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Pandemic Profiteering at the Cost of Human Lives.
The US response is chaos by design to enrich GOP donors and, if we have learned anything about the Trump family, they have surely found a way to profit as well. #pandemicprofiteering
The US response is chaos by design to enrich GOP donors and, if we have learned anything about the Trump family, they have surely found a way to profit as well. #pandemicprofiteering
While states were begging for supplies, Trump stated that the government wasn’t a shipping clerk and told the states to source their own supplies, which forced them into bidding wars. https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/competition-state-local-governments-creates-bidding-war-medical/story%3fid=69961539
Many states were outbid in the free market. Some states had their order cancelled. Others had their orders intercepted by the federal government. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/02/nation/kraft-family-used-patriots-team-plane-shuttle-protective-masks-china-boston-wsj-reports/
Instead of streamlining manufacturing, Trump used his privilege under the DPA to ensure $137 million worth of supplies was sent to the federal government ahead of the states. https://khn.org/news/trump-administration-uses-wartime-powers-to-be-first-in-line-on-medical-supplies-ppe/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Jarred Kushner stated “The notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile. It’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles that they then use.” The language on the HHS website then was changed to reflect this new narrative. https://www.vox.com/2020/4/3/21207140/jared-kushner-strategic-national-stockpile-ventilators
#ProjectAirlift, executed by Kushner’s task force and #FEMA, uses tax dollars to purchase and transport these supplies. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/01/politics/illinois-not-getting-needed-supplies-government/index.html
During a press briefing, reporters were told that the federal government will send some of the supplies to the states, but they will also send some to the private sector. These distributors will then profit by auctioning them off to the highest bidder. https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1245878992336556033?s=21
This isn’t just an incompetent plan. It’s a complete disregard for existing disaster relief protocol. “I have never seen that supply chain in my life. It looks like the literal wolf inside the hen house... This is gonna turn out real bad.” https://twitter.com/davidbegnaud/status/1245906088911949826?s=21
We know republican senators dumped their stock and invested heavily in medical supply manufacturing. Who else abruptly jumped into the medical industry?
#BlueFlameMedical, run by major GOP fundraiser #MikeGula who abruptly started this business just three weeks ago is biggest distributor on the market. “I have relationships with a lot of people.” He refused to disclose the source of his supplies. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184
If the federal government isn’t supposed to be used a shipping clerk, why are they still stockpiling supplies? If the National Stockpile isn’t for the states, who is it for? Answer: The private distributors.
A national disaster relief system would eliminate profits.
A national disaster relief system would eliminate profits.
The federal government isn’t stockpiling supplies to regulate the supply chain and ensure the supplies are allocated fairly. They have instead chosen to create a chaotic system in which taxpayer dollars can be used to procure supplies that are funneled into the private sector.
In the middle of a national emergency, this isn’t just wasteful or unnecessary. It is an obvious abuse of federal resources as part of a scheme to enrich political allies and those in the #Trump family’s inner circle. This is #disasterprofiteering racket.
