Washington (CNN) New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday criticized President Donald Trump for not using his powers under the Defense Production Act as she described the lack of protective gear and medical supplies needed to fight the coronavirus in her home state.

"We cannot wait until people start really dying in large numbers to start production, especially of more complicated equipment like ventilators and hospital beds," Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat, told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "We need to start this production right now to get ready for the surge that is coming in two to three weeks."

The President has repeatedly said he's invoking the act to ramp up production of medical supplies needed to combat the virus, but has not wielded his federal powers yet as health officials voice alarm about potential shortages of lifesaving medical supplies like ventilators, masks and gowns for doctors on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ocasio-Cortez, in describing the situation at hospitals in New York and across the country, said, "There are not enough face masks, gloves, ventilators, hospital beds to get us through this. Many hospitals are already at capacity or are approaching capacity. And there is kind of no real stream in sight from the federal government on where these materials are coming from."

"You know, companies are donating what they can. That is great. It is not enough," she continued. "And the fact that the President has not really invoked the Defense Production Act for the purpose of emergency manufacture is going to cost lives."

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