The Trump administration is absolutely bungling the response to coronavirus, putting our public health and our economy at risk. This is why we need a real plan and an adult in charge. Here's what I think we should be doing.
We must treat coronavirus as the serious health, diplomatic, and economic threat it is. Weeks ago, I released a plan for the health risks: more funding for public health and international aid programs, and centralize response management in the White House. elizabethwarren.com/plans/combatin…
Before requesting much needed emergency funding, Trump pushed again and again for dangerous budget cuts to public health and aid programs—but we win the fight against outbreaks by preparing and investing in advance, not scrambling once they’ve spread. washingtonpost.com/science/trump-…
Even worse, Trump refuses to centralize crisis management in the White House—allowing CDC scientists to be overruled and sowing internal dysfunction. All this mismanagement casts doubt on how effectively he can deploy emergency funding. politico.com/news/2020/02/2…
As the virus spreads, the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing attempts to hide what’s happening in China endangers the health of people around the world. Instead of praising Xi, as Trump has done, we should lead a global effort to uphold principles of open science and transparency.
The economic threat is also growing—the 1800-point drop in the Dow this week is the tip of the iceberg. Without swift action, supply chain disruptions and reduced purchases will have severe, long-term effects on our entire economy.
We should be taking action right now to mitigate the supply chain impacts of the outbreak. The government should be helping American manufacturers find alternative sources for parts and production and helping American exporters find new purchasers.
The outbreak also shows how vulnerable our manufacturing sector and our economy are to disruptions in China. I’ve got a plan to bring more production back home, which will create jobs and reduce our vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. elizabethwarren.com/plans/american…
Like so much else, the Trump administration’s bungled response to the coronavirus outbreak is a mess. As president, I will lead a competent administration prepared to combat outbreaks—because our public health, economy, and national security depend on it.
