[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ON THE FRONT LINE: HOW GOVERNORS ARE
BATTLING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
=======================================================================
VIRTUAL HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
JUNE 2, 2020
__________
Serial No. 116-111
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Commerce
govinfo.gov/committee/house-energy
energycommerce.house.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
44-808 PDF WASHINGTON : 2021
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
FRANK PALLONE, Jr., New Jersey
Chairman
BOBBY L. RUSH, Illinois GREG WALDEN, Oregon
ANNA G. ESHOO, California Ranking Member
ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York FRED UPTON, Michigan
DIANA DeGETTE, Colorado JOHN SHIMKUS, Illinois
MIKE DOYLE, Pennsylvania MICHAEL C. BURGESS, Texas
JAN SCHAKOWSKY, Illinois STEVE SCALISE, Louisiana
G. K. BUTTERFIELD, North Carolina ROBERT E. LATTA, Ohio
DORIS O. MATSUI, California CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, Washington
KATHY CASTOR, Florida BRETT GUTHRIE, Kentucky
JOHN P. SARBANES, Maryland PETE OLSON, Texas
JERRY McNERNEY, California DAVID B. McKINLEY, West Virginia
PETER WELCH, Vermont ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia
PAUL TONKO, New York GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida
YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York, Vice BILL JOHNSON, Ohio
Chair BILLY LONG, Missouri
DAVID LOEBSACK, Iowa LARRY BUCSHON, Indiana
KURT SCHRADER, Oregon BILL FLORES, Texas
JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III, SUSAN W. BROOKS, Indiana
Massachusetts MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
TONY CARDENAS, California RICHARD HUDSON, North Carolina
RAUL RUIZ, California TIM WALBERG, Michigan
SCOTT H. PETERS, California EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER, Georgia
DEBBIE DINGELL, Michigan JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina
MARC A. VEASEY, Texas GREG GIANFORTE, Montana
ANN M. KUSTER, New Hampshire
ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN, California
A. DONALD McEACHIN, Virginia
LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
DARREN SOTO, Florida
TOM O'HALLERAN, Arizona
------
Professional Staff
JEFFREY C. CARROLL, Staff Director
TIFFANY GUARASCIO, Deputy Staff Director
MIKE BLOOMQUIST, Minority Staff Director
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
DIANA DeGETTE, Colorado
Chair
JAN SCHAKOWSKY, Illinois BRETT GUTHRIE, Kentucky
JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III, Ranking Member
Massachusetts, Vice Chair MICHAEL C. BURGESS, Texas
RAUL RUIZ, California DAVID B. McKINLEY, West Virginia
ANN M. KUSTER, New Hampshire H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia
KATHY CASTOR, Florida SUSAN W. BROOKS, Indiana
JOHN P. SARBANES, Maryland MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
PAUL TONKO, New York JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina
YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York GREG WALDEN, Oregon (ex officio)
SCOTT H. PETERS, California
FRANK PALLONE, Jr., New Jersey (ex
officio)
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Hon. Diana DeGette, a Representative in Congress from the State
of Colorado, opening statement................................. 2
Prepared statement........................................... 4
Hon. Brett Guthrie, a Representative in Congress from the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, opening statement.................... 5
Prepared statement........................................... 7
Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the
State of New Jersey, opening statement......................... 8
Prepared statement........................................... 10
Hon. Greg Walden, a Representative in Congress from the State of
Oregon, opening statement...................................... 11
Prepared statement........................................... 12
Witnesses
Hon. Jared Polis, Governor, State of Colorado.................... 16
Prepared statement........................................... 19
Answers to submitted questions............................... 89
Hon. Gretchen Whitmer, Governor, State of Michigan............... 24
Prepared statement........................................... 26
Answers to submitted questions............................... 92
Hon. Asa Hutchinson, Governor, State of Arkansas................. 36
Prepared statement........................................... 39
Answers to submitted questions............................... 98
Submitted Material
Letter of April 9, 2020, from Governor Jared Polis and Federico
Pena, Chair, Council of Economic Stabilization and Growth, to
U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet, et al., submitted by Ms.
DeGette........................................................ 85
ON THE FRONT LINE: HOW GOVERNORS ARE BATTLING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
----------
TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 11:33 a.m., via
Cisco Webex online video conferencing, Hon. Diana DeGette
(chair of the subcommittee) presiding.
