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Never mind that it is the right thing to do. Or that thelast thing politicians should be doingis coming up with ways to erode public confidence. Congress members for their own good should pass a proposed law that would end their ability to trade individual stocks while in office.

Senators and members of the House of Representatives, and often their top aides, know stuff the rest of us dont, or at least know it sooner. They get private briefings on national security threats, on economic data that can signal trouble ahead, and about foreign hot spots.

They need this to do their jobs, guide their policy decisions andact in the best interests of the people who elected them. But these reports can also indicate that they can make some big money by buying particular stocks or avoid big losses by dumping others.

Until 2012 there was nothing illegal about that. But there were calls for reform after the last market collapse in 2008 and 2009, and reports that many congresspeople weathered the subsequent Great Recession a whole lot better than the rest of us, based on investment decisions guided by the briefings they were receiving. President Barack Obama and the Democrats, then in control of both chambers, and with strong bipartisan support from the Republican minority, passed in 2012 the STOCK Act Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge.

It prohibits lawmakers from using nonpublic information derived from their official positions for personal benefit. It also requires every member of Congress to publicly file and disclose any financial transaction of stocks, bonds, commodities futures, and other securities within 45 days. Unfortunately, in 2013 Congress passed an amendment that eliminated a requirement for the creation of a searchable, sortable database.

Disclosures must be filed, but only on paper, making access to and interpretation of the data significantly more difficult. Congress wanted to claim transparency, while making it difficult.

Back in the news

The STOCK Act is back in the news as the country confronts another market drop and an economic downturn, this time tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. And, again, some congresspeople may be benefitting from insider information.

As noted in our editorial earlier last week, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, dumped stocks valued at up to $1.7 million after attending multiple briefings in which he learned how serious a health and economic threat the virus posed, even though at the time both he and President Trump were offering assurances that threat could be managed.

Burr was not alone. Disclosure records show three other senators sold major holdings before the market collapse: James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma; Kelly Loeffler, a Georgia Republican; and Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, also a member of Intelligence. Yet none of their financial moves have the same direct connection to the crisis as Burrs wholesale stock dump.

Inhofe, for example, sold off Paypal and Apple stock, which didnt seem to be in the crosshairs of the shutdown tied to the pandemic, nor did the $1.5 million to $6 million in stock Feinstein and her husband sold in the cancer-focused California biotech company Allogene Therapeutics. Feinstein said the decision was made by her husband and had nothing to do with the crisis. In fact, the stock subsequently rose.

Loeffler is the wife of Jeffrey C. Sprecher, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. Her filings, according to the New York Times, show 27 stock sales worth millions of dollars starting Jan. 24, beating the market downturn.

Loeffler, denying contentions of insider trading, said investment decisions are made by third-party advisers without her or her husbands knowledge or involvement.

That sounds a lot like the explanation I got from Sen. Richard Blumenthals office when I asked how he avoids appearances of conflict of interest or insider trading.

Our elected leaders

Senator Blumenthals investments are made by an outside professional, independently of him, and without any input or involvement by Senator Blumenthal in those decisions, read the statement from his office.

Blumenthal is one of the richest senators. He and his wifes personal fortune is around $70 million. His wife, Cynthia Malkin, is a real estate investor and heiress to the New York City-based Malkin property empire.

If Blumenthals outside professional had decided to unload some stock circa late January, and it showed up in his STOCK Act filing, his name might be tossed around in news reports as well.

On the other end of the Senate wealth spectrum is Sen. Chris Murphy, the states junior senator, also a Democrat. The watch-dog group Roll Call estimates Murphy has negative net worth, his liabilities outstripping his assets.

Murphys office told me he has college funds for his two children and a broad-index mutual fund. He does not trade in individual stocks.

Rep. Joe Courtney, the Democrat who has represented eastern Connecticuts Second District since 2007, told me in a phone interview he invests in a 401(k)mutual fund and does not control individual stocks. His net worth has been placed at $200,000.

Courtney voted for the STOCK Act.He says he supports further reforms.

The disclosure is good, but I dont think it is enough, Courtney said.

Courtney backslegislation that would prohibit any trading in individual stocks by members of Congress. It is being pushed by Democrats, but Republicans have shown no appetite for these tighter controls. The legislation is unlikely to move forward with Republicans holding the Senate.

Under the legislation, members of the Senate and House would either have to have their holdings in a blind trust, with strict controls so that the investor cannot benefit from any insider information the lawmaker may have, or could put holdings in broad-based investments, such as diversified mutual funds.

