MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The federal government needs to do more to ensure that Wisconsin has the needed supplies to increase testing for coronavirus, three members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation told President Donald Trump in a letter sent ahead of Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to a ventilator manufacturer in Madison on Tuesday.
The criticism echoes concerns from Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and governors across the country about the lack of needed supplies. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday also said the Pence visit to Wisconsin was “meant to signal victory,” but the Trump administration has had a “slow and erratic response” and failed to ramp up production of needed equipment to fight the virus.
The Trump administration has also not provided information on when additional testing supplies will be provided from FEMA, said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Reps. Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan in the letter to Trump dated Monday.
Some needed supplies from the federal government have been diverted to private vendors rather than sent directly to state and local governments or health care providers, the letter to Trump said.
Pence was scheduled to visit a GE Healthcare manufacturing facility in Madison on Tuesday to highlight the production of ventilators.
