COVID-19: Democratic Senator claims Trump donating ventilators to select countries

A top Democratic Senator has alleged that Trump ministration’s expenditure of more than USD200 million to donate ventilators during COVID-19 pandemic is allegedly favouring countries personally selected by US President. Among countries that have been provided life-saving machines are Russia, India, and South Africa, said Senator Robert Menendez, Ranking Member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Given scale and nature of current (COVID-19) crisis, it is imperative that we ensure effective use of US aid dollars,” he wrote in a letter to Donald Trump, citing ministration’s suspect decision to waive congressional tification requirements for sending ventilators during pandemic.

“Providing ventilators to countries that need m is critical, but, as with any assistance, must be done in a productive and transparent manner. To that end, National Security Council (NSC), in cooperation with US ncy for International Development (USAID), must ensure greater transparency and accountability around provision of ventilators,” he said.

Menendez alleged that without a fulsome explanation for USAID’s procurement and provision of ventilators to a select group of countries, Trump’s orders to ship more than 7,500 ventilators abro, to just 40 countries, exemplifies potential transactional politicisation of US foreign assistance and risks furr tarnishing USAID’s reputation as an apolitical aid ncy.

Reiterating his concerns in a separate letter to USAID Acting ministrator John Barsa, Menendez called for furr transparency regarding respective roles of USAID and NSC in distribution decision-making process and US government’s efforts to ensure that COVID patients abro have equitable access to life-saving ventilators.

To date, USAID has submitted two Congressional tifications (CN) outlining ministration’s plans to spend approximately USD 202 million in Global Health Program, Emergency Reserve Funds and Ecomic Support Funds, provided by CARES Act, to purchase 7,582 ventilators to distribute to up to 40 countries, Menendez to Acting ministratior Barsa.

“While tifications provide some details, I am concerned that NSC’s influence on se decisions both circumvents longstanding USAID procurement and accountability policies and interjects political ndas into how USAID allocates it Global Health and Emergency Reserve Fund resources,” he said.