Transcripts For CSPAN2 Drs. Fauci Redfield Adm. Giroir Testify On National Strategy To Combat... 20240712

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Obviously, we do not want people talking over each other, so my preference is that members use the chat function or email to facilitate formal verbal recognition. Committee staff will be sure that i am made aware of the requests and i will recognize you. As members of the committee are likely aware, we expect votes to be called in the middle of this hearing. Out of respect for members and witnesses and time, and because of the Long Duration of each vote during this Public Health emergency, i do not plan to reset the hearing at any time. Committee members, including those who are recognized for questions while the vote is ongoing, will have sufficient time to step out of the hearing, cast their vote, and return to the hearing. We will begin this hearing in just a moment when they tell me they are ready to begin the live stream. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] we are having some audio problems with the live stream and were trying to get that straightened out before we begin. [inaudible conversations] good morning. I think weve gotten it straightened out. Ladies and gentlemen, our nation is in the midst of a Public Health catastrophe. As of this week more than 150,000 americans are dead from the coronavirus. By far, the most of any country in the world. As the virus is still spreading rapidly across our country, it took nearly thee months for the United States to go from one infection to one million. Now we have more than four million with at least a million americans infected in just the last two weeks. Hospitalizations and deaths are unacceptbly high. Hospitals in some states are at risk of running out of beds and some hospitals have reported that they may be forced to choose which patients to treat and which to send home to die. From our current course experts predict another 150,000 americans could lose their life from the coronavirus by the end of this year. My goal today is simple. To hear from our nations top Public Health experts on what steps do we need to take to stop the unnecessary deaths of more americans. To improve our response, we need to identify and correct past failures, especially those that are ongoing. Regrettably, nearly six months after this virus claimed its First American life, the federal government still has not developed and implemented a National Strategy to protect the American People. The administration has failed on testing. They were given warnings, including from this committee that millions more tests were needed. At least 11 states, including my home state of south carolina, are currently conducting less than 30 of the tests they need to control the virus. The state cases surging. States now face severe testing shortages, wait times are a week or longer in many places and some states have been forced to ration scarce tests, limiting them to only the sickest cases. Without widely available Rapid Testing, it is nearly impossible to control the spread of the virus and safely reopen our economy. Yesterday it was reported that back in april the administration considered implementing a National Strategy to coordinate the distribution of test kits and Contact Tracing infrastructure, but they decided not to do so because at the time the virus was primarily spreading in bl blue states. Since the earliest days of this crisis, the Trump Administration has also refused to call on americans to take simple steps to stay safe, like wearing a mask and social distancing. Instead, the president has downplayed the severity of the crisis, claiming the virus will disappear, sidelining Government Experts to disagree and seek to legitimize discredited remedies. When the Public Health agencies contradict the white houses political message, for example, when the c. D. C. Warned that fully reOpening Schools presented the highest risk for spreading the coronavirus, the white house pressured the agency to change their advice. The result of these decisions is that the virus has continued to rage out of control and our nations economic misery has continued. And that brings us to todays hearing. It is clear that the administrations approach of deferring to the states, sidelining the experts, and rushing to reopen has prolonged this virus and led to thousands of preventible deaths. In fact, the United States response stands out as among the worst of any country in the world. My question is where should we go from here . Today i am calling for the administration to finally give america a comprehensive National Plan that prioritizes science over politics. That plan should include buying and distributing enough tests and protective gear for every american who needs them and it should include clear Public Health guidance to every american to help curb the spread of the virus. I am looking forward to hearing from our panel what common sense steps we can take as a country to control this virus and how the administrations plans to accomplish this goal. Todays witnesses have long, distinguished careers under both republican and democratic president s. Public health is not a partisan issue and i hope that all members of the committee will gin me in seeking the best Health Advice for the American People not fighting partisan political battles. We do not need to lose another 150,000 american lives, but if we do not make drastic changes now, this tragic outcome is well within the realm of possibility. The chair now recognizes the distinguished Ranking Member for his Opening Statement. Thank you, mr. Chairman, and thank our witnesses for being here. Before i open, i do want to mention, m chairman, this is our first meeting that weve had since the passing of our dear friend and colleague john lewis. I know you personally were friends with him for roughly 60 years and we all feel that loss. Very fitting tributes yesterday and he was a dear colleague, but he was also a key, important part of the movement that has made america an even greater nation. Very fitting that our country is paying a great tribute to a dear friend and icon in the civil rights movement, our friends john lewisment thank you, mr. Chairman, too, for having this hearing. I want to thank the witnesses and i also want to thank your teams because you represent what is on the front lines of President Trumps plan to combat the Coronavirus Crisis. For anybody to suggest that theres not a plan, in fact, when you look at the title of todays hearing, urgent need for a plan, thats not the title of a hearing, thats a political narrative and a false political narrative at that. You wouldnt even be here today if there wasnt a plan because you are the people tasked with carrying out the plan. In fact, if you were sidelined, you wouldnt be here either. I know some people want to suggest that, but maybe they havent spent time reading different components of the plan. These are just a few, by the way, a few of the documents that your agencies have published to show states how to safely reopen. To show schools how to safely reopen. To show Nursing Homes how to care for their parents, which, by the way, if all governors 0 would have followed those guidelines thousands more seniors in Nursing Homes would be alive today if just five governors would have followed your plan that was developed by President Trump and is being carried out by you and your team effectively every day. So, again, let me thank you on behalf of the millions of American People who are alive today that wouldnt be alive if you werent carrying out President Trumps effective plan to keep americans safe, as we learn about this virus, as we work to get a cure for this virus and by the way, the cure operation warp speed is part of President Trumps National Plan and i think weve all seen just how close we are to a vaccine, which is revolutionary. Revolutionary in modern time to be this close to a vaccine. We wouldnt be here that close to a vaccine without President Trumps leadership and without the work of you and your teams to carry out that plan. So, again, i appreciate the work that you continue to do. Every day we learn more about a plan, like any plan, whether its a military plan or a football plan, you start the first play with a plan and then the plan has to change as things change along the way and were seeing that play out daily. When you look at the work thats been done, i think we talk about different parts of the guidance. Weve not always been in agreement on each part of them, but weve had a number of hearings where weve talked through how to improve testing. In fact, one of the first hearings we had in this committee on testing was back when america was maybe conducting less than 200,000 tests a day. Today, because of the work that you all have been doing and because of the president s plan, were at over 800,000 tests per day and that number continues to grow. Nobody is stopping. Nobody is resting on their laurels, but when you look at that trajectory, again, going from a virus that no one even knew about just six months ago, china lied about during that period where we could have learned a lot more, where we could have saved more lives while china was lying, i wish wed have hearings on that, because thats a real fact, thats not a political talking point. Not only did china lie, but they corrupted the world health organization, and perpetuating that. Made it harder for us. I remember being in a meeting with dr. Fauci months ago before it was a Global Pandemic and a desire to get some of our medical experts into china to find out what was going on. They wouldnt let you in. The Chinese Communist party wouldnt let you in when President Trump wanted in before it spread to the United States. That cost lives. Why arent we having a hearing about that. Clearly we talk about some of the Different Things done to stop the spread. The president actually did develop an early plan called 15 days to stop the spread. Its one of the first real organized plans to encourage states to pull back. It wasnt an easy plan for the president to have to issue, but it was necessary and in fact, there were meetings in the white house. I think dr. Fauci and dr. Birx was there as the plan was carried out, he determined maybe we need to go longer 30 more days. By going 30 more days, you could save one million, maybe two million more lives and President Trump announced that plan and did save those lives. The Trump Administration then released a plan, guidelines, how states could safely reopen and this is part of the mrap. Maybe some people are so busy reading tweets they havent actually read the plan. Its good guidance issued by some of the most recognized International Experts on disease prevention. Some of you here today represent parts of this plan and so in opening up america again, showed how states could safely reopen. The plan was developed by Public Health experts. Some complain that President Trump didnt have the power to force states to reopen so the administration actually released guidelines so states had discretion. We understand how it works, each governor is in charge of their states. Nursing homes are by the state not the federal government and weve given good guidance and that saved lives. We hear city, people talking about the cries for the need for testing. So, lets talk about what hhs has done the lead on testing. Zero tests. Sent over 800,000 tests a day and in a matter of just months, over 52 million tests have been conducted nationally. Were increasing that number. We will be over a million tests a day and maybe well have a hearing how much progress we made there. We want to continue to have progress. What were doing to increase testing and limit the goal, seven days for anybody to get the results. That number has narrowed, how, more than half of americans who get tested get their results in less than 24 hours because of the rapid work that this team has done carrying out the president s plan. Testing is not just about numbers, its about targeting testing to people at the right time. So that point to the Trump Administration Rapid Testing in Nursing Homes. Ive talked to Nursing Homes who said that decision by the Trump Administration to purchasing a testing quite for every one in erik, more than 15,000 hursting homes. Each will have their 15 minute test. That will save lives. And the president announced operation warp speed, part of a direct and National Plan to combat this deadly virus. Operation warp speed, the Publicprivate Partnership for the production of a vaccine and others for the specific goal of delivering 300 million doses of a safe, effective. Fda proven vaccine for covid19 by january, 2021 and were seeing that happen at remarkable speed. Were not going to wait for approval. Theyre mass producing so if there is a vaccine approved by the fda, its ready to go. We dont start manufacturing at that point and cast us more weeks. Were ready to go. Some of that money was money that we passed on the cares act that President Trump has used effectively to be ready as the vaccines are being developed in testing phases. Now, dr. Fauci, ill look forward to learning more about the stunning progress that weve seen researchers make son cures and vaccines. I know you have been involved in researching some of the most deadly viruses that we have known in the world. Hiv, ebola, of course now corona. We still dont have a vaccine for hiv, over 10 years of work that youve done remarkable work to at least give therapy so people can extend their lives, but not a proven vaccine for so many of these diseases years and years later and here we are six months into corona and were this close to a vaccine. So you look at where weve seen the Chinese Government. We hopefully will get into conversations about how costly it was. How many lives were lost because the Chinese Communist party lied to not just the United States, but to the world, to give false information in those early critical days. Why dont we now talk about moving into august. A lot of work is being done to talk how to safely reopen schools. In fact, more guidance was given as part of this plan by c. D. C. To safely reopen schools. We saw, of course, the American Academy of pediatrics gave great guidance how to reopen schools and went further and talked about the damage to children when you dont reopen schools. So much damage being done to our children in those systems where theyre talking about not reopening. Hopefully we can shine some light and show the other School Systems how they can safely serve those millions and millions of children counting on us to get it right. Those School Systems have to get it right. Theres money, by the way, Still Available at every state for sanitize ersanitizers, mask the will, youve had the will. Youve been carrying out the president s plan. Every day we will learn more. Every day we will continue to strive to address the new challenges, but lets not forget the things that have already been done as part of this plan that have saved millions of lives. We mourn every loss, but lets also recognize the lives that would have been lost if you werent on the job carrying out President Trumps plan to contain this, to find a vaccine which were on the brink of, and to help safely reopen our economy, safely reopen our schools so we can get back to our way of life as we combat this deadly virus. With that, ill look forward to hearing from our witnesses, thank you, mr. Chairman, ill yield back. Thank you, mr. Ranking member. I would now like to introduce our witnesses. Today the select committee is pleased to welcome dr. Anthony fauci director National Institute of vrology and National Institutes much health. We welcome back admiral brett giroir, health and Human Services, finally we recommend. Doctor Robert Redfield, director for centers for Disease Control and prevention. Thank you to all of our witnesses for being here today, will the witnesses please stand so i may swear them in . Please raise your right hands. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing, but the truth so help you god . You may be seated. Let the record show that the witnesses all answered in the affirmative. Without objection, your written statements will be made part of the record. Dr. Fauci, you are recognized for your Opening Statement. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman, Ranking Member scalise, members of the committee, thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss with you today the role of the National Institutes of health in a Research Effort to address covid19. Our strategic plan, which we put together several months ago, embarks on four separate points. The first is to improve fundamental knowledge of the virus and the biology of the virus and the response to the virus. This has led to delineation of the famous now spike protein, which is the target of virtually all of the vaccines that are being produced today, in addition to eliminate the receptor in the body to which the virus binds, very important in understanding the pathophysiology and pat pathogenesis. And a study in may to understand the role in children and what role they play in spreading the virus. In addition weve been involved in the second component which is the development of diagnostic and one is the rapid acceleration of diagnostic referred to as radx. Including that its aimed at underserved populations, with the very large investment of money to develop point of care diagnostics to facilitate even more diagnostic capability. Next is the characterization and testing of that yoerapeutit there are two therapeutics have that passed randomized placebo controlled trials for those in late in the disease. One is remdesvir, which showed significant improvement in the time to survival in individuals who are hospitalized with pulmonary disease. That has not been part of the standard of care in individuals with moderate to advanced disease. In addition, a placebo controlled randomized trial of dexamethasone showed improvement in the death rate in a highly significant manner in individuals on respirators, as well as those requiring oxygen. And then finally, the development and testing of effective vaccines. Several months ago, we put together what we call a strategic approach to covid19 Vaccine Research and development. And the reason we did this is because there are multiple candidate vaccines that are moving along at a very rapid pace and we wanted to make sure that they learned from each other. So we made standardized protocols, common data and safety monitoring boards. Common primary and secondary end points and common individual laboratory tests. There are three separate platforms that are being pursued with Government Health and acid including the mrna of viral vectors, such as adeno vectors and protein subunits. The one of these is a trial that started last monday, this past monday the 27th, to beginning in a phase three trial. Its a trial that will go over several months involving 30,000 individuals. We hope that as of the time we get into the late fall and early winter, we will have, in fact, a vaccine that we can say would be safe and effective. One can never guarantee the safety or effectiveness unless you do the trial, but we are cautiously optimistic that this will be successful because of the early studies in humans, the phase one study, it clearly showed that individuals who are vaccinated mounted a neutralizing antibody response that was at least comparable and in many many respects better than what we see in convalescent serum in individuals who recovered from covid19. As i mentioned the phase three trial has already started, 30,000 individuals, were already starting to enroll. I might also conclude, members of the committee, to point out that there is a website called coronaviruspreventionnetwork. Org where individuals can indicate their willingness to participate in the Clinical Trials and to make sure that we have a diverse representation. Already has of last night, there have been over 250,000 individuals who have registered their interest in being in these trials. And i just want to use my last couple of seconds to urge anyone who is listening, to wants to participate, to please go to that website and register so you can be part of the solution of this terrible scourge. