Survey Questions and Candidate Responses

Cassandra Martineau | Participating Election

I believe in harnessing and empowering communities. I have personally helped make and give away many cloth masks (better for the environment!), and have inspired others to do so, as well. I would love to explore ways to help local maskmakers supply their communities.

Bruce Walczak | Participating Election

It is unacceptable that these supplies continue to be in short supply. With a second wave of the Covid around the corner I would encourage congress to request the President to use the Defense Production Act to insure adequate supply of PPP to essential works and the general public.

Joe Courtney | Participating Election

Since March, I have been in touch with our local health centers, hospitals, fire departments, and doctors’ offices about shortages of Personal Protective Equipment. At its worst, the shortage went beyond masks to include gowns, face shields, and even basic medical supplies. As soon as we realized the Strategic National Stockpile would not be sufficient to supply the entire nation throughout the pandemic, the President should have invoked the Defense Production Act to create a domestic supply chain of these necessary items. Unfortunately the Trump Administration did not take this action and shortages still persist. As a member of the armed services Committee, I have repeatedly pushed the President and the Department of Defense to use the DPA for PPE, just like what was done for ventilators. In the meantime, last May, I voted for passage of the Heroes Act, which included requirements that the Department of Health and Human Services create a Medical Supplies Response Coordinator to monitor nationwide supply levels, and made changes to the National Strategic Stockpile to improve the availability of PPE, other supplies, and necessary pharmaceuticals.

John Larson | Participating Election

After speaking with experts, including former Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, I authored two pieces of legislation to help manufacture and distribute PPE and other critical supplies. The first bill would utilize the Defense Production Act to increase the manufacturing of critical medical supplies, including PPE. The second bill would utilize the Defense Logistics Agency to create a national strategy for the production and distribution of supplies.

Brian Merlen | Participating Election

I believe we need to utilize the Defense Production Act to get the full force of American manufacturing behind PPE production. Our country should be using its existing resources to address this vital national defense need.

Rosa DeLauro | Participating Election

I have worked hard in my position as Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee to ensure that COVID relief packages have included the resources hospitals and health care providers, including more than $200 million for those in our District, and first responders need to do their jobs on the frontline. Congress needs to make serious investments in the CDC and NIH to ensure both the development and large-scale distribution of effective vaccines. I believe Congress and the next Administration need to take a hard look at the Strategic National Stockpile, how and why it is stocked with the supplies it holds as well as how we can do better.

Justin Anderson | Participating Election

It is important to understand, that as a responsible administration, if you deplete national stocks of prepositioned supplies, you must not only replenish it, but ensure stocks are rotated and within expiration standards. Neither one of these occurred after the H1N1 pandemic. There are five regions in Connecticut for Emergency Response. I was one of five military personnel (working with Region 1) as the Liaison Officer between local administrators, municipalities and the military. President Trump began re-stockpiling strategic stores, along with securing commercial stocks. Connecticut requested these supplies. The Connecticut military set up a warehouse in New Britain. The Air-guard transported the supplies to Point of Distribution (POD) centers and I was one of five military personnel ensuring municipal requests were filled and pushed out to the first responders: police, fire and medical responders. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is critical for first responders and hospitals. Connecticut had multiple avenues to push PPE and other assets. The Soldiers were placed on Active Duty by the federal government to assist the states. We were ahead of the emergency response game, and I was proud to be supporting Region 1 in these times of crises. There are only two states in the entire Nation listed as having “contained” the Covid-19 virus. Vermont and Connecticut. Federal assistance made our operation possible. You cannot give credit to our state government without crediting the federal response.