Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is hammering Donald Trump for not doing enough on testing and is urging the president to release a detailed framework to address the issue.
In a letter sent Tuesday, Schumer and Senate Democrats wrote that under the latest $484 billion package, which included $25 billion for testing, the administration is required to develop a plan.
“We are deeply troubled by the lack of detail and strategy in your testing blueprint, and we fundamentally reject the notion that the federal government bears this little responsibility in increasing testing capacity,” they wrote. “The Trump Administration must not shirk its responsibilities and leave states and tribes to fend for themselves.”
Democrats also rejected Trump’s claim that the United States has enough tests.
Over the weekend, Trump criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for turning down his administration’s offer to provide rapid testing to members of Congress, saying they would prefer the rapid tests be reserved for front-line workers. The president countered that “we have plenty of testing.”
Tuesday’s letter also encourages the administration to invoke the Defense Production Act and use the money allocated in the relief bill to produce testing kits and materials, as well as increase laboratory capacity and public health personnel.
Additionally, Democrats are asking the administration to establish specific plans for manufacturing tests, creating an antibody testing program, ensuring access to tests for all communities including those that are underserved, and investing in more testing data.
“Your Administration needs to do much more to stand up enough testing to effectively trace, control, and suppress the spread of the virus, and it is essential that you do so in a manner that is transparent and accountable,” Democrats wrote. “The health of our nation — physically, behaviorally, and economically — depends on it.”