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, dr. Fauci. We will now hear from dr. Giroir or admiral giroir. Both are fine. Chairman, Ranking Member scalise and the committee, its good to see you again. Testing is the response to covid19. Testing enables clinical decision making. It heralds impending outbreaks, it informs resource allocation and assists in minimizing economic and social disruption, but we cannot test our way out of this or any other pandemic. Testing does not replace personal responsibility. It does not substitute for avoiding crowded indoor spaces or washing hands or wearing a mask. A negative test does not mean that you wont be positive tomorrow. A negative test does not substitute for avoiding crowds or wearing a mask or protecting the vulnerable with your actions. All of that being said, as of this morning, the nation has performed over 59 million covid19 tests, now averaging over 820,000 tests per day, up from 550,000 tests per day when i appeared before this Committee Just earlier this month. Since march 12th, we have increased our daily testing over 32,000 percent. Half of those tests are done in either point of care technologies with results in 15 minutes or less or at local hospitals for which the turnaround time is generally within 24 hours. Because of unprecedented demands, large commercial labs that do approximately half of the nations testing have become strained, but because of expanded capacity and newly authorized techniques like pooling travel expressions, turnaround times are improving, announcing two to three days. But numbers dont tell the complete story because this is not om about numbers. Its about getting the right tests at the right time to the right person with timely and actionable results. So we will continue to execute in according with our National Testing plan. This plan was initially outlined in the testing blueprint opening up america again and operationalized in the federal requirement for each states testing plan. And it was further detailed in the administrations testing report provided to congress may 23rd. In short, we are, one, identifying newly emergent outbreaks early for swift action, two, diagnosing covid19 rapidly in hospitalized patients to accelerate receipt of those proven treatments. Three, protecting the vulnerable, both the elderly and high risk racial, ethnic and socioeconomic minorities. Four, enabling identification and isolation of those who are infectious coupled with Contact Tracing. Five, advancing state testing plans to arrive Overall National object as well as state specific goals and six, supporting reopening of schools and businesses through surveillance testing that does impinge on the clinical diagnostic system. With the time remaining i want to highlight two objective, protecting the elderly has, is and will be a priority for this administration. So on july 14th we announced every single nursing home in the nation would receive a point of care instrument and enough tests for their residents and staff to be tested. Were delivering on this promise. By the end of this week, we will have delivered, according to schedule, nearly one million point of care test toss 1,019 of the highest risk nursings homes with 664 Nursing Homes scheduled for next week. My next point is about surveillance testing. We should separate the clinical diagnostic system from the Public Health surveillance system. Diagnostics are for those who hospitalized, symptomatic or high risk exposure. Surveillance testing can be for College Students or potentially k through 12 or work environments that are not high risk or other situations. These can occur in University Research labs or veterinary diagnostic labs outside of the fda authorization system at low cost and high throughput. Were working close with states and universities to implement this type of system and many of them, like lsu already have. We have all the tools, the supplies, and the Regulatory Framework to enable to robust system throughout the nation. In closing, we know how to flatten the curve, slow the spread, save lives. Wear a mask, practice physical distancing. Practice good hygiene washing hands frequently, stay home if youre sick. I look forward to your questions and thank you for the opportunity to provide these remarks. Thank you, admiral brett giroir. Dr. Redfield. Good morning, chairman, Ranking Member scalise and thank you for being here on behalf of my colleagues. I want to extend our sympathies to the loss of john lewis. Our members will remember him for his courage, conviction, patriotism and commitment to equity for all. C. D. C. Remembers him as a fierce advocate for Public Health. Working together were to honor his life Long Commission of social distance, mitigating the racism on Public Health in our nation. The three of us, united to stop the spread of covid19 to protect all americans while dedicating greater attention to overcoming the Health Disparities experience by populations at increased risk for this disease. We are seven months into this Global Pandemic and it is with great humility that i share with you, this is the most complex Public Health response this nation has undertaken in more than a century. This virus is indiscriminate regarding whom and when it strikes. Continue to learn through arc race particulars, its behavior and we are operating in a highly adaptive environment. Were pushing for strategies and solutions to this Unprecedented Health crisis. While im optimistic and look forward to discussing the promise of the covid19 vaccine, i want to strongly emphasize that we are not defenseless now. We have powerful tools and if all of us, not just some of us, but all of us embrace these tools, we will get a handle on this pandemic. I am appealing to all americans to be part of the Public Health solution. Wearing a simple mask properly, its critical to limiting the transmission. Be smart about social distancing and being in crowded spaces. Stay six feet apart from others if possible and be vigilant about hand hygiene and together, we can turn the tide of this pandemic. With emergency funding, c. D. C. Submitted to local Tribal Health departments to help building the infrastructure that this nation needs, but more importantly that our nation deserves. This system has been underinvested in for decades and these to be put on a path for sus funding now. To data analyticnalytics, and t instituting the necessary resilience to respond to emergencies. Public help is hired for deploying cutting edge and Contact Tracing. A legion of Public Health care workers are deployed on the front lines of this pandemic and working 24 7 to protect the health and safety of americans. C. D. C. Staff are on the ground in communities across the nation supporting Public Health partners with an array of expertise. Our state and local partners are advocating and educating the Public Health strategies that best serve families in their communities and essential workers, First Responders and Health Care Professionals are steadfast in their service, sacrifice commitment to save lives. Please take note and please tend to them as they are tending to us. We cannot afford to do it without them. As i recently told a group of c. D. C. Aspiring leaders this week we are in the arena. Were dedicated and committed to doing our best and im confident that united well merge better, stronger, and more resilient nation. Adversity requires all of us pushing harder, thinking differently, being innovative and perhaps most importantly, always seeing the possible of what we can accomplish when we unite and Work Together. This pandemic has challenged us with its persistence, its uncertainty, and its unpredictability and yet, im confident that together well reveil over this virus, but we must lead together in the best interest of our children, our grand inner children, our greatgrandchildren and nations generations to come. Thank you and i look forward to your questions. Thank you very much, dr. Redfield. And thanks to all of you for your testimonies and as i said earlier, you submitted to us fuller testimony and theyre all entered into the record. Now i recognize myself for five minutes for questions. On january 31st, 2020, exactly six months ago today, the secretary of health and Human Services declared the coronavirus outbreak, and i quote, a Public Health emergency for the entire United States. But rather than immediately bringing out nation together to tackle the problem, the Trump Administration downplayed the crisis, ignored scientific experts and deferred to states and the private sector to lead the response. Dr. Fauci, on march 11th of this year, you testified before the Oversight Committee and saying, and i quote, its going to get worse. I regret to say, you were right. It did get worse. On march 11th, the country had confirmed just over 1200 cases and 31 deaths. Today we have confirmed more than 4. 4 million cases and we have just reached 150,000 deaths. Now, theres a chart i have up here and this chart appears the number of new daily coronavirus cases in the United States with those in europe. It shows just how much worse the outbreak has been in the United States. Is your your opinion here, the United States and here is where we were on the way. Restarted, going up while the european countries, European Union plateaued and is going down. Dr. Fauci, can you help us understand why europe has largely contained the virus, the United States has seen a continued rise in new cases . Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. The answer to that question is really somewhat complex, but ill try maybe to very briefly go through what i believe are at least some of the factors that were involved. If you look at what happened in europe when they shut down or locked down and went to shelter in place, however you want to describe it, they really did it to the tune of about 95 plus of the country did that. When you actually look at what we did, even though we shut down, even though it created a great deal of difficulty, we really functionally shut down only about 50 in the sense of the totality of the country which means when we reached our peak, as they did, they came down almost to a low baseline as youve shown very clearly, but take a look at what happened to our baseline. We came up, down and then we plateaued at about 20,000 cases a day. So we started off with a very difficult baseline of transmission that was going on at the time that we tried to open up the country. And when we opened up the country, what we saw, particularly most recently, the southern states, was an increase of cases to 20, 30, 40, 50 and a couple of weeks ago, it was up to 70,000 per day and now its down between 50 and 60. And the reasons for that are complex. There were some states that did it very well, and there are some states that did not. When i say did not, i mean, we put out as Ranking Member scalise mentioned, the guidelines of a gateway phase one, phase two, phase three, some were followed very carefully and some were not. And in those situations in which you were not, that led to the surging that youre showing on your chart there. And one of the reasons is not doing some of the things that dr. Redfield mentioned in his Opening Statement. Universal wearing of masks, avoiding crowds, forced physical distancing and et cetera, et cetera, so its a complicated reason why those charts are that way and hopefully as were Going Forward we can turn those around and i do believe we can, mr. Chairman, by doing some of the fundamental things that were talking about, five easy things to do that were mentioned by dr. Redfield. Thank you. Thank you very much. At the risk of going over my time, because of the votes, what im going to do is yield to you, mr. Ranking member, and so we can go and vote. Thank you, mr. Chairman, appreciate you being here, i know when we talk about President Trumps team that he has been relying on to help put together this plan and like i said, this is just a small part of the plan. There are thousands and thousands of more pages online of various aspects of President Trumps plan to combat the coronavirus, but we have, of course, dr. Fauci, dr. Giroir, dr. Redfield, dr. Birx, theres a whole array of doctors, medical experts, in the world that are helping work with President Trump to develop this plan. Is that correct . If i could ask any of you all. Correct . By the way, were any of you sidelined from coming here . Some use that term. I havent heard of any. Were any of you sidelined . I see all of you here. Dr. Fauci let me ask you about some of what you work with President Trump on and i know the china ban was heavily discuss ed. Did you work with President Trump on banning flights from china . Yes. Do you think that decision saved lives, dr. Fauci . Yes, i do. Do you agree with that decision . I do. Did that decision saved lives . Yes, it did. When you look at the 15 days to slow the spread, and it started, where you part of the decision . I was archibald. Did that decision save lives . I limited. When President Trump extend that another 30 days, do you agree with the decision that President Trump made to extend it . I was very much involved and i agreed. Did that decision save lives . I believe it did. Wavered a lot about disagreements. Clearly there are many decisions made, very international respected doctors that are involved in each of those decisions, is that correct . Yes. Have you and President Trump bennett in green or most of those decision . Burchard all of those. I appreciate that. I want to ask you admiral giroir, on the testing that you been involved to help carry out parts of President Trumps plan you just talked about over a million testing machines, 15 minute machines that will be brought into Nursing Homes across this country. Ultimately it will be 15,000. Over 1000 machines that will be delivered already. Is that plan in place and moving forward based on President Trumps guidance . It is. And that money in part was taken from the cares act, the bill we worked with President Trump to pass in a bipartisan way through this congress . Thats correct. I have heard specifically from nursing home directors who have told me this decision will save more lives in Nursing Homes. Have you heard the same . There is no question i dont think any single decision hasnt or positive feedback than that one. I know early on cms put off guidelines back in march, these are just part of the many guidelines that cms put out on guidance to prevent covid spread a nursing home spirit we know 45 governors followed this guidance. Five governors did not follow this guidance. We saw in the states tens of thousands of seniors in Nursing Homes die to shouldnt have died. Died. This guidance was followed by those governors or. You think they wouldve saved more lives . As i testify to before i think its a very concerning practice to send an infectious person back to a nursing home. Thank you and i wish those governors would have modeled the guides the President Trumps team put out as part of a major overall plan. Dr. Redfield i want to talk about reOpening Schools. I know youve been very involved in this. Cdc is put up multiple documents of guidance for safely reOpening Schools here. Checklist for paris, checklist for teachers, guidance for k12 School Administrators on the use of cloth facemask in school. So people want to make that controversial. This is part of President Trumps plan to safely Opening School to talk about use of masks. Here youve got school decisionmaking tools for parents, caregivers and parties. What is all parts of the president s plan to save the open school . Yes. Have you been involved . Yes. Do you think that school should safely reopen this fall with inperson learning . Yes, yes, i think its import to realize that its in the Public Health best interest of k12 students to get back in facetoface learning. Theres really for significant Public Health consequences of the school closure. For example, the lack the ability to detect child abuse that occurs and is detected often in schools. Do you and how much child abuse will not be detected if children are not returning to the school . Clearly where things the supporting of it and get its a direct consequence of the school closures. 7. 1 million kids get their Mental Health service at schools. To get nutritional support as a mitch and from schools. We are seeing an increase in drug use to disorders as well a suicide in adolescence individuals. Its important to realize its not Public Health versus the economy of the School Opening pickets publichealth versus Public Health of the k12 to get the schools open. We have to do it safely and with got to be able to accommodate i appreciate that and were out of time. I hope the School System follow President Trump and his great medical doctors guidance and help those kids by safely reopening. With that i think of witnesses and i yield back. I think the Ranking Member. The china recognizes ms. Maloney for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman and thank you mr. Ranking member and want to thank all of our witnesses today, particularly dr. Fauci who was born in the great city of new york in the beautiful borough of brooklyn. New yorkers are very proud that you were a new york raised, new york doctor before you became americas doctor. And i must say that as a chairman mentioned when we had her hearing on march 11 which i was privileged to chair when i asked you how was it going to go, you said its going to get worse and worse and worse, and the next day everybody started closing down. Sports clubs, the museums and treating it with the seriousness the disease had to be treated with. And at that hearing when asked about testing you said and i quote, that were not really geared up to do what we need right now. In fact, you said, you called it failing. Now its five months later. Where would you rate us now in our efforts of, i know my city and other cities have worked diligently, trying to respond. Where would you put us now with testing . What do we have to do to continue to get better . Well i think you can get a more detailed response from admiral giroir, but i will comment. I think things are considerably different and it proved now than it was several months ago both of the numbers of test data been proved as well as for the efforts that are going into to expand our capabilities, in other words, the more prudently have screening testing done in one segment as well as testing to determine diagnosis and follow up on others. But doctor gerard is much Better Qualified to give the gifts of. But but i would like to know moved to vaccines. Thats the challenge now. I recall reading one of your reports on aids and you said i will never retire until we have a vaccine. We still have a vaccine for aids. Ebola took five years. How realistic is a vaccine . Is it dreaming or is it a reality . Other protocols as safe as they possibly could be for as weve always had for vaccines . Could you give us an honest assessment of where our country is in Vaccine Development . Its reality, congresswoman maloney. I believe it will occur. Think the difference between hiv and coronavirus is a different data dont think you can compare the because the body to stomach a very good immune response against hiv so it may Vaccine Development very difficult whereas the body does make a robust immune response against coronavirus which tells us that i believe that we can get to that goal. I notice of people this the seems like it is so fast that there might be compromising at safety and in scientific integrity. And i can tell you that is absolutely not the case. The rapidity with which were doing it is as a result of very Different Technology in getting from the time we recognize this pathogen in the beginning of january 2 time we were able to get into a phase one trial to the time were able to do face two and then as i mentioned, just this past monday we started a phase three. That was not reckless rushing. That was technology and doing things in a way that does not compromise any of the steps. So i believe it is realistic as i mentioned in my Opening Statement that the early data from the phase one trial shows that this candidate, and ensure of the candidates will do would also, this is not the only vaccine. There are more than one. There are about a dozen, five or six that the federal government is actively involved with, is going into phase three trials over the next few months, as i mentioned, one of which is already in. The response that was induced was really quite favorable. And as ive said often and i repeat it for the record now, theres never a guarantee that youre going to get a safe and effective vaccine, but from everything weve