Lawmakers from both parties walked out of an all-members briefing Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control baffled and outraged by how little information they received about the current spread of coronavirus in the United States, continued lapses in testing, and the steps being taken to deal with the burgeoning crisis.
Democratic Rep. Sean Maloney of New York called it "simply the worst briefing I've ever received in seven or eight years in Congress," according to CNN. "The administration has no good answers, no plan, there's no leadership," Maloney said. "I think members of both parties are frustrated and angry, and they have every right to be."
The CDC was either unable or unwilling to clarify why the U.S. has fallen so far behind other nations in terms of developing tests, dispersing them, and processing the results. South Korea, for instance, has the capacity to run as many as 10,000 tests a day. Meanwhile, the CDC told lawmakers just 11,000 tests have been administered in total. (Yes, that's nationwide, folks.)
"I don't think anyone is going to leave that briefing satisfied with what's going on with testing right now ... bottom line, you leave that briefing and we are not where we need to be and not sure when we are going to get there," Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois told CNN. "We are flying blind."
Even some Republican members dared to express frustration at the total dearth of information. GOP Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina said there was "a growing frustration among members as a whole to get more definitive answers" from the administration on testing. He said the CDC "struggled" to provide any reasonable explanation for why the U.S. response was so sluggish in comparison to that of other countries.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders are threatening to delay action on the emergency package of economic relief for workers along with guaranteed testing for individuals that House Democrats are poised to pass in the next 24 hours.
"It's more important we take a moment to step back," GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said. Fortunately, Democrats don't need any House Republican votes to pass the bill.
But Senate Republicans, who said they would leave the negotiating to Pelosi and the White House, are now saying they won’t take up the bill until after they return from recess. (RECESS???)
Republicans are absolutely ensuring maximal death and destruction here. They are ensuring that people will go to work sick, disease will spread, and massive economic disruptions will follow.
TIME TO MAKE SOME CALLS, PEOPLE! LIGHT UP THE SWITCHBOARDS!