This morning, I released a new staff report exposing how the #TrumpAdmin wasted $500+ million in taxpayer funds & cost the American people ventilators b/c of a disastrous deal negotiated by senior officials. Here's the #thread⬇️
oversight.house.gov/news/press-rel…
oversight.house.gov/news/press-rel…
As Chair of @OversightDems' Subcmte on Economic & Consumer Policy, I launched an investigation to find out why we didn't have enough ventilators at the beginning of the #covid19 pandemic, despite a 2014 #ObamaAdmin contract w/ @PhilipsNA for 10K ventilators by 2019.
Under the Obama-era contract, @PhilipsNA was required to provide @HHS with 10K ventilators for $3,280 each by September 2019.
Instead of the #TrumpAdmin asking Philips to speed up production, they gave the company an EXTENTION to deliver ventilators by September 2022.
Instead of the #TrumpAdmin asking Philips to speed up production, they gave the company an EXTENTION to deliver ventilators by September 2022.
The #TrumpAdmin then decided to negotiate a completely NEW contract for the SAME kind of ventilators for $15K EACH. This is NEARLY 5X the original cost!
The #TrumpAdmin grossly mishandled procurement of much-needed ventilators and cost the American people millions of dollars.
Philips negotiated prices with some small purchasers, who bought as few as ONE VENTILATOR, for a little more than $9K EACH.
But the #TrumpAdmin took Philips’ FIRST OFFER in the new contract w/o even trying to negotiate for a lower price.
This is a failure of leadership.
But the #TrumpAdmin took Philips’ FIRST OFFER in the new contract w/o even trying to negotiate for a lower price.
This is a failure of leadership.
This is $500+ million that could've been used on PPE for frontline workers across the country. The #TrumpAdmin's actions cost the American people greatly during the worst medical crisis of our generation. I call on Philips to IMMEDIATELY return the money to the American people.