seen now in the animal data, as well as the early human data, we feel cautiously optimistic that we will have a vaccine by the end of this year and as we go into 2021. So i dont i dont think its a dreaming, congresswoman. I believe it is a reality and will be shown to be a a realit. Thats very good news. The second step is how do we distribute it, and also reports are that china and russian are involved in their tests and that they have advanced tests across the world. They are testing in brazil, indonesia for the vaccines. Should they develop one earlier . When we manufactured here . When we develop and how do plan to distributed . We have to think about the world because if we dont cure it in the world and we havent cured it. So the steps forward after the vaccine is developed. A couple of questions that i will try to answer them quickly. The first thing is i do hope that the chinese and the russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone. Because claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing i think is problematic at best. We are going very quickly. I do not believe that the would be vaccines so far ahead of us that will have to depend on other countries to get us vaccines. I believe the program that is being sponsored by us right now and being directed at the bid by us is going at a very rapid speed. Prudent but rapid. With regard to distribution already right now there are plans as was mentioned ideally by Ranking Member scalise that we are taking at risk financial risk, not safety risk by financial risk, the development of doses of vaccine right now as we speak so they would be ready by the time we do show safety and efficacy, we will be able to distribute it and it will be done by a number of mechanisms, the standard mechanism working with recommendation by the accip together with the cdc now being coupled with my recommendations from the National Academies of medicine and in collaboration with the department of defense and the cdc working together, it will be distributed. I. T. My time is expired. Thank you very much, dr. Fauci. The chair now recognizes ms. Walorski for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Take you for your service and thank you for being here today. Think arguably the most important thing to think of is working on right now is ensuring that im an optimist and listen to this morning im still optimistic that were going use the term when and not it when it comes to getting a vaccine shown through trials to be safe and effective that with manufacturing Distribution Capabilities to go and get at the consummation quickly i believe that. President trump is already announced operation warp speed to achieve the goal of delivering 300 million doses of an approved a vaccine by januar. Its leveraging the full strength of the public and private sector as partnerships that are there in the coming partnerships and is fun president in this country and i salute that. Astrazeneca told energy and Commerce Committee a few days ago that this do with the federal government stipulates it will sell 300 million doses to the government at no profit. Johnson johnson said it will provide its vaccine at a notforprofit price for other Companies Working on vaccines of also promised the prices. Between the promises for low prices and existing Government Programs that cover the cost of the vaccine is it safe to say every american will be able to get a vaccine once it is approved . Given what you mention which i agree with, the promises of the company but hundreds of millions of doses, i believe ultimately over a period of time in 2021 if we have any think we will have a safe and effective vaccine that americans will be able to get it. I dont think that we will have everybody getting it immediately in the beginning. Probably will be phased in and asked the reason why we have committees to do the prioritization of who should get it first. But ultimately within a reasonable period of time that plans now allow for any american who needs a vaccine to get it within the year right and that is the plan. State of the public of vaccines its my understanding operation warp speed enabled Clinical Trials for the most promising vaccine candidates to be run simultaneously which will get aa vaccine to the market much faster than normal. My understanding from listening to you just a few minutes ago we have eliminated no safety steps in the vaccine approval process, correct . That is correct. Again just to be clear, so the folks that are watching this are hearing this clearly, concisely and truthfully from you. The fda is that compromising Safety Standards in order to speed up vaccine process approval, correct. As well, i with it a different way. We at the nih are doing the vaccine studies with the companies. The fda will look at that data and on a sciencebased decision will make a determination as to the safety and efficacy and whether or not it will be approved. So the fda is a sciencebased decision maker. But as far as you know and that i agree but fdas that compromising Safety Standards. No. No way no how is the fda compromising Safety Standards and their approvals are based on scientific historically the fda has base their decisions on science here they will do it this time also i appreciated thanks for your searches will have safe affordable and widely available vaccine for allamerica which is praying for one of the promising candidates comes to. Thats why disappoint weve seen so many other side of the out speculate aloud that the administration might russian and say faxing to the market before the election took President Trump politically. This irresponsible rhetoric only serves to plant irrational fears in the minds of americans. Im worried that enough of these types of attacks could result in people avoiding an approved vaccine when it does come to market when it is available for americans. Dr. Fauci can you address this once and for all . With the administration approve a vaccine that is that safe and do you share my concern about the danger of undermining the vaccine develop process . The commission of fda dr. Stephen hahn has assured me and the spoken publicly that he would make sure in the decision on the part of the fda will be based on sound Scientific Data proving the safety and efficacy. Hes told me that and hes been very public about that. Given that i think the American Public should be assured that in the process of determining the safety and efficacy the proper steps have been taken to determine that and when a vaccine becomes available its important for their own health and for the health of the country to take that vaccine. I appreciate that. Thank you. I cant let this poet passes of bringing all to our attention to the chairman that just last week the justice or indicted to china stashes fracking covers that are working on a vaccine. We sent a strong message to china this will not be tolerated. Im glad the administration took action by naming and shaming those involved as was closing down a chinese consulate those a hub for intellectual and trade secret theft. We must all china accountable, mr. Chairman. We have to. Mr. Chairman, before i close and you commit to Holding Hearing on the threat of chinese espionage on vaccine products . Vaccine producers. Mr. Chairman . Whoever is sitting in for mr. Chairman . Do you promise me that we will hold a hearing of the threat of chinese espionage on vaccine producers. Was the chairman as i did answer the question. You have a few seconds left. Your time has expired. Mr. Chairman, this is a grave threat. For the record thank you. This is a great threat the latest time has expired. The chairman will take my recommendation to i yield back. Thank you very much for i will now recognize myself for five minutes. On july 10 the Top Administration ordered hospitals to change have reported hospitalization rates come testing numbers and other data related to the coronavirus. Instead of reporting to the cdc which hospitals have done for more than a decade they were instructed to start reporting the data to the Trump Administration directly, specifically the department of health and Human Services. They were given just two days to prepare for this drastic change. Leading Health Groups warn that the changes in data reporting would quote were some our ability to mitigate, suppress and recover from our national Public Health emergency, unquote. Other experts are concerned that this decision may have been made so the Top Administration could control and high data it finds politically inconvenient. Dr. Redfield, when did you first learn that the Administration Plan to move the data from cdc to a driven portal run by hhs . We were not directly involved in the final decision but what i can say is that cdc then and now continue to have access to all data, does all Data Analytics so theres no restriction of any of the data and that data we continue to forward facing record book. When did you first learn dr. Redfield . Again speedy when you were first notified . Again, as image i was involved in the decision. So you were never them i do understand reclaiming my time, am i to understand that you were not told at all . Well, i was told actually what the secretarys office made the decision that that was the decision and we worked together. How long was that. I dont remember but i can get back to the exact date but we did work in cooperation to help make sure that recline my time. Did you agree with this decision, dr. Redfield . I think it was an important to see and light up you a great. With yes, i said its important decision. Thank you. Did you discuss this change with Vice President pence or with secretary azar . Not directly. Indirectly . I talked directly with individuals responsible within the did you discuss it with the Vice President pence . No. Did you discuss it with secretary azar . No. Who told you about the reason for this change . Well i think we collectively understood the reasons if i can answer is is the substantial investments in the therapeutics with remdesivir which made a really important to be able to understand who was newly hospitalized in real time that day so allocations of remdesivir could get to the hospital. I think you very much for that. And so you develop the reasons, though dictated the reasons are told to you reasons for the ch. You came up the reasons . Yes, i think was important that we were able to in realtime be able to know where continue to go in the system we develop, the National Healthcare Safety Network that we do for so were you told about the changes, why they were being done, or did you and others develop the changes . Who told you . We worked together, quietly together as members of the hhs and the cdc in recognizing speedy i only have so much time. The trouble administration has threatened to cut off the supplies of remdesivir. The hospitals that do not follow the new reporting mandates. Dr. Redfield, this is the only drug know to successfully treat the coronavirus. Should a patient be access to potentially lifesaving drug like remdesivir because the hospital is a able to comply with the sudden change in hhs reporting requirements . My understanding is we continue to do everything to make sure remdesivir gets to operations that would potentially benefit from. But do you do agree that they may not be able to get them to patients because of the way that information was given in the timeframe that was given in . Congresswoman, i would disagree. I think the reason changes were made to ensure individuals could get access to remdesivir in a timely fashion. Would you agree that we basically well, this is the only drug know to successfully treat the coronavirus should a patient be denied access to potentially lifesaving drug like remdesivir because a hospital was unable to comply with the sudden change in hhs reporting requirements . And again im trying to say i think the intent and a consequence of what was done was to ensure that patients are not denied access to remdesivir, to make sure we get time with distribution to the hospitals where these patients are. Thank you very much. I have exhausted my time. Next well hear from mr. Foster i believe. Mr. Luetkemeyer is next. Thank you. You are recognized for five minutes, to look a. Thank you, thanks to the witnesses bring it today. Appreciate your testimony and your expertise. Dr. Redfield on tuesday july 14 you stated that right now we are seeing sadly for former greater suicides than dust from covid, far greater guess from overdose that we had a background in wishing from dust from code. Since a pandemic began ill call since increased by more than 25 of suspected drug overdoses have climbed 18 . I said this almost everything we need to make sure we are looking at both sides of this healthcare issue. Were targeting our approach what had to take care of the covid also need to make sure we are looking at the severe unintended consequences like Substance Abuse, domestic violence, child abuse that are occurring to the economic shutdowns that took place across the country because hes instances will likely be around longer than the virus itself. Do you believe the blanket shutdowns happy thought the country are contributing to the drastic increases in Substance Abuse and suicide, the lack of cancer screenings and treatments and operations and other things like that that we have left out of the picture as result of our total focus on covid . Congressman, thank you for the question. I think it is really important as we reopen american now that we much more surgical about those situations that are curtailed. As you mentioned we clearly are consequences the article in the consequent support decrease in immunization of children, or the lack of cassius clay, clearly consequences for the latest surgeries that were elected that now are semielected. There clearly are consequences to Substance Abuse and Mental Health services so it really is important as we reopen our nation that we really ensure that theres not these unintended consequences that a think the reality is did occur during march, april and may. There was an article that appeared in one of the local magazines with regards to try to quantify that figure and they did and it came up with the a fe of our city 5000 people per month i would die because of the lack of healthcare that was either being postponed, denied, waived or whatever versus our total focus on covid. Dr. Fauci, ive watched a number of your press conferences and ive seen you articulate a lot about code but interesting to talk about this other part of healthcare spectrum that we need to be concerned also get would you like to comment on that and keeping your position on that play . Yes, i actually have commented on that when i said most recently talking about schools that are think a default position despite the fact that we have to flexibility, try special republican and the context of the safety of the children and the teachers to open the schools for the very reasons that i think you mentioned and that dr. Redfield mentioned because of the negative consequences on children a psychological standpoint as well as downstream unintended consequences on families. One of the problems we all have here on this committee is were sitting here looking at the consequences of a problem we have covid come look at the consequent is went on not attempted healthcare needs of the rest of society and with the city and figure out how we manage this . How do we look at both sides of this . How do we from 30,000 30,000 fe sure everybody is taken care of . Our position what would you recommend dr. Redfield how we should approach this problem . Again i just want to echo what dr. Fauci said earlier. We think if you do five things we can a compass as much as we did of shutting down this nation. Where a Face Covering. All those things we will be able to put us address the other part of this as well. We can get back without these unintended consequences. The facemask and social distance, the hand hygiene, smart about gathers and staying out of crowded bars and crowded restaurants. If we give those five things weve done modeling data can we get the same bang for the buck as if we just shut the entire economy down. Okay. You have commented quite a bit this morning already on School Openings and your comment, its not about the economy a Public Health. Its about Public Health versus Public Health. Ive got some grandkids i do want them to go back to school. I think for their own health we need to be doing it. I think you made the comment you grandchildren you would like to see it happen as well. Would you like to comment on the other part of this again the unintended consequences of the problems with the child abuse that is not being reported because most of it, a lot of it is reported by teachers . We seen that go down there with an emergency cases in Emergency Rooms go come up as a result of this. Can you comment on that . Thank you. I just want to reemphasize that it dont think i can emphasize it enough, as the director for the centers for Disease Control, the leading Public Health agency in the world it is in the Public Health interest that these k12 students to get the schools back open for facetoface learning. Mental health service, 7. 1 million kids get in school. Nutrition talked about. Reporting of child abuse, sexual abuse mandatory in schools. The isolation that these adolescents are feeling, that now is associate with increase as you mentioned, increased drug overdose, thats and now increase suicide. I think it is really important, as a grandfather, 11 grandkids i want these kids back in school. Ive one grandchild with cystic fibrosis. I want it done smartly but buti think we have to be honest that the Public Health and interest of the students in the station right now is to get a quality education facetoface learning and when you do get on with it. The time of the gentleman has expired. The chair now recognizes for five minutes ms. Velazquez. Thank you, mr. Chairman and Ranking Member. It has been six months since this crisis began. Yet new infections are still climbing in many states. Many hospitals are at capacity and thousands of americans are dying. I am concerned about widespread delayed in test results are contributing to these problems. In arizona the test Positivity Rate is over 20 the test results there have been delayed by up to 16 days. In florida many in the state are near or at capacity but results can take over a week. In georgia some companies have reported average processing times of five to ten days. Dr. Fauci, you said in a recent interview, and, if youre going to do Contact Tracing and the test comes back in five to seven days you might as well not to Contact Tracing because its already too late. Dr. Fauci, if a fiveday testing the latest 21 then is it fair to say that a 16 day delay is absurd . What are the consequences from this delay . I believe you can get a more detailed answer from admiral giroir, but as i said before, that is a delay that would interfere with the effective Contact Tracing and were trying to decrease that it but exact numbers of the delay i believe admiral giroir has more precise information on that. Yes, sir. What are the consequences from this delay . Thank you, maam. As a talked about about have tested and either point of care within hospitals which are pretty rapid. The current data we have on the large commercial labs are that 59 of all tests are reported within the three days, 6 within five days and im sure theres an outlier at 1216 days because that because it happens but the 30 a 30 atypical. In the citys you talked about speedy that is not what we are hearing from places like arizona, florida and georgia. I get the data abbasid morning from every single state negative specific to what that is and we have search casting. We have brought federal resources to massively surge in phoenix and thats why is totally gone down. In miami totally gone down, jacksonville. Reclaiming my tie. Dr. Redfield, i would like to turn to you. Does the cdc have comprehensive information about the wait times for test results in all 50 states . [inaudible] i didnt quite here yet. Does the cdc have comprehensive information about the wait times for test results in all 50 states . I would refer the question back to the admiral. Server. Yes, we have come with confidence of information on wait times in all 50 states from the large and do you publish this data . We talk about it when ever always. You dont think that it would be important speeded i was with 60 nonjournalists yaphet and we talked about the frequently so if you would like to see im very happy to get. It would be great so that those that are making decisions at the state and city level, with access to that information. Because it is important to understand that they do. They had that information. On the commercial labs when you place an order there told exactly what the expected wait time is for the order. We cannot expect to reopen the economy safely if the virus is spreading unchecked. Testing, Contact Tracing and isolation not be effective unless we cut the turnaround time on tests. I do want to talk about puerto rico. Thats another story. Chairman powell said this week that the pulse of the cotton will depend to a very high extent on the course of the virus and on the measures that we take to keep it in check. He said also that the fed will use its full range of tools to steer the economy out of recession. General men, if the federal government is using its full range of tools to get the virus under control like other countries have. Many states are reconsidering the reopening plans after expensing its shocking increase in your cases and being unable to stop the spread. Dr. Fauci, what role does a lack of testing and Contact Tracing play in states inability to control the virus . Testing and Contact Tracing is one of a number of tools that i used to control the kind of searching weve seen but also like to point out, to reemphasize again what i said in my Opening Statement that we could do a a really good job of controlling and if we paid attention to five fundamental principles, what if which is what were doing here with masks, crowds, distance, ours, washing hands. That is critical. Cassie is absolutely an important part of it and and understand that but the largest and most important pulpit is the one on pennsylvania avenue. As a matter which is a is a if what you said is undermined the president of United States. The gentleladys time has expired. The chair now recognizes for five minutes mr. Jordan. