Brown, Portman lead Ohio Delegation, urge FEMA for more PPE
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Friday, U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH), along with the entire Ohio delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives, sent a letter urging Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor to swiftly approve Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's request for additional personal protective equipment (PPE) for Ohioans on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
The members say many hospitals have reached out to the state of Ohio in efforts to have their supplies replenished.
"COVID-19 has depleted Ohio's supplies of PPE and other necessary supplies, which are critical for protecting the health and well-being of our state's essential workers and limiting transmission to their family members and other members of the community. We have heard from multiple hospitals and the state government in Ohio that additional PPE is desperately needed," wrote the members. "Federal assistance is necessary to ensure the State has the PPE necessary to properly protect its workforce and prevent community spread. We urge you to approve Governor DeWine's request in full and send the required PPE to Ohio as quickly as possible."
The full text of the letter can be found below:
Dear Administrator Gaynor:
Thank you for working to ensure state, local, tribal, and territorial governments have what they need to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We write to urge you to act swiftly on the request by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for additional personal protective equipment (PPE) for Ohioans who continue to put their lives on the risk in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. No worker should be without critical protection.
COVID-19 has depleted Ohio's supplies of PPE and other necessary supplies, which are critical for protecting the health and well-being of our state's essential workers and limiting transmission to their family members and other members of the community. We have heard from multiple hospitals and the state government in Ohio that additional PPE is desperately needed. Without sufficient PPE, Ohio risks losing the progress it has made in combatting COVID-19.
On Thursday, April 16, 2020, Governor DeWine submitted a request for additional PPE for workers across the state of Ohio. We are fully supportive of this request, which is attached here for your convenience. Federal assistance is necessary to ensure the State has the PPE necessary to properly protect its workforce and prevent community spread.
We urge you to approve Governor DeWine's request in full and send the required PPE to Ohio as quickly as possible. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
