WASHINGTON (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Wisconsin lawmakers say their calls for federal support seem to be falling on deaf ears in Washington.
Some in the delegation are expressing concerns about other states receiving special treatment or being prioritized during this pandemic.
“[The Trump administration] is basically saying, ‘each hospital, each city, each law enforcement agency, each state, go out, bid against each other, try to get what you need on your own’ and that’s just not working,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin.
Baldwin believes Pres. Trump’s handling so far has been too chaotic to effectively control the situation.
It’s why she sent a letter to the president this week, nudging him to fulfill the state’s repeated requests for PPE and medical supplies.
Her frustration boiled over after learning Brown County Sheriff’s request for 1,000 masks were diverted by the federal government.
But Congressman Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, that district’s representative, says this matter is more gray than black and white.
“We cant sit back here and hoard resources if indeed our friends in Manhattan are struggling in a life or death fashion,” said Rep. Gallagher. “But nor can we not prepare in preparation for a surge. In other words, if you send all the equipment to areas who are going through the surge right now, we’re going to be left high and dry if indeed we get hit hard in Northeast Wisconsin.”
He thinks Wisconsin shouldn’t rely on the federal government for all the state’s emergency needs.
“It’s so critical that we’re ramping up manufacturing across the country and people in private sector are stepping up,” said Gallagher.
Sen. Baldwin followed up with another letter to the president on Wednesday, featuring signatures from 20 Democrats in then Senate.
She’s seeking information on how distribution decisions by Trump officials are being made.
“Dozens of states have requested supplies from the stockpile,” wrote the senators. “However, your Administration has failed to sufficiently respond to these requests.”