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Dr. Fauci to protest increase the spread of the virus . Do protest increase the spread of the virus . I think i can make a general statement speak happily protested on june 6 and a just asking that number of people does increase the spread of the virus . Crowding together particularly when youre not wearing a mask contributes to the spread of the virus. Should we limit the protesting . Im not sure what you mean should how do we sit with the protesting should government limit the protesting . I dont think thats relevant to speedy you just said it increases the spread the virus. Im just asking if we should limited. Im not in a position to determine what the government can do any force why. You make all kinds of recommendations come on baby, baseball. I just asking you just said protest increase us but i just asking she would try to limit the practice . I think i would leave that to people or more of a today. I can tell you government stopping people going to church, dr. Fauci. Last week in the Calvary Chapel case type liberals on the Supreme Court said is okay for nevada to limit church services. Justice gorges said it best, theres the world in which the constitution with a beta two favorite seasons house over calvary practicing your faith. Im not saving anybody over anybody. Im just making a statement that is a broad statement that avoid crowds of any type no matter where you are. Because that leads to the acquisition and transmission. And i dont judge one crowd versus another crowd. When youre in a crowd particularly if youre not wearing a mask, that its a simple question. Should we limit the protest government is limiting people to church. Look theres been no violence that i can see a church privacy and people during a church go out and harm Police Officer burned buildings but we know, for 63 days, 99 weeks its been happening in portland. Writes for one night in chicago for gmen officers were injured but no limits, no limit to protest 49 officers but you cant go to church on sunday. I dont how many times i can answer the i am not going to a pint unlimited anything. Its good to tell you you have opined on a lot of things picked is something directly impacts the spread of the virus and ask your position on the protest. Well, im not going to opined. Im telling you what it is a danger and you can make your own conclusion about that you should stay away from crowds no matter where the crowd government has stop people from going to work. In fact, just in new jersey four days ago ian smith, and frank mora rest of opening up for kind operate the business, their gym. A were arrested but my bet is if these two individuals own at this gym or outside just in front of their gym and all the people working out in the gym or outside processing they wouldve been just fine but because they were in the gym working out actually running their business they got arrested. Do you think thats okay . Im not going to opined on who gets arrested and who does not. I mean, you get where im going . Im telling you as a Public Health official i do you see the inconsistency . There is no inconsistency. So youre allowed to protest millions of people on one date in crowds yelling and screening but you try to run your business and you get arrested and interested outside this and this is a prostitute you wouldnt get arrested can you dont see an inconsistency . I dont understand what you asked me as a Public Health official to opine appointment o should get arrested or not thats not my position. You could ask that question you advocated for certain businesses to be shut down. I just asked you on your position on the protest. I havent seen weve heard a lot about hair salons. I havent seen one hairstylist who between haircuts those out and attacks police or sets of the gunfire but we can all kinds of dustup during protest of another protests actually increase the spread of the virus. You have said that. I said crowds. I didnt say specifically, i didnt say protests do anything. So the protest dont increase the spread . You are putting words in my mouth. I just won an answer. Do the protest increase the spread of the virus . I dont have any scientific evidence. Crowds are known take when you dont have a mask to increase the acquisition and transmission. No matter what so you have visio whether the protest increase the spread or dont increase the spread of the virus . Im saying that crowds wherever the crowds are can give you an increased probability that theres going to be acquisition and transmission speedy but do you understand americans concern . Protesting according to democrats is just fine but you cant go to work him he cant go to school, you cant go to church. This limits placed on all three of those fundamental activities the time of the gentleman has expired. The protesting is just fine. The time of the gentleman has expired but i will just ask the gentleman judges think about his question and put it in reference to crowds that gather in political meetings, at fundraisers without masks, on an oil rig in texas, numb what he wearing a mask and nobody social distancing but a fundraiser. Would that be problematic . With that i would yield five minutes to mr. Foster. Well, thank you, mr. Chairman. Dr. Fauci and dr. Redfield, im a scientist as you are and so you know how important it is that when a great scientific breakthrough reaches the public, that the proper credit is given, not just those who show up and find credit at press coverage is but long list of federally funded researchers who have made these breakthroughs possible. And also to the enlightened federal employees and the politicians who funded that research. I remember a few to go when read newspaper headlines about all the miraculous cures in cancer immunotherapy where i give a floor speech in the is how safe this was great at equally great for of federally funded research and the researchers who made those clinical breakthroughs possible. And also frankly some of the credit goes to the democratic and republican members of congress who resisted the proposals for massive budget cuts decides that were proposed by republicans for years in the paul ryan budgets and trump and mulvaney cuts since then. In the case of the mrna vaccines have been so much in the news this week, the story does not start with operation warp speed. Doesnt even start with historic 63 day spread from the publication of the viral genome to the first patient injected by the mrna testing vaccines. The sprints i believe began when President Trump come with President Trump, well, this spring ask the begin when President Trump was still medically the idea of the pandemic. The spread i choose darwin dedicated employees at nih and moderna who understood the danger of covid19 and begin working day and night. The story of federal investments in mrna vaccines starts lovely back in 2009 when president obama the was at the time im happy with the speed of response to the h1n1 swine flu epidemic convened his scientific Advisor Panel which he did back in those days and famously asked them if you guys are so smart how can you still make vaccines with chicken eggs . Okay so when youre later and august when can pcast put out a report on region and vaccine production for pandemics which emphasize the potential of new technologies to make vaccines and therapeutics available far faster in the pandemic. Heeding the advice of a scientific panel, which they did back in those days, in 2013 the Obama Administration awarded a 25 billion tarp darpa grant tt it called moderna to develop their mrna vaccine platform for pandemic response. This was followed in 2015 x 100 25 Million Investment by barda so that by the end of the Obama Administration moderna had mrna vaccines and therapeutics under test in both animals and humans. Why is it the Obama Administration prioritize mrna vaccines and therapeutics . First off it is the speed of development which resolve realized in the 63 day spread. Its the speed of manufacture which has to do with a high yields of in vitro reactions and their potency. Scientifically the exciting news of the last few months is that a potent human immune response can come from doses as low as 30 30 micrograms of mrna vaccine. 30 30 micrograms come what doest mean . That means this one liter bottle if it were full of mrna vaccine would contain over 30 million doses. This is enough to vaccinate everyone of americas doctors and First Responders or all of its seniors over 75 years old and that is why the Obama Administration invested in mrna vaccines and therapeutics starting back in 2009. And without those investments frankly logic warp speed would not have squat. Dr. Fauci would you agree that when there are great medical breakthroughs that the public needs to be reminded about the long line of federal r d that is led to vaccine and therapeutics successes that we are anticipating . Yes, congressman and even goes beyond waitressing. Everything you say is very well taken and and i think maybe ita good time to recognize the fact that the generosity of the congress through multiple administrations both democratic and republican and whether or not the congress was controlled by democrats or republicans to support for Biomedical Research echoes back decades leading to everything that youre talking about it even before then, some of the and the bodywork, some of the work that is being done with the molecules that are directly antiviral molecules. I think we often forget that when we think of the product and often forget as as a thank your properly pointed out speedy but we should be making now to make sure where better prepared for future pendants and how can we support those investments with the kind of science budget cuts that were seeing propose in the trump and mulvaney budgets . I hope we dont get cuts but, in fact, we been very speedy they have been posed again and again. Okay, yes, but anyway, looks like my time is up. Mr. Chairman . Over here. [inaudible] i ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a story from june 5, 2020 underscoring what dr. Fauci wouldnt have today. Dr. Fauci is a large vote is taking place across the country perfect set up for spreading covid19. That is stored from Business Insider but also as unanimous consent to enter into the record at june 12 story dr. Fauci tells abc powerhouse politics that attending rallies, protests is risky even though today it seems to have changed. Obviously decision has changed many times over many think of us of letter i would into those articles for the record. I would yield you come dr. Fauci. I guess that come in a crowd, any crowd whether its a protest, any credit which you have people close together without masks is a risk, and i will stick by that statement. Its a Public Health statement. Its not a judgment on why you are there in the crowd. Its a statement related to the fact that youre in a crowd. Thank you, dr. Fauci. I didnt ask him a question. You let them respond. I was making a unanimous consent. And im going to run this meeting. Of like a chance to respond to what he said. I am going to share this meeting. Without objection, without objection your statements, whatever you have there, will be entered into the record. And without objection any gathering, whether you are protesting or whether you are politicking, any gathering would be risky, thats what the man has said. But thats not whats happening. Thats my point. Oh, you are telling me speedy people cant go to church, cant go to worship. The gentleman is out of order. But they can protest all they want. That goes for the democrats and republicans. Ill make the decision as to who is out of order. Im going to be as gentlemanly as you allow me to be. I appreciate that, mr. Chair. Thank you, and without i yield five minutes to mr. Green. Thank you, chairman Ranking Member and witnesses for your Amazing Service to our country. Thank you. First dr. Fauci, there was a bit of an uproar about a picture of you at the nationals game without your mask on. I think you were seated with your wife. You had a close friend of their with no one else nearby you. And that just goes with you and his mask on. I think you said in the press since you took it off to take a drink of water. I just want to point out, according to an article in the new england journal of medicine and a quart significant exposure means facetoface contact within six feet with a patient with symptomatic covid19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes and some say more than ten or even 30 minutes, the chance of catching covid19 from a passing interaction in in a public space is therefore minimal in the quote. The sites seem to be pretty clear we should absolutely wear masks when we are in close contact with those outside of her houseful. I think i was just the conclusion of that discussion. Its not a crime to pull your mask off to take a drink of water in 100degree temperature when youre seated next to your wife and someone else is there. I guess i make the point to show how the media has created all of this hype which is led some officials across the country making decisions that are not based on science and there are real consequences to those. If people are hot, they shouldnt get heatstroke and not take the mask off. Id like to move on to some of the troubling actions were done this week. This week the chairman of the committee set for letters all to republican governors in red states the mandy extensive documents related to coronavirus response. The White House Coronavirus task force has 21 states listed in the socalled red zone. This isnt about transparency. Its about ridiculing four states including my home state of tennessee and it distorts the truth. The letter singled out four to be states but what about the other 17 states . Why didnt california get included in the letter . They have seen an explosion in positive cases. They are in the spy, in the 21 listed red zone states. Targeting on the republican governors when clearly 17 of the statesmen of them are democrats are also experiencing the spikes and in the red zone shows this effort has nothing to do with getting answers and is as chairman has said in his opening comments politics over science. No situs wants the truth samples just republicans. Honestly its laughable partisan strike picket also compounds the insult all americans for the failure of this committee to look at the real culprit. As i said in previous testimony Columbia University study showed 60 66 american deaths could have death could have been prevented if china has spoken up one week earlier. Thats thousands of americans lives they couldve instated instead of addressing the cause of 66 of our casualties, the select committee on the coronavirus, the Trump Administration and no four state governors all republican when we know of the blue states are in the exact same situation. This is the definition of partisanship but i can hear it now. Didnt the right send a letter to certain governors . Yesterday. We send it to every single governor who refuse to follow the trial plan, emphasis on plan, and sent covid positive patients back to nursing home killing patients. We didnt select just a few of those. I applaud congressman foster who approached me as a physician and asked me to join a bipartisan partnering with the administration to assist in the execution of operation warp speed plan. Thats how we should be functioning. That kind of bipartisan action. Finally on a positive note i wanted to make in the swedish study and ask dr. Fauci some questions about that because i think it really illuminates some of the exciting findings in science. Hes also a type of white blood cell that regulate immune response, the swedish study found many people with mild a cinematic covid demonstrate socalled tcell immunity to the coronavirus. The study for the found twice as many who tested positive for antibodies had tcell immunity. We know there are tons of people out there with immunity that we are not testing. I would love for you if you could comment, educate america and all of us on tcell immunity and what the ramifications are to the plan. Thank you. Thank you very much. Very quickly try to answer that. There are two limbs of the immune response. One is an antibody which is a protein that is made by the cells of the body to bind to the virus. And is usually the hallmark of protection against infection. Theres another limb of the immune response called the cellular immune response of t cells and those t cells have the capability of essentially suppressing or telling cells that are infected and preventing the cells are infected from making new viruses. So there are two parts of it even though one is a generally felt to be protecting against the initial infection, the other is an important document and youre right the suites cannot with the paper and also paper from nih grantees from low the voyages came out in the journal cells showing the same thing that individuals who were infected and covered that tcell responses but importantly it was tcell reactively also detected in nonexposed individuals. Which means may be there some memory other coronaviruses that are benign cold viruses that you are exposed to that might come and i say might, explain why some people even children might be protected that they had exposure thats not measured in antibody but measured by tcells. This is work we really need to pursue. Were just at the cusp of understanding the importance of this type of response in covid19. Thank you. Thank you. The time of the gentleman has expired and as i yielded to mr. Raskin for five minutes, may i address the letter which i responded to . You havent you have an answer for me. You are not seem to answer . [inaudible] okay. Just be sure since you put the lid in the record let me put my response on the record. My response had to do with the four states that have refused to comply with the medical recommendations from the task force and all four have governors who have publicly stated that they do not plan to comply. The contrast that come we did not send the letter to those states that did indicate that they will comply with the task force, and thats, three of those states had republican governors and they did not get a letter from oz. So this is nothing to do with partisanship, but with political response rather than responded to the science. With that i to mr. Raskin for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman for calling this hearing on the urgent need for a National Plan. A stack of paper is not a plan. A large and unwieldy stack of paper is not a plan. I plan is a comprehensive and coordinated strategy for victory, and we havent seen anything like like a plan. Noah has shown us anything. Blaming other countries is not a plan. Blaming china is not a plan. Blaming china is not even a good excuse for the lethal incompetence and disinformation of President Trump. Chinas early cover of the disease only deepens the responsibility and complicity of President Trump who on 37 different locations as i demonstrated by submissions to this Committee Just ended, praise the Chinese Government and president xi. I plan is a plan, and we havent heard what the plan is and this is what has bedeviled us from the beginning. Mr. Chairman, we have 4. 