Democrats should be focused on ending the pandemic, not attacking medical device manufacturers

Xavier Becerra (photo by George Skidmore)

President Biden has been steadfast in working to achieve the agenda that he campaigned on to the American people. He is working in unison with his cabinet and his nominees to lead federal agencies to help get our economy back on track and get the coronavirus pandemic under control.

One of the agencies that will be a key partner in achieving his goals is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

President Biden nominated former Attorney General of California Xavier Becerra to serve as his Health and Human Service Secretary, and I believe he will do an excellent job once he is confirmed by the Senate. This is one of the most crucial positions in Biden’s cabinet given one of the President’s top priorities in combatting the coronavirus pandemic. Becerra will be responsible for carrying out some of President Biden’s most critical pandemic-related initiatives such as implementing widespread testing, vaccine distribution, and an education campaign. 

HHS, like so many other government agencies, heavily relies on contracting with medical device companies to help them achieve their mission, including producing essential medical equipment. For example, at the onset of the pandemic last year, the federal government worked with various medical and healthcare technology companies to rapidly produce essential items to combat the coronavirus like personal protective equipment and ventilators to refill the national stockpile. 

The House Oversight Committee, led by U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, has been investigating the Trump Administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including the contracts negotiated by the federal government with healthcare technology companies to produce ventilators. While this is a worthwhile cause given the numerous failed actions that the previous administration took to combat the coronavirus pandemic, we cannot allow for the unintended consequence of throwing good medical device companies under the bus for mistakes made by the Trump Administration and Peter Navarro specifically.

Companies that contracted with the federal government such as Philips, Hamilton, and Vyaire should not be attacked for their work to produce ventilators during a time of crisis. These medical manufactures stepped up to help combat the coronavirus, not only produce life-saving materials but also supported thousands of manufacturing jobs when millions of Americans were forced out of work. 

Medical technology manufactures have a good, long-standing partnership with the federal government that incoming Secretary Becerra will rely on to help implement Biden’s agenda to combat the pandemic. These beneficial partnerships will also help achieve President Biden’s economic recovery and pro-manufacturing agenda to stimulate our economy and get Americans back to work.

I hope that Mr. Becerra will focus on strengthening these partnerships with medical device companies rather than tearing them down. 

Once the Senate confirms Becerra, we in California know he will get right to work leading one of the most important agencies of President Biden’s administration. Let us hope that Democrats in Congress will work to support Secretary Becerra and President Biden in accomplishing their goal of stopping the coronavirus pandemic and getting Americans back to work rather than focusing on attacking American device manufacturers that the government needs as a partner moving forward.  

Andrew Lara is a critical care nurse and city councilman in Pico Rivera.