This would not be foolproof Sen. Loeffler says she effectively uses a blind trust but is still under suspicion but it would be a big improvement. And the rules of what constituted a truly blind trust would be clear, rather than interpreted by the individual lawmaker.

Craig Holman, a government affairs specialistwith the clean government advocacy group Public Citizen, said only about one-third of the members of Congress still trade in individual stocks in the wake of the STOCK Act.

Those who still do risk suspicions of benefitting from insider trading, as much as they may insist as Sen. Burr does that they were acting on public information. Tighter measures, with strict blind trusts, would both keep everybody honest and significantly reduce appearances of conflict of interest. If Republicans resist, it is another issue Democrats can run on in trying to win the Senate in 2020.

Paul Choiniere is the editorial page editor.

The rest is here:
Democrats can make reform a winning issue - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

Top Democrats in Congress are urging the Trump administration to ease sanctions on Iran, Venezuela, and other countries badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, citing the need to provide medical supplies and humanitarian support.

In a stream of several letters aimed at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top U.S. officials, Democratic members of Congress including presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are pushing for the administration to grant clearly outlined waivers from American sanctions.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy also spearheaded a call by several Democrats to the Trump administration to ease U.S. sanctions against countries, including Iran and Venezuela, hit hard by coronavirus, saying the measures are hampering the free flow of medicines and other humanitarian supplies to the neediest as the pandemic worsens.

Helping these nations save lives during this crisis is the right thing to do from a moral perspective, but it is also the right thing to do from a national security perspective, Murphy wrote in the letter sent Thursday to Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. By allowing our sanctions to contribute to the exceptional pain and suffering brought about by the coronavirus outbreaks in both nations, we play into the anti-Americanism that is at the heart of both regimes hold on power. The letter was co-signed by several Senate Democrats, including Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine, and Patrick Leahy.

[Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how its affecting countries around the world.]

An early draft of the letter sent by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez that was seen by Foreign Policy also calls for a temporary suspension of sanctions, including on the banking and oil sectors that have been heavily targeted since President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018. The letter is expected to be sent to Pompeo and Mnuchin early next week.

The Trump administration has said that it would only lift sanctionswhich are aimed at pressuring Iran into a fresh nuclear deal without sunset provisionsonce Iran stops its activity of supporting terrorist groups and proxies in the Middle East and halts its ballistic missile program. In February, the United States asked Iran to identify medical or other needs for coronavirus relief through Swiss interlocutors. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus told the U.S.-funded Radio Farda on Thursday that the offer came without preconditions.

Murphy is asking the administration to hold off on the enforcement of sanctions for 90 days that could halt a rapid humanitarian response to the spread of the coronavirus in Iran. He also wants the Treasury Department to ease penalties against information technology companies that could provide information on treating or preventing the disease.

A new podcast from Foreign Policy covering all aspects of the coronavirus pandemic

Over 30,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have spread across Iran, including to elite military and clerical leaders. Earlier this month, Iranian state radio said that Mohammad Mirmohammadi, a member of the advisory body to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had died of COVID-19. Amid the crisis, Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund for $5 billion in critical funds and for supplies of masks, respirators, and other medical equipment.

The debate over whether to modify U.S. sanctions on Iran spilled out onto the editorial pages of major American papers this week, with the New York Times editorial board calling for the Trump administration to allow an IMF loan to move forward and for technical assistance. The Wall Street Journals editorial board ran a rejoinder on Wednesday.

Some experts say even with sanctions relief or waivers for humanitarian and medical supplies, its unclear if countries like Iran have enough foreign currency reserves to buy up medical suppliesor if foreign companies and international banks would be willing to broker the transactions in the first place. Even if they say theyre not targeting Irans humanitarian imports, theyre still chilling the markets overall, Brian OToole, a former CIA and Treasury Department official, told Foreign Policy.

Administration officials also believe Irans military and its proxies could immediately take advantage of any broader sanctions relief, even if sanctions were only eased temporarily. If Iran could suddenly repatriate a bunch of money, or Irans [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] funds were unfrozen, it could start to move those into places where its hidden, people couldnt find them as easily, and then youre stuck back in a place where youve aided U.S. adversaries, OToole said.

The call for the suspension of sanctions coincides with a Democratic effort led by Rep. Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Adam Smith, head of the armed services panel, to keep the U.S. Agency for International Development from halting aid to areas controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, a suspension thats set to go into effect on Friday.