4 million cases. Cases. Lead the world in case count. Lead the world in death count. More than 153,000 americans are dead right now. 54 Million People filed for unemployment benefits. Weve seen a onethird drop udp, of onethird drop, unprecedented in economic activity. The chart very demonstrates the astonishing and terrifying growth of this disease. It took us 98 days to reach 1 million cases. It took us 44 days to reach 2 million cases here it took 26 days to reach 3 million cases, and it took us only 15 days to reach 4 million cases. Dr. Redfield, when you estimae we would get the 5 million cases . Whats next . Thank you, congressman. One thing ive learned about this virus is its not predictable. I was on thing thats important, the what happens next is really depended upon the American Public fully embrace what weve asked, is a fully embrace those five steps we will get control of this pandemic. I thank you for that and i think both of you and dr. Fauci for stating the absolute imperative imports of everybody wearing their masks whether out in public and everybody maintaining social distance and follow the other Public Health protocols of the outlook officials have been subjected to harassment and weve even seen some today, have been subjected to ridicule and have been subjected to ludicrous absurd contradiction. Somewhat to go through some of the propaganda and disinformation quickly just as a Public Service announcement because america is watching you. Dr. Fauci why dont i start with you . Our children almost immune to the disease . Yes or no because ive got a lot to get through, please are the children almost immune to the disease . We have to have more process can you meet almost any . Do children get infected . Yes, they do. Hundreds of thousand children been infected. Is yes. So children are not almost immune to the disease. Is covid19 owing to magically disappear, dr. Fauci . I do not believe it would disappear because it such a highly transmissible virus. It is unlikely it will disappear. Does wearing a mask did people covid19 . Does wearing a mask give it . No. Not to my knowledge. Is covid19 a hoax . No. Should people take hydroxychloroquine as a cure for covid19 . The overwhelming cumulative evidence of properly conducted randomized control trials indicate no therapeutic efficacy for hydroxychloroquine. Can people cure themselves of covid19 by injecting themselves with disinfectant . No. Or bleach . No. Are you safe from the disease if you go to one of the affirmation large assemblies, crowds, demonstrations without a mask on and not observing social distancing if you sign a waiver that you will not sue the sponge of the event . Im not so sure those things are connected but of rebuke what i said multiple times, that being in a crowd particularly without without a mask is a risk for acquisition and transmission. Governments in a completely different place. They have the disease on the run. Every country on earth is doing far better than the United States except brazil which follows Donald Trumps policies but we have 153,000 dead. Canada, our next door neighbor has less than 9000. We have 17 times the number of deaths from it. China which is much larger than the United States has lost 4661 people. When we lost 150,000 people. Our rate of that is 36 times higher than china. Do we have the Financial Resources and scientific expertise in america to do what other governments have done to bring the infection rate down to something manageable so the end is insight . I believe we have the tools and a considerable degree of financial investment. What is the difference . Why are all of the other countries defeating the disease and we are not . Why do we not have a plan, a strategy for victory to win, to beat covid19 . I addressed that in my Opening Statement and in response to the congressman. When you look at the comparison between asia and europe as shown by the chairmans poster when they shut down they shut down to the tune of 95 , getting their baseline down to hundreds of cases per day. When we did it we got it down but our baseline was 20,000 a day. We are getting somewhere but when you agree with me that the critical difference is either the presence or absence of social cohesion and Political Leadership to develop a plan, execute it and stick to it . There was such diversity in response from different states that we did not have a unified bringing everything down. The gentlemans time is expired but fauci, if you would like to add more . I think i answered the question. Do we need to stop these disgraceful attacks on Public Health officials . The gentlemans time is expired. I recognize mister kemp for five minutes. Thank you to the witnesses for coming out today. I want to start with a quick question that comes from a constituent of mine who asked me and i want to ask you. Would you assess that our federal government, cdc included is doing Everything Possible to respond to the coronavirus . Doctor redfield . We have a comprehensive response. The one comment i want to make is the complexity we have under invested in the capabilities of Public Health and hopefully we have seen the consequence of that. With our capabilities right now would you assess the federal government is doing everything . Within the capabilities we do have but recognizing the core capabilities that have not been invested effectively in the last five decades. Same question to you. Is the federal government doing Everything Possible to respond to the coronavirus . A very broad question. Within the capabilities we have we are doing that. Doctor fauci, do you agree with your colleagues that within the capabilities of the federal government are you doing Everything Possible to respond . I can only speak cogently about the agency i am responsible for and i can tell you absolutely that the National Institutes of health are doing everything they can and is all hands on deck approach not only for the institutes that i direct which is the National Institute of virology and Infectious Diseases but the director of an eye chase nihs spending most of his time on that even though hes responsible for a lot of other institutes. We are doing what we can. I want to turn back to you. I got a text message from a fellow constituent that followed up on this question and laura says i gotta covid19 test ten days ago at a testing site and dont have the results. You mentioned before 76 of tests coming back within five days but that means a quarter of test in the country have taken more than five days to get results back. I wanted to ask would it be possible for the nation to have results for all covid19 tests completed and returned within 48 or 72 hours, is that possible benchmark q it is not a possible benchmark we can achieve today given the demand and supply. It is a benchmark we could achieve before. You said demand and supply, something you dont have ability to control but in terms of supply are we doing Everything Possible to address the needs of the Coronavirus Crisis, what would you say to laura here . Is the government doing everything they can possibly to try to get the testing timeline down 4872 hours . I do believe we are. We talked about the raw numbers of things but we are investing in a number of technologies that will expand point of care testing and that is the future, to move more to point of care testing with existing technologies. Doctor fauci talk about the nihs everton there will be a lot of announcements from them as well. The point of care give the results. Interesting what you said earlier which was trying to get testing to Nursing Homes and longterm care facilities and that feels like a place where the federal government is stepping up with Additional Resources because states have been unable to fulfill something of that nature. We always wanted to do that but did not have the technologies that were available with the recent approval of a second point of care instrument in the manufacturing, as soon as that happens we put that into gear. What intrigues me is this is a situation again when it comes to testing i keep hearing it is the states responsibility to take a lead on this so longterm care seems to place the federal government is stepping in. This has always been a collaborative relationship. The federal government buys all the swabs, we deliver that to the states, we by 45 , deliver those to the state. We make affirmative actions for Nursing Homes, that is where 50 is and Everything Else is a collaborative interaction, part state, part federal. We Work Together on that. We do not defer to the states. If we did i would not be spending 24 7 with a team of 54 people since march. My time is expired, i yield back. Without objection i would like to place two reports into the record. One is from forbes and it is entitled researchers say protests did not increase covid19 spread but republicans are still blaming them. This is one report. I have in my hand hear a report and a study from the National Bureau of Economics Research that was published last month in this study found that there was no connection between black lives matter and protests in recent months and increased spread of the coronavirus. Without objection i would like to place both of these studies into the record. We will now go to a second round of questioning. I like to ask the panelist would you like a 5 minute break before we begin . The next line of questioning . Yes. We are taking a five minute break and we will be back in five minutes for more questioning. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] as you heard, a 5minute break in this subcommittee hearing, hearing from doctor anthony fauci, Robert Redfield and brett giroir. They could be starting again in just a second but the president is watching this hearing and tweeted this morning somebody please tell congressman cliburn he doesnt have a clue the chart he puts up indicates more care cases for the us than europe is because we do much more testing than any other country in the world. If we had noticed your bad testing it would show few cases. Are massive testing capability rather than being praised is used by the lame stream media and their partner, do nothing radical left democrats as a point of scorn. It is used as a fake news weapon, said. That tweet from the president as he watches the subcommittee hearing on Coronavirus Crisis. This hearing about to resume in just a moment. Live coverage on cspan2. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] or smack [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] we are in the midst of a brief break in this subcommittee on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. The main witnesses, three witnesses, doctor Robert Redfield, doctor anthony fauci, admiral brett giroir, all in the room standing by the table. We expect it to continue with the second round of questioning on cspan2. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [banging on gavel] age the meeting will now come back to order. In the stand, admiral giroir, a hard stop at 11 45, only 25 minutes from now. We will go to a second round of questions and recognize that you have to leave. Thank you, mister chairman. Everybody got their first round in. I will begin the second round, referring i will give myself five minutes. Donald trump has just tweeted out a statement and i am going to quote in reference to my chart about coronavirus cases. He says the United States has far more cases than europe because we do much more testing than any other country in the world. If we had no testing or bad testing we would show very few cases. Doctor fauci, do you agree with that statement or do you stand by your previous answer that the difference is caused by multiple factors including the fact that some states did not do a good job of reopening . I stand by my previous statement that the increase in cases was due to a number of factors, one of which was in the attempt to reopen, in some situations, states did not abide by the guidelines the task force in the white house put out and others the dudes abide by at the people in the state actually were congregating in crowds and not Wearing Masks. I might also bring something i thought about and mentioned before, we talk about crowds and masks. It is always better outdoors than insurers, being indoors is also worse than outdoors because of circulation of air so we should avoid crowds under any circumstances but wearing a mask is the critical issue. I agree with that. I think i will go to restaurants who allow me to sit outdoors and not indoors. I have been following the science and agreeing with you how we ought to conduct ourselves. Let me just say, i feel strongly about this, that the First Amendment to the constitution means a lot to me. I am sitting here, we opened up this meeting today, many of you, doctor redfield especially and you, mister Ranking Member talking about john lewis with whom i enjoyed a 60 year relationship. We met protesting trying to get off the back of a bus, trying to integrate schools, trying to stop in a 5 and 0. 10 store and not be arrested for trespassing, to get School Supplies out of that war, you cant sit down and have a hamburger. I am glad the government did not limit our protests so the First Amendment has constraints. You cant fire in a crowded theater but you can peaceably assemble for a redress of grievances. You cant do that. I dont think any of those people who were marching out here on this plaza, now called black lives matter plaza, they were not carrying guns, they were not disturbing anybody, they were peaceful, nobody had any weapons, met by weapons. I dont want us to get confused, i will close my 5 minutes here, whether or not this disconnect that seems to be between what the white house is saying publicly and what they are sending out to the states privately and as we mentioned early in the letter several of these states seem to be reacting to Public Statements from the white house and not following the recommendations of the task force, since to them privately. This week, Coronavirus Task force report paints a very different picture. I have the document here. This was sent out to the states, states in the red zone that are refusing to comply as you heard from us. I am not being positive here. We are trying to save lives. I started my career as a Public School teacher, a daughter spent 25 years in a classroom, how concerned teachers are about returning to School Without safety precautions and so many asked us to do. That is what my concern is. It is not about going back to school. I know what it is to represent the school district, thousands and thousands of children do not have the internet and cannot receive online learning. I want them to be educated and safe and that is what this is about. Thank the gentleman for yielding, this gentleman from south carolina, safely reOpening Schools, a report from the department of treasury, as of june 30th based on the cares act, what we in Congress Working with donald trump sent to the state for various covid19 issues, i would urge any School System, to open up without safety precautions, the American Academy of pediatrics lays out how to safely reOpening Schools, the centers for Disease Control lays out clearly how to safely reopen schools, that includes masks and other supplies and any local School System the claims they dont have the ability to do that, go to your governor, your governor had billions of dollars in accounts that we appropriated, we dont need to change a law, millions of dollars, every state has money for supplies. If you run out give us a call but there is money in your state account to buy supplies, masks, sanitizes to safely reopen and i will ask you, we see the District Of Columbia currently saying it wont reopen within school learning, theres not been a single death of anybody in the District Of Columbia. In virginia, Northern Virginia taking the same closed minded approach, not a single death in the state of virginia of a person under the age of 19. Lets talk about the danger, the detriment this is doing to those children. I wanted to deeper into the studies i have seen, Mental Health, lack of screening for child abuse. I have seen 14,000 cases of child abuse reported every year. Thats not happening in for those children in those Home Settings where the parents are abusing the children nobody is getting reported because the children are sitting at home, they are not in many of these cases allowed to go into the school where it can be detected and it is detected every year. We dont talk about it a lot. An unfortunate part of society. It is detected in the school, that is not going to happen if the schools dont open. Can you talk about those numbers . Have you seen that data. I reemphasize what you said. It is one of the more disturbing consequences, not just in schools which have been so responsible for mandatory reporting child abuse but the other place that recognizes obviously in the clinical setting. Pediatric visits have been curtailed for clinical studies. A significant situation, you can imagine what it is like to be one of those currently abused children who lost their safety nets. We are running low on time, go look at the cdc guidelines, all the data out there for teachers, students, how to safely reopen. You can do it, you owe it to those kids, 50,000 kids in the District Of Columbia. 