The Trump administration ignored the growing pandemic warnings from China and other countries until it was too late. The Trump administration, like most Republican administrations, had been so busy dismantling what little infrastructure and government we had, it found itself woefully unable to supply or find the supplies needed once our country began having to handle COVID-19 cases ourselves. The Trump administration then attempted to both ignore it, say we were handling things, and claim that the COVID-19 pandemic would “disappear,” all while allowing more and more people to get infected, become sick, and die.
This incompetence, greed, and criminal governance has led to the United States, with all of its money and resources, to be one of the worst hit by the virus. While Donald Trump continued doing the only thing he knows how to do, which is promote the name Trump in order to pull in campaign funds, the mechanisms and resources needed to purchase and distribute vaccinations fell by the wayside. Luckily, millions of people came out to vote Donald Trump and Republican congressional figures out of office. This could not have happened at a better time as our country needs a working government that is interested in figuring out the best ways to help Americans get back to some equilibrium, and also believes that the government has a job to do such a thing.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden addressed the country, wearing a mask, to talk about the enormous strides his administration has made over the past three weeks, and more importantly, give some great news.
In December it was reported that the Trump administration passed on the opportunity to buy a sufficient amount of vaccines from Pfizer and others because … well it was inexplicable why they passed to be honest. Good news! The Biden administration has been working to clean up the messes Trump and friends left Americans, and help is on the way! After reiterating to America that the vaccines were safe, Biden gave an update on the behind-the-scenes workings to get vaccines into the arms of Americans.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: That's why in the first three weeks that I have been in office, we’ve increased the supply of vaccine shipments to the states by almost 30%. That means millions of more Americans will get vaccinated in February than the previous administration was on track to do. But that's just the start. We bought more vaccines. two weeks ago i directed Jeff Zients, who is here with me, my Covid-19 response coordinator, to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to purchase more vaccines. Just this afternoon, we signed the final contracts for 100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines. We're also able to move up the delivery dates, with an additional 200 million vaccines, to the end of July—faster than we expected. And in further good news, both companies agreed and are now contractually obligated, to expedite delivery of 100 million doses that were promised by the end of June, to have them delivered by the end of May. That's a month faster. That means lives will be saved. That means we're now on track to have enough supply through 300 million Americans by the end of July.
It may not sound like the urgent progress we need, but let's be clear, when I took office just three weeks ago, this country did not have a plan or enough vaccines or people to vaccinate Americans. Any and all Americans, any time, at any point in 2021. Within three weeks, around the clock work with so many people, people standing behind me and in front of me, we've now purchased enough vaccine supply to vaccinate all Americans, and now we're working to get those vaccines into the arms of millions of people.
From your lips, Joe.