Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are calling for a congressional oversight investigation into what they say is the Trump administration's politicization of the response to COVID-19.
The governors said the scale of the pandemic is the "direct result of President Trump and the federal government's deceit, political self-dealing and incompetence."
Whitmer has previous said that the Trump administration has been "reckless and not particularly well-informed."
The president has previously referred to Whitmer as the "failing Michigan governor" and said she "must be more proactive" in handling the pandemic.
Read the full statement from Whitmer and Cuomo below:
“It is an inarguable fact that the United States has had the worst response to the COVID-19 virus of any nation in the world. Nearly 7 million Americans have tested positive for the virus, and more than 200,000 Americans have been killed by it -- both more than any other country. The unprecedented and unacceptable scale of this tragedy is the direct result of President Trump and the federal government's deceit, political self-dealing, and incompetence.
“Rather than turning to the advice and direction of public health experts and career public servants, President Trump instead put the health and security of the American people in the hands of political appointees whose first priority was securing the reelection of their benefactor, with predictably tragic results.
“Last week's revelation that the White House blocked a Department of Health and Human Services plan to utilize the U.S. Postal Service to ship five life-saving masks to every household in the country, free of charge, in April was heartbreaking. Imagine the lives that could have been saved if every household were provided masks at such a crucial time.
“Even more dangerous, the nation learned last week that political appointees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- over the strong objection of CDC scientists -- published the indefensible guidance that said people without symptoms did not need to get tested for COVID. Coupled with the agency's abrupt reversal earlier this week on guidance related to the airborne transmission of the virus, it's increasingly clear that the President and his advisers are trying to undermine the credibility of experts whose facts run counter to the administration's political agenda.
“As a country, we cannot allow this type of politically-motivated decision making to take root. Logic dictates that COVID won’t be the last public health challenge we will face, and we can’t afford to again respond by playing politics, instead of listening to the science and facts. Congress must immediately conduct an oversight investigation into the Trump administration's response to this pandemic, including the actions at HHS and the USPS the public learned about over the past week. Especially in light of Bob Woodward's reporting, the question of, "What did they know and when did they know it?" cannot be left to the history books to answer. Our future health and economic security depends on holding the Trump administration accountable today.”