50 million children are counting on us to do this. It can be done, you have to do it. They are being denied that opportunity. And deny them. Billions of dollars sitting out there to keep the school safe, go make it happen. I want to talk about operation warp speed and thank you for talking about 250,000 people signed up for those Clinical Trials. What is that website again . Coronavirustreatmentprevention. Org. People dont know the details. Of all these plans, some people disagreed with Donald Trumps decision to stop lights from china, as you testified earlier it was the right decision and it saved lives, that decision saved lives, they may not agree with the plan to the plan saved lives. When we talk about warp speed, some people are concerned there might be cutting of corners to get to a quicker vaccine. Thats not the case but what donald trump has done has remove red tape so they can laser focus on putting their efforts behind finding a vaccine. Donald trumps work to make sure Clinical Trials can be run simultaneously on the most promising candidate, to find a vaccine that is safe. If you want to talk about how safe it has been in helping us to move forward it is red tape, and what it is. The bead, the scientific integrity, getting from the sequence to the vaccine production, had nothing to do with safety, nothing to do with cutting corners. From vaccine to phase i at record speed, red tape was really avoided, the same thing. Have you seen concerned about china stealing that information, where they are trying to steal this information, what have you seen . Hacking into the websites and the online components developing vaccines. I have no proof of that. The chair recognized for 5 minutes miss waters. Let me just say i was pleased to hear the warm comments about john lewis, in different ways and everybody else, we have been doing justice for the sacrifices he has made but this virus is not democrat or republican. I will send my condolences to the family of herman cain who was a president ial candidate, a good friend of the president who happens to be at the rally in tulsa june 20th, a group of people around him with no mask on. He contacted the virus as a result of his attendance without a mask. This is not democrat or republican. I want to remind the committee, i spoke earlier about manipulation of hospitalization data, the hospitalization rate, 7617, which includes the department of health and Human Services. To require hospitalizations and laboratories and acutecare facilities report covid19 data, no rule was adopted. I look forward to preventing the harm that will lead to suffering. And the president s handling socalled information about children and their ability to return to school. The president first, pandemic a hoax, may just disappear. He didnt believe in masks, he has gotten religion in the last few days. The president is regarded social distancing, he recommended hydroxychlorquine as a cure. He expected us to believe him rather than the medical experts, saying children are almost immune. Is that an expert medical conclusion, that what does that mean, the children are almost immune from this virus . When you say persons immune they are protected from getting infected, children get infected. This is not an expert medical conclusion we documented somewhere . If you are talking a conclusion children in general are immune, children to get infected. I must say when children get infected, when you look at the deleterious consequences they generally do much better. When you look at hospitalizations, children have much lower rate of hospitalizations, the curve goes way up as you get older and when you get to the age group of children, they generally do not get serious diseases. What i was asking was about the president s latest comments the children are almost immune. I think i got the answer to that. Billions of dollars you are talking about in every state i dont know where they are but you keep referring to supplies. It is more than about supplies, more than being able to wash your hands. It is about whether or not all the schools have space to do the social distancing. It is about whether or not children are going to wear masks and how that will be influenced, how you keep children from gathering, how do you feed them. It is about more than the fact that they need supplies. Will the gentle lady yield . Clearly that is all part of what is laid out in cdc guidelines and the American Academy of pediatrics, they lay out those guidelines. Reclaiming my time, let me just say this. All of the professionals are saying this is a decision that must be made about parents in the communities, with the educators, you cannot hand down an answer from the federal government that would protect these children. One decision by the federal government is not sufficient to force these schools to open. I yield back. Thank the gentle lady for yielding back. Before i go to mister jordan what me say to admiral giroir, you need to leave in four minutes. Anything you would like to recommend before leaving . The reason i am leaving is we have a meeting virtually with all 6100 of the commissioned corps officers. I have the honor to lead along with Surgeon General adams, weve done 7200 deployments of 4000 individuals and the other 2000 are hard at work taking care of people, no disrespect on the backside. I appreciate the opportunity to recognize them. Thank you for that. You might find me to be the biggest booster in the United States congress to federally qualified Community Health centers. I consider this the ultimate safety net in healthcare and i have been that way since i have been in the conference for 50 years and i believe in them and thank you for bringing me to the process and with that i yield to mister jordan for five minutes. The right to protest is important. I engaged in it with federal citizens, peacefully assembling to talk about important Public Policy issues with everyone in the United States congress has done the same thing but i think all the First Amendment is important. Democrats seem to think it is just the right to protest. I think all of it. The freedoms we have in the First Amendment, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of us family, freedom to petition your government, freedom of speech, all of them are important and what is important to me is the first one the founders mention was your right to practice your faith. The government putting all kinds of limits on americans ability to do that and democrats are just fine with it. Democrat mayors and governors have been sued over limiting peoples right to freedom of religion. I want consistency. Im concerned about the whole constitution, democrat mayors and governors limited rights to Second Amendment liberties, closing down stores that allow people to exercise, purchase firearms and exercise Second Amendment liberties. It is important that americans get an education, democrats say cant go back to school, kids cant go get what they need to put them on the path to achieving the American Dream but they can protest. In portland the Teachers Union says we dont want to go back to school, we dont want to teach kids that they encourage teachers to go protest. The 9 week protests going on in portland where they burn the city every single night, just last weekend three officers were blinded by lasers Peaceful Protesters use, i am concerned, all kinds of americans right now are not permitted to go to work. May be they put their entire life savings on the line, started this business, a number of employees is families are counting on the running their business and what does the government do . They arrest them if they want to run their business. They wanted jim in new jersey, the ability to engage in your livelihood, to get an education, the billy to practice your faith are as important in my mind as protesting. I just wish democrats would look at all the rights we enjoy as americans and make sure they are dealt with in a consistent fashion. That we are limiting what people can do, run their business, employ people, engage in their livelihood after they pour their lives and Family Resources into what is wrong. You know who else has to go to work . Law enforcement has to go to work. Are you guys tracking what is happening to Law Enforcement at these protests . Im not talking about the 49 Police Officers who were attacked in chicago are those who were blinded this past weekend in portland or what the seattle chief of police said when she said she had to do an adjusted deployment for her Police Officers because the protests are so bad and the defunding concept that is happening around our country in these cities, she had to do adjusted deployment, where they are out there these Police Officers, tracking what is happening to them, not talking about the violence but the exposure they have to the coronavirus, doctor fauci. What was the question . Are you tracking what is happening to Police Officers and their exposure to the coronavirus when they are out doing their job . I dont do tracking of the infection. That is more ac dc question. Is that a concern . You talk about park police under siege, Law Enforcement, i am talking about exposure to the virus, people yelling and screaming, are you concerned about that . I am concerned about any crowds particularly people who dont wear masks. Im concerned more about indoor crowds and outdoor crowds but crowds without masks are a problem. Doctor redfield. We continue to look at the variety of First Responders in our surveys looking at antibodies to try to understand what the virus attack rate is. We do that for some cities, not the west coast. You do have that information on some Law Enforcement in some cities. First responders, new york, detroit, rhode island. That is information that is helpful to this committee when i think what Law Enforcement is having to endure particularly at these protests, not the just the violence for the exposure they are getting to the virus from the protesters and frankly i wish we would get some something from the other side. Silence on what is happening at these protests and the impact it is having on lawenforcement is unfortunate. I hope they join us speaking out against the concept and everything happening to Law Enforcement around the country. The gentlemans time is required. I am waiting on you to tell me the difference between the First Responder and an essential worker. Think about that for a moment. With that i yield back five minutes to miss maloney. I think the chairman and the Ranking Member for this incredibly important hearing and participants. I have two questions i think are especially relevant that have not been discussed very much. What is the task force doing in relation to safeguarding elections . We are going to be all voting in november. Some states vote by mail, others do not. Many people prefer to vote in person and we have guidelines that say social distancing of six feet but possibly could be changed to three feet if it is more of a hurried participation, it is helpful to the American Public if the task force considered clear guidelines for the professionals working in the board of elections across the country and people participating and voting. I am making that request, get back to us. I would be happy to get back to that. We could discuss the senate Task Force Meeting if you like and get back to you. To the public i would say. If i could comment. Cdc updated in june guidelines for polling facilities and looking at that to see if it needs to be updated more. It is coming this week, looking at the primary result in wisconsin, this is an area we are trying to make sure Polling Centers and people who go to Polling Centers to vote understand the importance of the guidance we can live. That would be helpful. As a former teacher i am concerned about the contradiction in messaging. As a teacher we are taught to get your facts straight and communicate simply and directly. The task force will come out with important, relevant information and i try to follow it all religiously but it is countered by other leaders in this underscores or undermines the ability of the public to respond. I want to talk about what is very important, people are not discussing and that is the turnaround time on testing. In new york we are working hard not only on the test. They have to wait so long, with a private a turning time is a week or 16 days in some cases so they cant trace because by the time they get the results of the test, it is too late. I would like you to comment on it. This is something my city is working to respond, they are having a terrible time trying to implement the tracing and isolation on the turnaround time. Thank you. Admiral giroir addressed that. Upon response to a question, there is no doubt, to take multiple days for the result of the test, the test is done in the context of Contact Tracing been in many respects the purpose of doing it, with that period of time, one way to prevent that and mitigate that is if someone goes in for a test they should assume it might be positive and should essentially isolate themselves before they go back and get the result of the test. In response to that as admiral giroir had said. The reason, there is such a surge in demand for tests that they are trying to overcome that by trying to separate testing for surveillance and give it to one group and let the testing that has to determine if an individual is infected to cut that down. He explained, hes much more capable of giving us the precise numbers but it is an issue if you cant get within a 2448 hour period. I yield back. The gentle lady yielding back, the chair recognizes mister leutkemeier. The words i used to discuss this issue is always perspective. Trying to keep in perspective the disease, the solutions, other things that are out there. The question with regards to attention on covid19 and seeming lack of that for a while on our healthcare needs. As we open up our schools, one of the things we look at, the damage and concern we have but i did a Little Research on football injuries. We are almost in the same neighborhood, not taking into account of your lifetime injuries sustained by young men playing football in high school versus total deaths anticipated from opening, reopening our schools. I dont see outcry about that so perspective to me is something you need to consider. One thing that concerns me is i wish admiral giroir was here. I asked this question last time he was here and we didnt have time to continue our discussion on it but urged to the perverse incentive for medical folks to claim somebody died of covid19 as long as you have covid19 in your system you claim it as a covid19 death meaning you get more money as the attending physician, hospital, whatever. Immunologists with statistics from the states are overinflated. We found the governor of colorado who is a democrat actually did research on this and felt he had to get rid of 12 of the deaths recorded in state. Doctor redfield, would you like to comment about the reverse incentive and is there an effort to do Something Different in a way these deaths are recorded so we have better records and better numbers, better data to go with . I think you are correct that weve seen this in other disease processes, somebody may have a heart attack but also have hiv. The hospital would preferred there is greater reimbursement. I think theres some reality to that. When it comes to death reporting is how the physician defined in the death for certificate or National Health statistics, a group in hyattsville review those death certificates. I think it is less operable in the cause of death though i wont say there are not some cases. I do think when it comes to hospital reimbursement issues for individuals who get discharged there could be some play in that. The admiral acknowledged that last time he was here. That is very concerning. Doctor fauci, one of the things you talked about with regards to hydroxy chloroquine, the Henry Ford Health system did an extensive study on hydroxy chloroquine and they say it significantly reduces the death of covid19 patients. It was highly analyzed and peerreviewed unlike other studies and the executive officer says doctors and scientists looked at the data from inside, the data is clear, there was a benefit to using the drug as a treatment for sick and hospitalized patients. Talking with older doctors who have been around a while, i trust their judgment and their use of hydroxy chloroquine, they say initial studies didnt use zinc with it and they say zinc is an enabler to help hydroxy chloroquine do its job of going after and reducing deaths in patients, had a long conversation with a doctor earlier in the week who said it definitely does work. Without it, it is minimally affected. Would you comment on that . Thank you for that opportunity to comment. The Henry Ford Hospital study that was published was a noncontrolled retrospective study that was confounded by a number of issues including the fact that many people receiving hydroxy chloroquine were also receiving corticosteroids which we know from another study gives a benefit in reducing deaths with advanced disease so that study is a flawed study and anyone who examined it carefully is that it is not a randomized placebocontrolled trial. It doesnt matter, you can peerreviewed something that is a bad study but the fact is it is not a randomized placebocontrolled trial. The point that is important, we dont we want to keep an open mind which any and all of the randomized placebocontrolled trials which is the Gold Standard of determining something is effective, none of them showed any efficacy for hydroxy chloroquine. Having said that i will state when i do see a randomized placebocontrolled trial that looks at any aspect of hydroxy chloroquine, early study, middle study, late, if that randomized placebocontrolled trial shows efficacy i will be the first to admit it and promote it but i have not seen yet a randomized placebocontrolled trial that has done that and every randomized placebocontrolled trial that has looked at it is shown no efficacy. I have to go with the data. I have no horse in the game one way or the other. I just look at the data. Thank you. The gentlemans time is expired, the chair recognizes for five minutes, miss velasquez. You want to yield to kim . Recognized for five minutes. Thank you. I want to pick up where i left off. I started my last question line, if our federal government was doing Everything Possible to respond and each of you said in the capabilities of our government that we were. The reason i wanted to talk about this is a National Testing strategy or greater coordination on personal protective equal and what ive heard over and over again is it is about where the responsibility is. Deserve to know why. So dr. Fauci i wanted to go back to you because just to be clear, when i asked you this and you said within the capabilities that we were, i wanted to ask you would use our response at the federal level to this crisis with this be considered in your mind with drawing on all your expertise isnt this the Gold Standard of responses our federal government can do . Is a nothing else you can think of from expertise and experience that we could be doing or should be doing that we are not already doing . Iould just have to repeat what several of us said that within the context of what we have come whats available to us we are doing everything we possibly can. Ill just repeat what i said. Clearly the thing i am responsible for were doing everything that we possibly can. Absolutely. What you see with your position on the task force, for instance, are you confident in the level at which were using the defense production act to bolster production . That something that surely out of my realm, congressman, about the extent and the implications of the defense production act. What about when it comes to we have federally backed test sites that weve stood up like 41 across the country but the been handed over to states. Are you confident that was the right move that we should be standing at more federally backed test sites that are run by the federal government . Im sorry . Federally backed test sites we stood up, 41 across this country, weve been handing them over to the states instead of continuing this in the federal government control. Do you feel thats the right decision . I dont think i could give a good answer because thats not something i get involved with so i dont know maybe barb, do you have further information about federally funded testing sites . That out of the purview of what i do. Dr. Redfield, any thoughts on this . I think its important as the chairman other two to begin to enhance and transfer this capacity to these federally funded Health Clinics and increase that capability. It is a partnership. So i think these were appropriate moves. I do think when you ask are we doing everything that we could do, theres two things id like to say. One is ill miss this opportunity to realize how important it is to make the investment and the court capabilities for Public Health any future because clearly we were handicapped when this outbreak started and we dont need to have that happen again. Secondly, i dont underestimate who ultimately is the most important in helping us meet this pandemic. And thats the American Public themselves. Look, i get that and, but i find that to be a frustrating narrative because certainly all individuals have to take on some responsibilities to be able to do this but that feels like were pushing it off to them. And it feels like that responsible is pushed to the American People and, for instance, as you know we passed legislation back in april that includes 25 billion in additional funding for testing and tracing. Im still hearing a lot of that hasnt been used to i wanted to ask you if you knowledge of how much money hasnt been spent on this and whether not only be or in a part of the gum is holding off access to do that so you have the capability of resources to continue to increase our capabilities. Is important. Of that 25 billion which is a significant amount of money, 10 billion, 250 million cameo cdc. We got that money out to the states, tribes, local and county Health Departments literally within two, three, four weeks and thats been all distributed. How the accused speeders one last question. Dr. Fauci you have thoughts and using rapid antigen testing, things like that that great more pointed care response . Yeah, i can answer that one. Sure, anything that gets us quicker more rapid more scale up capably of testing is something that would be desirable and, in fact, that was one of the things i mentioned very quickly in the third component of the nih strategic plan, about half a billion dollars to try and develop exactly the kinds of tests youre talking about. Rapid point of care, highly sensitive, highly specific. Lets try