Congressional Democrats on Wednesday proposed a bill that would require a U.S. coronavirus supply czar to oversee critical medical supplies, while the top Senate Republican doubled down on demands for business protections.
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol during a morning rainstorm on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
The proposal also calls for a comprehensive testing plan that would include viral and antibody testing, and a blueprint for scaling up production of an eventual vaccine for the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, in a teleconference with mayors, said details of the Democrats’ proposals for aid to state and local governments will be unveiled in coming days. He talked about “revenue sharing” as the instrument for delivering the aid to localities.
“We’re going to insist on this reform, which is not related to money, as a condition for going forward,” McConnell told Fox News Radio. With backing from major unions, lawmakers said the medical supply bill would establish a more coherent national response by requiring the secretary of defense to appoint a civilian executive officer charged with overseeing the production and distribution of COVID-19-related equipment.
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