As I often say to friends and colleagues, the issues we face as a society are complex and simply cannot be reduced to bumper sticker slogans. Sometimes, however, the reality is strikingly simply—and staring us right in the face.
Afterlobbying by the Chamber of Commerce, the administrationinitially dragged its feetin using the authority granted by theDefense Production Actto manufacture ventilators and much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) in short supply to protect frontline workers. This left health care providers to自己照顾自己了。4月2日,the administrationfinally used emergency authorityevidently tooutbid states and hospitalstrying to obtain critical supplies andconfiscating shipments of supplies to states。
As the pandemic reached meat processing facilities,causing more than 10,000 infections and the deaths of at least 45 workers, the administration decided to use that emergency authority to force those facilities to continue production. Butwithout adequate safety protectionsfor the workers in those facilities. In other words, as my colleagueDerrick Z. Jackson put it, “meat is critical infrastructure; workers, no so much.”
The president himself is nowreceiving daily testingand practicing some social distancing. It would appear the White House understands how to protect against the virus but has taken no real steps to extend life saving protections to working people.
Given that, Congressmust requirethat the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) immediately institute a temporary emergency standard that requires employers to ensure their workers are protected from the virus.