to work about together. The time of the gentleman has expired. Ms. Mueller ski youre recognized. Thank you frank out with us. Appreciate it. The one question that a left today and you think its a question of the American People want to know my districts are the wants to know in indiana is it your opinion do you believe that china covered up the origins of the crisis . You are in this close than anybody else in our country and the American People listen to what you have to say. Ive been asking lots of questions since this committee was created because i think china needs be held to a much higher standard than were holding them but you believe china covered up the origins of the crisis . Congresswoman, it depends on what you mean origin of the crisis. The beginning of the pandemic, the disease itself ass a broke on tv and we saw it. I think from what we know and ensure bob can also comment on that, from the conversations that we had early on, it was led to believe that early on that this was jumping from animal to human in the context of the wet market in wuhan, and that it was inefficient virus had just jump from animal to a human and did necessarily spread very well from human to human. At the time when it was clear that there was at least a few weeks and maybe more of a transmission from human to human that we did didnt know about. When we finally found out that it was a highly efficient transmitter from human to human it wouldve been nice to know about that sooner. Do you think china is a threat to the american Vaccine Research with a dog but for the past three hours . Did try to do what. Was that china is still a threat today to the american Vaccine Research. Us know. I dont think so at all. One of the things people needs to understand that what we do is really transparent. We publish it. We announce it so if they want to hack into a computer and find out what the results of vaccine trout are they will hear about it in the new england telemedicine in a few days in what. When a a test for early us talking about the fact just a few days ago that our country indicted by the Justice Department to make chinese nationals. China has obstructed every single thing we have done, that would make him play so we go starting all the way back with ppe and im sure involved in iy district and try to get ppe and china was obstructing everything part of the way. My fellow folks in my district and in this country believe otherwise. I think the American People want to make sure when were talking about safe vaccines and talking about the fda and not shortcutting safety and those kinds of things i dont know how in the world that we can stand there and say no, i dont think chinese a threat to the vaccine production in this country and when we just indicted two people. That question is so important, madam chairwoman come support what do we ask a question. I see our chairman is not here but you, madam chairwoman i think we need investigate that answer on cybersecurity. Weve already indicted more than two people but just to give unless couple days ago. Why can we have a hearing in your . I understand the chairman issa before the subcommittee is having hearings on the role of china but nobodys having a hearing on the role of china versus the producers in america and the vaccine process were looking for, the heroes trying to save lives. That would be appropriate for this committee. We get commitment, i commitment from you sitting in for the chairman that will actually have hearing and look at this . This committee is chaired by mr. Clyburn. Right now it is shared by you. I do not intend to give you an answer to question about how to run this committee in his absence. You may address him when he returns. Not me. I appreciate that at the edible but i think think for the record i think we still are owed an answer as to why we cant look at that in this committee. Theres no other committee set up to look at the vaccine process of oversight than this one especially having you gentlemen who today. I would yield back my time and at that for the record. Thank you dr. Fauci. Who do we have next . Mr. Costa, you ill nebuchadnezzar five minutes thank you, madam chair. To our witnesses. First off id like to second the comments of my colleague dr. Green on the letter that was recently sent from this committee providing for ongoing realtime bipartisan oversight of operation warp speed by the Government Accountability office, the gao. With the dr. Green msf as a bipartisan point of contact directing the gao point of interest to the committee. In my time inside i was involved in billiondollar Research Projects that were subject to gao oversight and it would bring in outside experts, ask hard questions and report back to congress to the truth as they see. Both from a a technical and scientific point of view and also a project management point of view which can often be critical. Gao is the studiously nonpartisan. They will give us realtime briefings, briefings and member briefings and periodic reports on the progress of vaccine and therapeutic manufacturing under operation warp speed. But they will only give us briefings on a bipartisan basis which i think is very valuable. Because it will be crucial that people believe when vaccines and therapeutics become available of the process was not politicize, that we have bipartisan agreement that reasonable decisions free of conflict of interest or political intrusion are being made. And the gao isnt in the not becoming a tool for partisan advantage which really isnt helps our government work better. This sort of thing that im interested in having them look into something i was discussing with dr. Redfield over the break, which is an antibody therapeutic manufacturing. Theres a lot of the good news is there is, in fact, a strong immune response to this virus by the human immune system. This means among other things that vaccines are more likely than not to work and it also means at the body therapeutics are more likely than not to work as they have in recent, against recent viruses. So we may be in this position which is a miracle cure that can prevent or cure covid19 but we do not have the manufacturing to meet the demand especially given the ongoing flare up of covid19 in our country. You can imagine the politics of that will become extremely fraught when we have to decide how to dispense this potential lifesaving therapeutics. And so its also a circumstance in which aggressive project management may be crucial. You can imagine if you want to produce the maximum number of antibodies you may say okay were going to choose a most effective antibody from company a and produce it using the optimize cell lines from company b and use highvolume Production Equipment on company c. This will require things like the defense production act being used at their fullest to just leapfrog around issues of things like intellectual property. Already the companies that are optimizing cell lines are getting into patent fights. We dont have time for that. Wonder the things i like the gao to look into is to make sure we have in advance the sort of project management, the contracts that are being made with all of these companies anticipate this or that discussions for the applications of the defense production act are actually taking place ahead of when they will be needed. Its just one of many examples, and so i just want to encourage both of you and hs generally to greet with open arms the gao oversight. Its not always fun being subject to gao oversight by their questions make the projects better. And so also i think you probably have involved with projects that have been involved with gao oversight and so theres a career Long Association of the gao personnel and agencies they represent. And so that its not like youre getting a letter from congress where you have to roll your eyes and do the minimum. These are serious questions by professionals. When dr. Green and and i inteno use that to provide real bipartisan information to this committee and the congress and to the American People about what to happening, at a think that will be crucial. So if you come to have any comments on other things we can do to really make the public often that the right decisions are being made for the right reasons . Well, thank you for that, congressman foster. Yes. I mean, the fact is where very transparent in what goes on in operation warp speed. But theyre been Public Comments by the scientist, the active collaboration which is set up by hhs. Some of scientist involved said i have no idea whats behind what are the operation warp speed decisions. Indirect answer to question i think you brought up a good point about the antibodies. We didnt get an opportunity to mention this in any of the questions but the antibodies are just this week there were two trials that initiate can want at an outpatient basis for early patients and what on an inpatient for more advanced patients. Which we really have a lot of anticipation that that is going to be something thats going to be an important tool of how we treat covid19 patients. I wanted to get that in because i think thats important. Regarding the scrutiny of the gao or otherwise, i have been any many years ive been doing this had many gao looking into the things i have done. In fact, i found him in respects very helpful. Thank you. Yield back. Jumped javelins time has exp. Gentlemans time. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to get back to the delays in testing. Researchers at the university of pennsylvania recently found that testing sites serving unities of color in big cities are fewer in number, have longer lines and often run out of tests faster when compared to sites in wider areas in the same cities. A former Federal Reserve chair bernanke and janet yellen told the select Committee Nothing is more important for restoring Economic Growth and improving Public Health. Yet we have the president who says slow down testing, please. And the most vulnerable among us are being impacted, frontline workers, small businesses, i cannot reopen safely, and black and latino populations. So i have some questions along those lines. Dr. Fauci, i have a simple question for you. Do you attribute this inability to control the virus to the delays in testing and Contact Tracing . [inaudible] control of the virus is clearly a multifaceted process that involves many things. The most important of which is what we were just thinking about before, about testing, about masks, crowds, outdoors versus indoors, distances, et cetera, et cetera. We have been through that multiple times during this hearing. Testing is a part of the process but the process of controlling infection when youre talking about Contact Tracing obviously you need testing and you need testing back within a reasonable period of time. And the concern your expressing is for the days that it takes and admiral giroir has addressed that several times during this hearing. But testing is a part of a comprehensive approach, not the only thing but is part of the approach. Iq. South korea had rapid resolve towards testing and tracing and the virus is essentially contained there, or gone. Do you agree that what they did with respect to testing helped those countries get the virus under control . Virus under control in some of the Asian Countries were due to a number of factors their ability to shut down almost completely as i mentioned in a remark before to the tune of 90 plus percent back. Real the conus . No, they shut down. They have the capability because they got out to a very low baseline to do adequate identification isolation and Contact Tracing. Right now theyre trying to reopen. Its going to remain to be seen how successfully they do that. So for the record, those testing results and the u. S. More covid cases or other factors causing the spread . [inaudible] does testing result in the u. S. Seem more covid cases, or are other factors causing the spread . [inaudible] so are we seeing more covid19 cases in the u. S. Because of the testing results . [inaudible] if you do more testing you will see more cases, but the increases that we are saying are real increasing in cases. As also reflected by increasing in hospitalization and increasing and death. Why is that professional sport legs can get testing turnaround times within 24 hours but we cannot do it for all americans . Well, some of the sports clubs have been using the rapid test, which is really very different from the test the requires extraction of dna and takes time and a different machine. So they have bought a bunch of machines that allow testing to take place where you get a positive back in five minutes and you can declare negative in 15 minutes. Dr. Redfield, do you support the fact, do you agree with the fact that there is a disproportionate testing going on among latinas, black, native americans . I wish the admiral was here to answer it but i have heard it mentioned this before, that he has said disproportionally these testing sites in areas that have indications of more complex socioeconomic status. I dont member the exact number, maybe tony does, but maybe 70 intentionally trying to target areas that may be more disadvantaged. Some wouldnt agree with that statement but i would like the admiral to be able to get back to you with the specifics. So you havent seen the long lines in the urban cities and also in states where Large Population of latinos and blacks . Ive seen the television lines. What i return to say when you said was it specifically disproportionate for hispanic, latino or africanamerican or native americans. And in a comfortable comment. I would rather get the specific data from the admiral which i do think the system is really gone over the other way to try to make sure we have enhanced the Community Health centers and these federally assisted testing sites in areas that are specifically more disadvantaged. The time of the gentleman has expired. That chair yields five minutes to mr. Raskin. Thank you very much, mr. Cha. If youre trying just to figure out why the administration and our republican colleagues cannot formulate a plan of action, look no further than the disgraceful diversions and distractions of some of our colleagues today. I want to address the First Amendment line of questioning first. Our distinguished colleague from a while keeps racing for some reason the Supreme Court decision in south Bay United Pentecostal Church which rejected a position just about six weeks ago anna five to four decision. A church said the restrictions limiting federal people who could go to church to 100 were perfectly constitutional because that was exact same role that applied to lectures, concerts, movies, spectator sports, the article performance, Political Party gatherings and so in other words there was no religious this commission taking place which is why the Supreme Court rejected the claim and there is no religious free exercise exemption to Public Health orders. As you are indicating a think dr. Fauci. The parties in the case cited numerous cases of Church Gatherings with people not masking singing and so on that became super spreader events. There is no religious community to this disease and there is no free exercise exemption to universal Public Health orders. As for protests, let us not confuse the issue. Whether your protest is a rightwing protest, like boogaloo and proud boys and antiPublic Health order protesters like the ones who threaten the life of governor witmer and try to shut down the machine legislature and succeeded in doing so, or its a nonviolent assembly and millions of people with black lives matter across the country, the kind endorsed by our late beloved colleague john lewis, the champion of nonviolence, the same rules must apply. If the jurisdiction has a sixfoot roll and a masking rule which i soon and hope everyone of them does, it applies equally to everybody. The preliminary results suggest that it are because ive been to a lot of the black lives matter protest is people not getting infected there as much because they are observing those rules. Obviously when you go to an antiPublic Health order, antimasking protest like the kinds that shut down the legislature in michigan, most people are not Wearing Masks that are not observing the Public Health protocols they have come to try to destroy. If youre really concerned about the protest and people getting sick, and we should be, then we have to look at the use of tear gas and pepper spray. Everybody saw the secret federal officers who were assembled by attorney general barr in oregon remove the mask of a naval veteran and spray pepper spinrite in distaste. That is extremely dangerous to remove someones a mask and then to have been sneezing and coughing insulin. So with the use of those chemical irritants which is the real danger. But admiral giroir, what i wanted to ask you was about the role that Jared Kushner has played in developing the administrations approach. Is he still with us or hes gone now, okay. Dr. Fauci, let me turn to you then. Are you aware of the role that Jared Kushner has played in developing the administrations approach to diagnostic testing . I have no knowledge of that, congressman, because i have not been involved in that. It is then admiral giroir being involved in that. Well then im sorry i missed him on the second round but yesterday vanity fair reported something astonishing, which is Jared Kushner recognize there was no plan and deformed a secret working group at the white house in march and april to develop a National Testing plan which operated and a quote bubble and did not coordinate with other experts at hh are, rather a just. And they actually came up with a very detailed a potentially effective National Testing plan. Principal said it was a pocketsized but it was a real plan in which the government would coordinate the distribution of test kits in an Aggressive Program of Contact Tracing across the country but the white house reportedly dropped the plant according to this article had Jared Kushner secret testing plan with into thin air. The white house dropped the plan on the political logic that the outbreak was going to be limited to democratic state. This is back in march. In new york and new jersey and you remember those a lot of talk about how this was a blue state disease and osama some kind of political or ideological immunity to getting it. They thought of be a better strategy just to pick the states against each other in that fish is free for all for equipment and materials and then playing the governors when everything went wrong and weve seen that shocking devastating results of just letting it go and not having a plant at all. With that i yield back to you, mr. Chairman. I think the gentleman for yielding back. I think we are finished our second round of questions, and i would like to now yield to the Ranking Member for in the closing statement he might want to make. