Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah), a prominent Republican voice in Congress, told senior Trump administration officials Tuesday that they are not adequately prepared for the possibility the coronavirus may spread more widely in the United States.
Romney confronted administration officials at a private briefing on Capitol Hill about the same time that President Trump downplayed concerns about spreading infections, telling reporters in New Delhi the situation is “under control” and is a “problem that’s going to go away.”
Romney, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said he does not think the administration has done enough to prepare for the infectious virus spreading widely among the domestic population.
“I’m very disappointed in the degree to which we’ve prepared for a pandemic, both in terms of protective equipment and in terms of medical devices that would help people once they are infected,” he said.
“At this stage, I think we are substantially underinvesting in what would be appropriate for a setting which could be serious,” he added.
Romney said he hopes a dire scenario can be avoided but added “we don’t know what the future holds.”
“I think we should be pulling out all the stops,” he said.
Romney raised these concerns with administration officials Tuesday morning at an all-senators briefing.
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Romney: Trump administration unprepared for coronavirus outbreak https://t.co/Szpk1ageB8 pic.twitter.com/0Si7naUlSZ
— The Hill (@thehill) February 26, 2020
He thinks it's a song by The Knack back in the days when Donnie, Paulie & Rog were hanging out at Studio 54 with Big Roy.https://t.co/cgizwQc5Zn
— John Schindler (@20committee) February 26, 2020
What bothers me most about this virus is that it’s being used to justify spending gobs of taxpayer money by both parties. Trump wants $2.5 B. The Democrats are saying that’s not enough; we need $8.5 B. I’d like both sides to tell me just where and how will this money spent. I have the feeling whatever amount is appropriated, it is going to vanish down the rabbit hole, as do most tax appropriations.
Romney alludes to the need for certain medical supplies and equipment. Don’t our hospitals have all the equipment and supplies available to treat any other viral infection? There really are no special supplies or equipment specifically for the coronavirus.
And there is nothing special needed by the average person to prevent the illness either. A vaccine is a long way off. People don’t need any special equipment — not even surgical masks — to prevent this disease. What people should be doing to ward off other viral illnesses like the flu — such as washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, trying to avoid anyone who is coughing or sneezing, covering one’s nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, etc. — are what they should be doing to avoid and minimize the spread of this virus.
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