Shaheen, Hassan call for expanded testing in next stimulus bill
Senators say more must be done by federal government to promote testing
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
New Hampshire's U.S. senators are calling for funding for more robust COVID-19 testing in the next federal stimulus package.
Democratic U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan are also calling for more funding for individuals, small businesses and industries that have yet to reopen, along with more help for schools to open safely.
Shaheen said there needs to be a national strategy for testing.
"Funding and a national strategy are absolutely critical, and it's unforgivable that we are here in July with a pandemic that we knew about in late January or early February, and we still don't have a national strategy for testing," she said.
Hassan is calling on the president to take action.
"We need to invest resources to build out that capacity," Hassan said. "When people say, 'Well, we don't have enough testing machines. You can't get them,' we're the United States of America. We're the great manufacturing base. If the president would invoke the Defense Production Act, we could be building those machines right now."
The Defense Production Act would give the federal government more control to direct private industrial production.
Hassan said it is going to take everyone, including the White House working together to get the money out the door to Americans as quickly as possible.