USAID is totally stonewalling efforts to push this suspension back, or to create meaningful carve outs for lifesaving programs, a former U.S. official familiar with the matter told Foreign Policy.

USAIDs assistant administrator for its Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, John Barsa, who is set to take over the agencys top spot in an acting role next month, strongly supports the suspension of U.S. assistance to Houthi-controlled areas, the former official said, though the Trump administration has been warned that the freeze could lack sufficient carve-outs for bystanders living under the Iran-backed group.

But its not clear the legislative effort to urge a course change will have an impact on the Trump administrations efforts to exact what it calls maximum pressure on Iran to force it to rein in proxy groups and efforts at ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

Last month, the Trump administration and Switzerland, which has served as the U.S. consular go-between in Iran since Washington severed relations with the Islamic Republic more than 40 years ago, launched a humanitarian channel that would allow companies to avoid American sanctions to provide needed agricultural goods and medical supplies.

But in spite of the gesture, U.S. sanctions on Iran appear to have continued apace as the Pentagon has engaged Iran in a low-level tit-for-tat following rocket attacks on Iraqi bases that killed two American service members.

Earlier Thursday, the Trump administration sanctioned 20 people and businesses linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corpss elite Quds Force. The State Department said they exploit Iraqs dependence on Iranian electricity imports, as the Trump administration extended a natural gas waiver from U.S. sanctions to Iraq.

Speaking to the Senates powerful armed services panel in mid-March, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East said the spread of the novel coronavirus to Iranian military and political leadership had caused Irans decision-making to become more unpredictable.

I think it probably makes them in terms of decision-making more dangerous rather than less dangerous, U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said.

Foreign Policys Colum Lynch and Robbie Gramer contributed to this report.

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Democratic Lawmakers Criticize Trump Administration Sanctions Policy, Saying It Undermines Health Systems as Iran and Others Fight Coronavirus -...

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Dont look now, but powerful forces are maneuvering to subject our daughters to the draft. Its part of the ongoing exploitation of the current crisis. More about this below.

Right now, our home-grown socialists are delighted that Uncle Sugar will be handing out checks to everybody under the sun as part of the $2 trillion stimulus package.

And why shouldnt they be? The socialist goal is to make everyone dependent on government, except for them. Theyll be in charge, telling everyone else how to live and what to think.

If there was any doubt that Democrats would try to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis and the stock market crash, Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat, eliminated it.

The House Majority Whip, who almost single-handedly saved Joe Bidens bacon in the Palmetto States primary, advised his fellow Democrats to see this as a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.

This mirrors Rahm Emanuels famous admonition, you dont ever want a crisis to go to waste. Its an opportunity to do things you would otherwise avoid.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has packed all sorts of leftist wish list items into the bailout, despite some Republican Senate opposition. Theres $50 million for legal services for the poor; $75 million for federal arts programs, and $25 million for the Kennedy Center so congressmen wont miss their favorite shows.

As of Friday, it wasnt clear how many items survived in the final version. The Dems wanted federal money for abortions and fetal tissue research. They wanted to weaken state election safeguards by mandating national early voting, same-day voter registration and absentee balloting without voter ID. They also wanted student loan forgiveness, green offsets on carbon and forcing a diversity agenda on corporations.

Although much of the bill will help revive the economy, it has billions for massive expansion of federal welfare programs without a clear indication that these are temporary fixes. This fits Mr. Clyburns and Mr. Emanuels socialist vision of using a calamity to permanently expand government.

Government is the lefts religion. It has angels and devils. The high priests of the media tell us whos who. Tithes are mandatory, and paid as taxes, but they come in other forms as well. Such as turning our daughters over to the tender mercies of the administrative state.

The National Commission on Military, National and Public Service, a congressional panel championed by the late Sen. John McCain, has seized the moment to advocate mandatory registration of all young women for the draft. For years, women have served admirably in many capacities, just not deliberately in direct combat.

Women have been exempted from the draft, and military women from combat, because theyre the bearers of life and primary caregivers. Plus, men are better equipped for combat.

In 1981, in Rostker v. Goldberg, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that because women dont serve in combat, theyre ineligible for the military draft. That civilized distinction was removed in 2015 under President Obama, who purposely sent women into battle.

Now comes what the commission calls a once-in-a-generation moment to sweep aside the ages-old protection of women as non-combatants.

At a time when our country is having extremely important conversations about our path forward, we should be prioritizing the recommendations coming out of this commission and working to make them a reality, said former Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, known mainly for commanding U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Translation: Lets ram this through while people are terrified and distracted.

