Watchdog to Trump Admin: “[States] need action, not empty promises.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a press conference this evening, Vice President Mike Pence, the head of Trump’s COVID-19 task force, said the federal government will “do whatever it takes to support” pandemic response efforts that are “locally executed, state managed, and federally supported.” The facts say otherwise.

The Trump administration has come up short on that commitment. As recently as March 17th, the federal government had failed to authorize or deploy key resources and programs to aid state governments amidst repeated pleas for assistance, and health care workers reportedly lacked the personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to keep them safe.

“To health care workers and state leaders working overtime to help people in their communities who are suffering or living in fear, Vice President Pence’s promise of federal support rings hollow,” said Kyle Herrig, Accountable.US president. “Governors have been asking the Trump administration for weeks to flex the full muscle of the federal government to assist them with getting protective masks, COVID-19 tests, and other critical equipment, and they’re still waiting. They need action, not more empty promises.”

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