronavirus and its impact on public health and the economy. The President and his team must do their jobs and ensure that health care workers and hospitals get the help they need.”