It isnt just the military. The Deep State has a profound interest in reframing citizens relationship with our government. Proponents of mandatory national service, for example, tout fairness to make everyone serve, not just volunteers.

This flies in the face of the nations founding by people who saw government as a necessary evil, not a panacea for all the worlds problems.

During each major war, from the Civil War through Vietnam, the national state has expanded its powers. The same thing happened during the Great Depression and the 2008-2009 recession.

Growing the state is the primary focus of leftists, regardless of their particular issues. People under an all-powerful state can be forced to lie and to betray their consciences. Free people, not so much.

Conflating voluntary service with mandatory service is a huge lie. The Mormon church encourages young men to serve as missionaries for two years, and young women for 18 months. But it is a voluntary religious duty. When government mandates behavior, it can use force, which distinguishes government from the rest of civil society.

The healthiest arrangement is subsidiarity, whereby people closest to those in need know best whats needed. It starts with the family, then the churches, synagogues, neighbors, local community and on up to the county, state and national governments.

The left has this backwards, preferring to start with big government. It doesnt matter that this often does deep damage to the rest of civil society. In fact, thats the point.

Having so many independent, self-governing folks is deplorable to them. As is exempting our daughters from the draft.

Robert Knight is a contributor to The Washington Times. His website is roberthknight.com.

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How Democrats are wrongly taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis - Washington Times

Dana Gums of Eagle Lake isnt a typical 2020 voter. Shes uncertain how she will vote in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

I am this year, Gums said. Usually, Im pretty set. You need to be super-educated, and thats a long way away. A lot can happen between now and then.

A Marine Corps veteran, Gums said, Im not a Democrat but that doesnt mean President Donald Trump will definitely get her vote.

Shes undecided going into this years general election and plans to spend the next seven months getting informed about the candidates. Gums wishes more people were going into the election with an open mind, open to new ideas.

I am in the minority. I think thats how everybody should be.

Of the people interviewed by The Free Press earlier this month, Gums was clearly in the minority. Most voters, even with uncertainty about who the Democratic Party will ultimately nominate, are already locked in.

Jan Bentdahl, a Republican from Mankato, turned out to vote in the presidential primary even though Trump was the only name on the GOP ballot.

Its my duty to vote.

Hes livid with the Democrats impeachment proceedings against the president. The other side, they waste a lot of tax money. Its a big circus on the Democrat side.

Bentdahl said he would tell any voters still on the fence about which partys candidate to vote for that they must stick with Trump, To keep the change going. To keep America great.

He said Democratic candidates who pushed a democratic socialist agenda have frightened independents. Dont mess with the socialist stuff. The country would go to hell.

I see a lot of independents going with Trump.

Bentdahl, 70, who served in the Army and Air Force, credits Trump with doing a lot for the military. He said he originally was skeptical of a billionaire with no elected experience.

But he is promises made, promises kept.

Bentdahl, who along with his wife havent left their house since March 7, believes Trump has been dealing well with the coronavirus pandemic.

I think hes trying to do the best he can with all the help he can get. I think a lot of companies are doing what they can do to help.

Bentdahl also credits Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for his performance.

I think hes done a pretty good job handling it. Hes activated the Guard. I think hes doing the best he can with what he can do.

Bentdahl believes Democrats in Congress slowed efforts to get needed help to small businesses and others suffering economically. And he thinks their actions will further erode support for Democrats going into Novembers elections.

Congress has to get their act together.

Donna Drganc, a retiree from Eagle Lake, is drawn to the moderate wing of the Democratic Party. She likes former Vice President Joe Biden and liked Pete Buttigieg but ultimately supported Michael Bloomberg, based on his record as mayor of New York City.

Why not Sen. Bernie Sanders? Because I dont want to be a socialist.

But, even without her first-choice candidate and without knowing for certain who will be running against Trump, Drganc is not even remotely considering the possibility of casting a ballot for the president.

No. Oh, no. No, no, no. Im voting blue no matter who it is. Donald Trump is an embarrassment.

Asked what message she would send to undecided voters, Drganc said the nation needs relief from a bad president undeserving of another four years in the White House.

Oh God. You dont have enough paper, Im sorry. He doesnt know what hes doing, he doesnt listen to the people who do know what theyre doing, he thinks he knows better than the generals and the scientists, he puts people around himself that are dumb, hes just in it for himself, hes just a mess, hes a racist, hes a sexist. ...

Like Drganc, Jen Cucurullo of Mankato wont have the opportunity to vote for the candidate she thought would make the best president. Originally an Amy Klobuchar fan, Cucurullo voted for Elizabeth Warren in the primary after Klobuchar dropped out.