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Again i want to thank our witnesses for coming here, colluding dr. Giroir, dr. Fauci, dr. Redfield. You are on the front lines as those the teams that are behind you working to let President Trumps plan to combat this virus. In fact, the doctor left to go address thousands who worked under him. Talk about 7000 deployments that of inmate under President Trumps command to have men and women in uniform going on the front lines to a at the state and local level. We weve seen so much work being done in this plant and they keep going back to it because i know some people want to deny that this plan exists. Of course at the same time that theyre criticizing components of the plan. Part of this plan, and theres thousands more pages online, this is just a small part of President Trumps plan to combat the coronavirus. Part of the plan including stopping flights to china which as dr. Fauci testified under oath saved allies. That was President Trumps call. He got criticism of your contact to get criticized from some of the very people who say that he doesnt have a plan yet they criticized parts of his plan and the plan worked and saved allies. I know dr. Fauci you test it under oath about some of the other decision that were made by President Trump working in conjunction with you and the rest of the team, these respected international respective medical doctors that saved allies. Thank god President Trump keeps his focus on carrying out this plan every day while people are literally trying to disagree with it and then deny it exist at the same time. And so when you look at now we are with operation warp speed and this is something that is so incredibly important. Working to find an actual vaccine for the disease. Dr. Fauci, dr. Redfield you talked about this but appreciate you giving out the website again come over 250,000 americans have now signed up to be tested for this virus. Might be one of most tested trials for new virus in American History. Probably the quickest time that weve been able to get a vaccine for for a disease we knew nothing about even six months ago because china lied to us, because china still to this day is trying to in april with our ability while we are working feverishly to get the vaccine, china is working feverishly to try to steal the vaccine. We ought to have a drink on that. When you look at the incredible work as dr. Giroir is an attesting to get this testing get into Nursing Homes. Thats part of President Trumps plan and, in fact, it is saving lives. If those five governors who did not follow the federal guidelines what a fall of the federal guidelines again as testimony under oath confirmed thousands of deaths would not have happened. I wish they wouldve follow the guidelines. I wish the witch of the data. They are still hiding the data, those five governors. Weve asked them those up on the republican side and edges one r on the democratic side would join us and asking those governors to show the data that theyre hiding from the American People, hiding from the families, the sons, daughters, grandchildren of those who died in those Nursing Homes, theyre hiding that date and they wont give it to us. They said they dont have to because not a majority of history has asked the i wish you join us in asking to get the data. Whats wrong with asking for the facts . You look at Opening Schools. You want to talk about saving lives in this is one of those Untold Stories unfortunately. There are 50 million plus children across america tour county us to get right. The good news is the Top Administration has laid out a plan for how to reopen school safely. You talk about School Administrators on the use of the face coming. Cdc suggests all School Reopening plans address editing to behaviors that prevent the spread of community. They go in detail as we talked about, washing hands, all of that. You can social distance. You can do it. In fact, you need to do it but to say you cant do it is a copout. This is america for Goodness Sake. We put a man on the metric follow basic guidelines. If you dont want to trust cdc go to the American Academy of pediatrics for Goodness Sake will put out really good guidelines for how to safely reopen schools and they went further and said a danger to children, youre hurting kids by not reOpening Schools. As dr. Redfield testified, thousands of kids that not getting diagnosed with things like child abuse which is happening unfortunately, it gets discovered in the schools. Thats that happy. The nutrition programs, the Mental Health programs. There are drug overdoses happening today that wouldnt be happening if the schedule going back to school. You have to get done and dont say its because of money. You get is because of money. Every state in the nation has got money. We put over 150 billion out there. Do you know that based on this list about 100 billion of money we in congress appropriated President Trump signed into law over 100 billion Still Available in every state and this money without change in law can be used to provide all of those supplies at the experts said you need to reopen your school safely. Its all there for you. If you were not give us a call, but the money isnt there. Dont use that as an excuse. We owe it to the kids, if theres never been a better time to make the argument for School Choice for Goodness Sake of some of these union or think it a want want to go back to school. As mr. Jordan pointed out they are encouraging people to go to approach us where youre not socially distance. They want to take the money. How about if theres another School System that is willing to safely educate your child, should the parent be able to do that . Why deny parents and lowincome communities the ability to have the same choice that of the people that are not in low income committees have . About it on the table because there are systems across the station that if you get it up you dont need to reinvent the wheel. Its all there in the President Trumps plan. You can go to the websites to get it. Call me and i will give it to you but it is there. If you dont like it you put a better plan on the table. Of course they havent done that but in the meantime dont deny those children the opportunity to seek the American Dream that everybody else has deserved over the history of our country and thats what will happen if they dont follow the safety guidelines and safer reopen the schools. With that, mr. Chairman, i again thank of the witnesses, appreciate the work youre doing. Wish we could follow up on some of the other issues like mr. Jordan, Police Officers had been attacked right now and being put at risk to coronavirus. We had hearing in this committee honor frontline healthcare workers and it was in a port huron. Id like see us have hearing on those Law Enforcement officers who are being put at risk by the attacks on them that were seeing all across the country and then of course china, the role china has played from the beginning, lying to us, now trying to steal our information every step of the way. We ought to have hearing to hold china accountable. Appreciate the recruiting. These continue to go do that. Tell all the men and women that are sacrificing to help combat this fiber switch with President Trump we think the mafia of all americans who want to see us get behind this and get back to the things we used to do. With that i yield back. I thank the Ranking Member for his closing statement and yielded yelling back the time. Let me begin by reminding him that we did have hearing for essential workers, and if my memory serves, Police Officers, Law Enforcement officers were included. They are essential workers. In relation to the attacks e seen on then, thats a new Department Since that hearing. Well, i suspect that the protesters that my friend mr. Jordan seems to be so preoccupied with have had some statesponsored attacks on then much like those that we remember from a nottoodistant past. But this week a leaked White House Coronavirus Task Force Report indicates that there are 21 states in the socalled red zone. And for some strange reason the report says that they were communicated with privately and im troubled, the administration would hide this from us. And so i dont know that this is not for questions but im going to ask dr. Redfield if he would respond to us in writing on this. Because i would like to know whether or not we can depend upon, Going Forward, these kinds of reports to be made public rather than the issued to these states privately. Because it seems to us that while the white house is maintaining a Public Statement as it relates to this virus, they have been sending some stuff to states privately. And i would hope that this could come to an end. Now, i would also like to say to my friend who seem to be so concerned about kids going back to school, mr. Ranking member. We all want to see our kids go back to school. I am the grandfather of two schoolchildren that a want to see in school, though they are privileged enough to have the internet available to them. Their classmates, the other classmates dont. Therefore, many other classmates are not going to be allowed to go to the next grade. Those same classmates are going to be subject to losing another year of school. We all want them back in school, but i want to refer, since were talking about the American Academy of pediatrics. They followed up with us, the American Federation of teachers, National Association education, School Superintendent association, they all joined together in issuing a statement on july 10 and to me, heres what is operative here Public Health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics. We should leave it to Health Experts to tell us when the time is best to open up School Buildings and listen to educators and administrators to shape how we do it. I represent a Congressional District that is about half and half what we might call rural and urban, though even the urban part of my district would be looked upon as being rural. Some of my friends here on this panel from new york, california, so maybe i just do have a world district. All i want to say is, its different in Rural America than it is in urban america. So i dont know that we can come up with a one size fits all. We should delegate to the professional superintendents and the principles of the schools to determine how best to reopen the schools. We want them to arm them with all the resources they need to do that. So this whole notion of just telling people to go back to school, that is one thing. Give the principals and superintendents, the states, give them the resources they need and the guidance they need and let them work with those Rural Communities that are different from urban communities, where they dont have the internet available to them and they cant do online learning. And theyve got to be able to space, theyve got to have masks. I represent families that cannot afford to buy a mask every day. Many of them cant afford to buy the books. So we ought not be putting the burden on them. And so we have resources up here that we ought to give out to these school districts, and i know, i hear from teachers every day who go in their own pockets to pay for material for their students. Thats happening every day and they are preparing to go back to school with budgeting to do the same thing. Before because i want to enter into the record, i have another letter from the American Association of Medical College and asking unanimous consent that this letter be entered into the official hearing. And without any objection so ordered. I want to thank dr. Fauci, dr. Redfield and admiral giroir, for being here today. We appreciate the expertise you have shared as we work to end this terrible pandemic. As we heard today a comprehensive plan to reduce the spread of coronavirus would save lives, but every day effective action is not taken, more lives are lost. Todays hearing has make clear that the Trump Administration must put aside policy concerns and work with Public Health and medical science experts to craft a comprehensive plan to defeat this virus. The plan must prioritize a look health over perceived political expediency to the plan must ensure states have testing they need to give americans clear Public Health advice, and follow the advice of legitimate experts like we have here today, even if their assessments are difficult for Administration Officials to hear. Much of this is inconvenient to the public. Nobody feels comfortable getting up every morning and looking for a mask. Nobody feels comfortable riding around all day with a mask. Its inconvenient for everybody. So its uncomfortable for everybody, but the plan must include guidance and support for state and local governments, Health Departments, schools, and community organizations. I come from a part of the country where i know education wouldnt have been available to my parents, had it not been for churches because the states that sponsor education for them. My father was not allowed to graduate high school because no high school was available to the students in the county he grew up in. And so we have got to bring local communities in this, churches, temples, synagogues all need to be involved in this. This is not excluding any religion. We are trying to bring religious organizations into this effort. And weve got to protect our students and our teachers, and not go rushing into reOpening Schools. Finally, the plan must address the great inequities this virus has afflicted on minority communities. Our black and brown communities already faced health and wealth disparities before the coronavirus. Thats what ms. Velazquez was getting to in her last line of questions. Particularly when we are dealing with this contagious virus. In the words of dr. Martin luther king, jr. , in this letter from the Birmingham City jail, which i happen to believe most people may not agree with me on this, but the bible to me is a timeless document. And i believe that kings letter from the Birmingham City jail is a very timely doctrine. He said in that letter, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Dr. King also said, and i quote, in that same letter, time itself is neutral. You may recall he was responding to a letter that he had gotten from a nonblack ministers who said to him they agreed with him, but the timing was not right. King in his response said time itself is neutral. It can either be used destructively or constructively. And then he went on, more and more i feel that the people of ill will have used times much more effectively than the people of goodwill. This destructive virus, virus that has no will, has past six months to spread more than 4 million of our fellow citizens, has spread to more than 4 million of our citizens to prevent more lies from being lost, people of goodwill, including those who are here today, i consider you to be among the people i respect most in our government. People of goodwill must use their time constructively to combat the virus much more effectively than it has been to this point. Irrespective of how many tests with a give, irrespective of how we may shape up to the rest of the world, the question for us is, are we using our time constructively . People of goodwill must correct past mistakes, embrace the science, Work Together in a bipartisan way to defeat this great threat to our country. And if i might quote dr. King once more, the time is always right. To do right. Without objection, all members were five legislative days within which to submit additional written questions to the chair which reported to the witnesses for their response. I ask asked our witnesses to pe respond as promptly as you are able. And with that, this hearing is adjourned. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] wrapping up this subcommittee hearing on the Coronavirus Crisis with dr. Fauci, dr. Redfield and admiral giroir. President trump was watching earlier today and he tweeted this in response. Somebody please tell congressman clyburn who doesnt have a clue that the charge he put up indicating more cases for the u. S. Than europe is because we do much more testing than any other country in the world. If we had no testing or bad testing it which are very few cases. Our massive testing capability rather than being praised is used by the lame stream media and a partner that do nothing radical left democrats as a point of score. This testing and what we have so quickly done is used as a fake news weapon. Sad. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] what his response to todays tweet from trump . I dont know why they seem not to want to read what the scientists in all of the spirit we heard very clearly from even today dr. Fauci and others that the testing alone will not accomplish that you account for this increase. There are several things accounting for it, and i dont know why they dont want to accept that body will accept the fact that the president seems to be a little more respectful of us who happen to be a different view. He did call me mr. , today so i appreciate that. Can also ask you specifically about you think its time the test members as they come to the capital, staff, that theres Rapid Testing available . I think that members were following the guidelines attending physicians. I dont know that we ought to get out in front of them. We are doing exactly what they have asked us to do, and all of us are in and out of the attending Physicians Office all the time. I dont know what anybody else would think that no testing is going on because nobody is having a press conference about it. Ive talked to a lot of members who are tested regularly. And so theres lot of testing going on here people are doing it in their districts. But after two followup the shipping around 70 members in him to think that changes the cactus and baby regulations . No. I dont think so. I think the speaker is in constant consultation with the attending physician, and it might do us all well to follow the guidelines and the advice of the attending physician, which is as you notice in the hearing room all of that is posted at the same thing i expressed three meetings ago, that we are not going to be recognizing members who do not come into the room with cover, and the speaker has now announced that nobody is going to be allowed on the floor without it pics i think that we are doing what we need to do. And can ask you about jordan salina question today . The protests. I think it is going to continue be recalcitrant, maybe ought to update his talking points. Nobody feels that he is being above reproach when he seems to delineate a difference between a gathering of protesters and one that is a political gathering conducted by the president of United States when theres no social distancing thats taking place, no Face Coverings there. And he seems to think thats all right, but theres something wrong if you decide to gather to petition for redress of your grievances which happens to be guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States constitution. Thank you, sir. One last question. We talked a bit of your caucus or do think it is time to get testing in the capital for staff, some of the 30,000 people in who interview. He said is up to the attending physician but what about in terms of your caucus members that they feel testing should be more readily available . Let me reiterate. I dont know why you would assume there are not. All im saying is, i talked to mix all the time who have told me theyre not just tested once or twice, theyre tested several times. Most of them do in the district. I dont know why you think youve got to have a tv camera following you into the testing room. People are being tested. But to that extent some of the people that work in the building . I have no idea. Thats a a little bit above or beyond my pay grade. Thank you chevy. We really appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you, erica. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] saturday at 9 a. M. Nasa tv provides coverage of the farewell ceremony for spacex crew dragon before it im docs from the International Space station. Then at 5 15 the final preparations leading to the undocking from the iss. Live coverage saturday on cspan. Booktv on cspan2 has top nonfiction books and authors every weekend. Coming up sunday at noon eastern on in depth our live to our conversation with u. S. Combat veteran and Rhodes Scholar wes moore author of several books including the other wes moore, the work, and his latest five days. He will be taking your phone calls, facebook, in tweets. And that 9 p. M. Eastern on after words founder and president of environmental progress Michael Shellenberger on what he calls apocalyptic environment environmentalism. Hes edited by Columbia University earth institute. Watch booktv on cspan2 sunday. American history tv on cspan3 exploring the people and events that tell the american story every weekend. Coming up this weekend on the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki japan saturday at 10 p. M. Eastern on reel america, the 1996 film the spirit of hiroshima. Featuring the stories of bombing survivors, then on sunday at 4 55 p. M. Eastern on eastern on oral histories army veteran talks about his assignment to the Manhattan Project and working on the nagasaki bomb. 16 eastern on american artifacts, and exhibit marking the anniversary of the bombings. At the American University museum. Exploring the american story, watch American History tv this weekend on cspan3. And now everything from the space x crew dragon. Mission specialist aboard the International Space station briefed reporters and discuss preparations for returning to earth and expenses working on the ice as for the last two months. The spacex crew dragon spacecraft is set to return to earth august 2. From earlier today this is about half an hour. Station, this is houston. Are you ready for the event . Hello, houston. We are ready for the event. Jcpoa, this is Mission Control in houston. Please call the station for a voice check. Station, this is jse poa. How do you hear