House Democrats find administration overspent for ventilators by as much as $500 million

[riversedge]

Source: nbc




Democrats say the episode raises questions about one of the Trump administration's largest contracts for ventilator production.

July 31, 2020, 4:34 AM CDT / Updated July 31, 2020, 7:11 AM CDT


WASHINGTON — Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted his administration's supply of ventilators, a critical tool for treating patients with life-threatening respiratory symptoms.

But internal emails and documents obtained by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee suggest that the Trump administration failed to enforce an existing contract with a major medical manufacturer, delayed negotiations for more than a month and subsequently overpaid as much as $500 million for tens of thousands of the devices — a costly error at a time when officials from some of the biggest states were warning of shortages.


The communications between administration officials and Philips Respironics, a global medical equipment manufacturer that finalized a $643.5 million contract with the Trump administration in April, are included in a 40-page report shared with NBC News.

The information raises serious concerns about an estimated $3 billion in taxpayer dollars spent on ventilators from a number of suppliers, according to committee staff members who briefed NBC News........................................

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-democrats-find-administration-overspent-ventilators-much-500-million-n1235252

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out the door go our tax dollars!!

Link to tweet

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3. Were asked in Jan. by Philips if they needed more vents. A new contract wasn't cut until April, well after peaks in NY/MI and after govs there were warning of shortages
Heidi Przybyla
@HeidiNBC
4. Deal was negotiated by Peter Navarro, formalized by a former Kushner roommate. Maj. of the correspondence was between Philips and a recent college grad assisting Navarro.

5. Oversight Democrats call this "fleecing" and say the $$ should be clawed back.

[Srkdqltr]

1. Of course they did.

[rzemanfl]

2. Of course.

[AllyCat]

3. But we were all told what a great businessman Tre45on was.

How can this be true?

[NCjack]

11. Easy to see how his businesses go bankrupt. World' worst manager. nt

[NoMoreRepugs]

4. Raise your hand if u think there is a possibility some

money made it back towards the RUMP re-election campaign in one form or another.

Grifters gotta grift - Cons gotta con.

[groundloop]

5. It's gonna' take YEARS to sort out all the kickbacks, laundered money, etc.

[MineralMan]

6. So, where did the kickbacks go?

That's the pressing question. And how many times were they laundered.

[Scalded Nun]

7. I just wish the reporting would cease on stating 'errors were made' or 'incompetence led to $$ waste'

This is, and has been, all premeditated activity with only 1 goal in mind...take/grab what you can and fuck everything/everybody else.

[oldsoftie]

8. The "clawback". One thing govt has done right.

No more simply scolding or paying a fine. Take BACK the damn money. THEN fine them

[Frustratedlady]

9. I just heard Heidi talking about this on MSNBC and have yet to lift my jaw back in place.

I'm sure we are going to find all kinds of these types of shenanigans and it isn't going to be pretty.

Once the election is over, there will be all kinds of scurrying going on in the WH so they can cover up/destroy any evidence possible before Biden moves in. I hope there is a way we can make sure it doesn't happen. Will that "secret hiding place" where Trump hid his Ukraine transcript still be in place and will the transcript still be there?

Wouldn't it be ironic if Trump destroys 30,000 or so emails?

[LisaL]

10. At least ventilators can be actually used.

How much did they spend on huge amounts of hydroxychloroquine?

[RobinA]

18. Well, My Question

is, Did those ventilators ever exist and did they end up where they could help anybody.

[bucolic_frolic]

12. Government contracting has made many a billioinaire over many generations

It's especially good when the apparent regulators, the gatekeepers of requisitioning, are really your friends on the inside and potential campaign contributors.

[iscooterliberally]

13. The fArt of the deal... n/t

[Hoyt]

14. To be fair, the potential lack of ventilators was a serious concern at the time, and still is

in many areas of the country.

I don't doubt that trump's incompetent admin screwed it up worse than it needed to be. But, time was running out, critics and the media was pushing that thousands were going to die without ventilators, etc.

Now, if they find that Kush and his buddies got direct or indirect kickbacks, that's different.

[IronLionZion]

15. They find efficiencies by making it very slow and very expensive

since their first priority is always for grifters to get rich and their second priority is for Americans to die quickly.

We must all do our part. Sacrifices must be made. America needs you to die for your country.

[Bayard]

16. This will get played,

As Democrats don't want you to have ventilators.

"A former Kushner roommate", was in on this deal. Unsurprising.

[mjvpi]

17. Not to count chickens, but the next administration.....

..... can’t just make nice and start the healing. Things need to be exposed and people need o be held accountable. Not just fined. If someone can go to jail for shoplifting, there should be proportional punishment for profiteering during a pandemic. We made that mistake after the Bush administration.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

19. Something about that boy Trump ain't right