Regardless of the Democratic nominee, she hopes undecided voters search their conscience and vote against Trump: At the end of the day my values and ethics dont align with what (Trump) says and does.

I wouldnt want my family and friends to be treated like he treats people.

If Matt Rausch gets a chance to share his views with a wavering voter in the presidential election, hell talk about why they should support a second term for Trump even if they arent a fan of his personality.

He didnt get hired to be a nice person, Rausch said. He got hired to drain the swamp and get things done. Youre hired to do a job.

Jennifer Thomas

Jennifer Thomas, a radiology technician assistant, has no issue with Trumps personality.

I feel like he doesnt hide what he believes in, Thomas said. I believe he has a big heart for what America needs and that he has our best interests at heart.

She thinks some people dislike the real estate mogul because of his success, but the Eagle Lake resident has been impressed by him for years.

I liked him before he was president, she said. I know hes rich and wealthy, and they get a bad rap for taking care of themselves. But I just like his personality in general.

Thomas hopes other Americans will take the time to research candidates and their policy positions in the months ahead: They have to evaluate all the information thats out there and not let CNN dictate what theyll believe in and acquire all of the facts. That will require a little bit of homework.

Rausch, an automotive technician in Mankato, would discourage independent voters from supporting any Democratic candidate.

From what Ive watched from the debates, the Democratic Party doesnt know left from right. Theyre all kind of socialists to me.

More government control and higher taxes would undermine the countrys future, according to Rausch, who said evidence is provided by history.

Socialism in general always ends badly. Its upended a lot of stuff too much government control. The tax thing is a really big thing. We started out as a free country. Thats what we stand for.

While Rausch puts all of the Democratic candidates in the socialist category, several Democrats differentiated between Sanders and more moderate candidates.

I see stability and a common-sense person in Joe Biden, Mankato Democrat Merri Jo Miller said. And I see the good in him. We need change.

Miller listed health care and the economy as top issues, both things she believes the Democratic nominee can better handle than Trump.

Im a middle-of-the road person. I think itd be harder to sway people if (it was) Sanders. Hes just too liberal.

Matt Houselog of Eagle Lake, who voted in the primary election with his wife, didnt say who his preferred candidate is, but he wants someone as far from the extremes as possible.

We think this may be more important than ever, Houselog said of the 2020 presidential election. ... And our main goal would be a little more country-unification.

Neither said who they support, but Houselog is bothered by the divisions in America: Thats putting it mildly. ... A leader that wouldnt be so far left or right and could maybe get some things done throughout the tenure.

Sanders supporter Robert Pierce of Eagle Lake doesnt buy the argument that Sanders cant do well with a broader set of voters.

I disagree with that, Pierce said. I think hed be fine.

A technical support worker, he expects to vote for the Democratic nominee even if it isnt Sanders: It will probably be out of obligation, I guess. Im definitely still voting (in November). Its just a matter of how excited you are.

Asked what he would say to undecideds, Pierce doubts that there are many interested Americans who have failed to form a strong opinion about Trump.

Id say all three of the people who havent made up their mind probably arent going to vote, he said.

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Pulse of the voters: Local Democrats, Republicans make their pitch to the (very few) folks on the fence - Mankato Free Press

House Democrats, highly skeptical of President TrumpDonald John TrumpWith VP pick, Biden can't play small ball in a long ball world Coronavirus hits defense contractor jobs Wake up America, your country doesn't value your life MORE's claim that medical equipment needed to treat patients with coronavirus is in ready supply, are asking the administration for evidence to back it up.

Behind Rep. Norma TorresNorma Judith TorresOvernight Health Care Presented by PCMA US now leads world in known coronavirus cases | Unemployment claims soar by over 3 million | House to vote on stimulus Friday | Ventilator shortage sets off scramble Democrats ask Trump for evidence that medical supplies are available Hispanic Democrats demand funding for multilingual coronavirus messaging MORE (D-Calif.), dozens of lawmakers are pressing the administration to provide proof that hospitals, nursing homes and other medical providers haveample access to equipment like respirators, ventilators, gloves and goggles, as the president and members of his administration have recently asserted.

In a letter to Trump delivered Thursday, 45 Democrats cite numerous cases of hospitals lacking not only test kits, but also the most basic personal protective equipment, or PPE, like medical masks and gowns. Those reports run counter to Trump's claims that the administration is keeping up with the providers' supply needs, and getting "tremendous reviews" in the process.

