There's a lot of noise about "federalism" and about what the federal govt should and should not be doing. The basic idea of federalism is that different levels of govt should do what they do best or what another level cannot do. /1

Thus the Interstate Trade Commission handles aspects of an integrated national economy that individual states cannot do by themselves or via inter-state arrangements. /2

This is clearly the case with the covid-19 pandemic. The disease is not aware of state borders. What one state does affects other states' public health situation--often exponentially. /3

States compete for PPEs and ventilators in a zero-sum game that responds to first come-first served or to whoever has the bigger purse. https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/4/3/21207488/coronavirus-illinois-medical-supplies-wild-west /4

Only the fed govt can distribute these on the basis of need and justice.
https://twitter.com/paulkrugman/status/1246430878785589249?s=20 /5

Absent federal guidelines and mandates, states make short-sighted and uninformed decisions that affect the entire national health scene. Only the fed govt can protect citizens in one state from irresponsible decisions in another state. /6

Only the federal government can properly manage and mitigate the covid-19 pandemic. /7