(Garrison, NY, April 2, 2020) – Nearly 1,400 of the nation’s most prominent bioethicists and health leaders signed an urgent letter to Congress and the White House, imploring the U.S. government to immediately use its federal power and funds to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a matter of moral imperative.

The bioethicists call for five immediate federal actions, including to ensure the manufacture and distribution of needed supplies; commit to payment for COVID-19 care and treatment; provide sick leave for all; protect the vulnerable; and build a comprehensive, trustworthy communication strategy.

Although the signatories acknowledge that President Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act, which grants broad powers to incentivize and direct the manufacture of essential medical and other supplies, the administration has refrained from using that power to its full extent.

The bioethicists also emphasize the humanitarian disaster that awaits and the likelihood of human rights violations.