"Your Administration claims to be resolving shortages of critical medical supplies, yet we have not seen evidence to corroborate those claims," the Democrats wrote in their letter, obtained by The Hill. "In contrast, first responders on the front lines of this crisis are urgently warning that their needs for these medical supplies are rapidly outstripping available supply."

The Democrats are asking administration officials to disclose any information they've gathered about the availability of critical medical supplies; the specific equipment needs conveyed by providers; and the regions of the country where those supplies are most lacking. They also asked whether the administration has shared that data with the private manufacturers that might be equipped to help meet the demand.

They're seeking a response within 48 hours.

"We need a national strategy to combat this virus one based on an understanding of how many supplies we need, how many we can get, and who needs them," the lawmakers wrote.

Among the other Democrats on the letter are Reps. Jim McGovern (Mass.), chairman of the Rules Committee; Cheri BustosCheryl (Cheri) Lea BustosDemocrats ask Trump for evidence that medical supplies are available Annual Congressional Dinner pushed back to June amid coronavirus concerns Internal Democratic research shows Hispanics energized to vote in November MORE (Ill.), head of the Democrats' campaign arm; Ami BeraAmerish (Ami) Babulal BeraDemocrats ask Trump for evidence that medical supplies are available Pelosi stands firm amid calls to close Capitol Trump, Congress struggle for economic deal under coronavirus threat MORE (Calif.), a medical doctor; and Nydia Velzquez (N.Y.), who chairs the Small Business Committee.

As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States has surged over the past week surpassing 75,000 on Thursday, including more than 1,000 deaths Trump and other White House officials have downplayed the reports that hospitals, doctors and nurses have been forced to treat the highly contagious disease without basic medical gear.

Trump last week said he "cannot explain the gap" between the providers' horror stories and his own rosy portrait of treatment conditions.

"Im hearing very good things on the ground," he said.

On Saturday, Trump doubled down on that assessment, saying the medical supply needs were being met because the administration is making much of this stuff now and much of its being delivered now.

Weve also gotten tremendous reviews from a lot of people that cant believe how fast its coming, Trump said.

And while Trump has said he's prepared to ramp up medical supply stocks by tapping the Defense Production Act which allows the president to force private industries to manufacture certain goods in the name of national security he and his advisers have been reluctant to do so.

"We're getting what we need without putting the heavy hand of government down," White House adviser Peter Navarro said Sunday during Trump's now-daily press briefing.

Those assessments stand in contrast to the stories coming from a long and growing list of states, hospitals and other entities, which are sounding dire warnings that the federal response has been far too tepid to meet the growing needs of the medical workers on the front lines of diagnosing and treating the highly contagious coronavirus.

A nurse working at a hospital in Loudoun County, Va. among the wealthiest counties in the country told The Hill recently that the nurse's unit is down to six respirator masks, and medical workers have been asked to reuse them.

"It's disgusting," the nurse said.

Vice President Pence, who's leading the White House's coronavirus response, seemed to acknowledge Wednesday that masks are in short supply, but quickly added that efforts are underway to fill the void.

"Weve literally identified significant resources not just around the country, but around the world of the masks that can be used by health care workers," he said at the White House.

On Wednesday, the Senate passed an enormous, $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill that includes $130 billion for hospitals, nursing homes and other providers, to help restore the dwindling equipment supply. The House is poised to pass that package on Friday morning, and Trump has vowed to sign it immediately.

Yet Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiSunday shows preview: Lawmakers, state governors talk coronavirus, stimulus package and resources as pandemic rages on Attacking the Affordable Care Act in the time of COVID-19 DC argues it is shortchanged by coronavirus relief bill MORE (D-Calif.) is already warning that it won't be enough.

On Thursday, she praised the medical workers on the front lines of the coronavirus fight, but lamented the "shortfall" in protective equipment. She called on the administration to use the Defense Production Act to compel private manufacturers to convert their systems toward the fabrication of that equipment, and she vowed that Democrats on Capitol Hill will press for more PPE funding in the next, fourth round of coronavirus relief.

"We need to get them more personal protective equipment," she told reporters in the Capitol. "That's absolutely essential, and it is a shortfall right now."

Torres and the other 44 Democrats on Thursday's letter will certainly agree.

"You have rightly said that we are at war against an invisible enemy," they wrote to Trump. "In war, you don't leave states to fend for themselves and to compete for supplies against one another."

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Democrats ask Trump for evidence that medical supplies are available | TheHill - The Hill