Washington’s Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee on Sunday called it “ludicrous” that there’s no national effort to procure medical equipment for states dealing with escalation of coronavirus cases.
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press,” Inslee urged President Donald Trump to “do what he should… be a wartime president” to get the necessary equipment to battle COVID-19.
“We’ve have had good communication with the vice president, with the CDC, those have been good,” he said.
“But this is ludicrous that we do not have a national effort in this. To say ‘we’re a backup,’ … Can you imagine if Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, ‘I’ll be right behind you, Connecticut. Good luck building those battleships.’”
"We governors, Republicans and Democrats, have been urging the president to do what he should which is if he wants to be a wartime president, be a wartime president. Show some leadership. Mobilize the industrial base of the United States," he declared. "That’s what we need.”
Inslee said his own state has had “one of the most aggressive stay at home, stay healthy initiatives in the United States,” but called for a national stay-at-home order.
“We have had some success flattening the curve” of the virus spread, he said. “That has taken place because we acted relatively early. We had a stage way of moving forward.”
“I think that it would be good to have a national stay at home order,” he added. “And the reason is is that even if Washington gets on top of this fully, if another state doesn't, it can come back and come across our borders two months from now. So this is important to have a national success.”
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