Members present: Representatives DeGette, Schakowsky,
Kennedy, Ruiz, Kuster, Castor, Sarbanes, Tonko, Clarke, Peters,
Pallone (ex officio), Guthrie (subcommittee ranking member),
Burgess, McKinley, Griffith, Brooks, Mullin, Duncan, and Walden
(ex officio).
Also present: Representatives Butterfield, Welch, Dingell,
Bilirakis, Walberg, Carter, and Gianforte.
Staff present: Kevin Barstow, Chief Oversight Counsel;
Jesseca Boyer, Professional Staff Member; Jeffrey C. Carroll,
Staff Director; Austin Flack, Staff Assistant; Waverly Gordon,
Deputy Chief Counsel; Tiffany Guarascio, Deputy Staff Director;
Zach Kahan, Outreach and Member Service Coordinator; Chris
Knauer, Oversight Staff Director; Kevin McAloon, Professional
Staff Member; Kaitlyn Peel, Digital Director; Peter Rechter,
Counsel; Tim Robinson, Chief Counsel; Benjamin Tabor, Staff
Assistant; Jen Barblan, Minority Chief Counsel, Oversight and
Investigations; Mike Bloomquist, Minority Staff Director; Diane
Cutler, Minority Detailee, Oversight and Investigations; Tyler
Greenberg, Minority Staff Assistant; Brittany Havens, Minority
Professional Staff Member, Oversight and Investigations;
Tiffany Haverly, Minority Communications Director; Peter
Kielty, Minority General Counsel; Ryan Long, Minority Deputy
Staff Director; Alan Slobodin, Minority Chief Investigative
Counsel, Oversight and Investigations; and Everett Winnick,
Minority Director of Information Technology.
Ms. DeGette. The Subcommittee on Oversight and
investigations hearing will now come to order.
Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is
holding a hearing entitled ``On the Front Line: How the
Governors are Battling the COVID-19 Pandemic.'' The purpose of
today's hearing is to examine States' responses to the COVID-19
pandemic, including efforts to increase testing capacity.
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, today's
hearing is being held remotely. All Members and staff will be
participating via videoconferencing. As part of our
proceedings, microphones will be set on mute for the purpose of
eliminating inadvertent background noise. Members and
witnesses, you will need to unmute your microphone each time
you wish to speak.
If at any time during the hearing I have technical
difficulties and I am unable to chair the meeting, then the
chairman of the full committee, Chairman Pallone, will serve as
chair until I am able to return.
Documents for the record can be sent to Benjamin Tabor at
the email address that we've provided to staff. All documents
will be entered into the record at the conclusion of the
hearing.
And the Chair will now recognize herself for purposes of an
opening statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DIANA DeGETTE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO
I want to thank all of our witnesses for appearing before
the subcommittee, and we look forward to all of your testimony.
All of you three Governors have a unique perspective to give
us, and we look forward to hearing it.
And I just want to say also, as a moment of personal
privilege, that you've been dealing with the very, very
difficult events of the last few days, and I know all of us
have been grappling with the terrible, terrible murder in
Minnesota, and then the peaceful demonstrations and some of the
disruptions after that. So it really means a lot to us that you
would take the time to come and talk to our committee about the
coronavirus epidemic, and we just thank you very much.
Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee is holding its
first virtual hearing. As the oldest standing committee in the
House of Representatives, this is an historic occasion for the
Congress and this committee, and this unusual setting is a
testament to unprecedented times. Nonetheless, the
responsibilities of the subcommittee continue, most importantly
with oversight of our committee's response to COVID-19.
We've come a long way in our fight against COVID-19, but we
must not get complacent. New cases and deaths are still rising
in some States, and public health experts warn of a second wave
if we relax social distancing measures without sufficient
safeguards, such as contact tracing and testing. Committee
leaders have repeatedly emphasized that widespread testing is
key to both monitoring the spread of coronavirus and enabling
States and communities to safely reopen.
But 6 months into the crisis, there is still not enough
testing being done. The Trump administration has a long record
of broken promises when it comes to testing. Back in the first
week of March, Vice President Pence estimated that 1.5 million
tests would be available by the end of the week, but a week
later, only 4,000 tests had been conducted across the country,
according to the COVID Tracking Project.
We all remember when President Trump visited the CDC on
March 6 and declared, quote, ``Anybody that needs a test can
have a test. They're all set. They have them out there.'' Those
infamous words were simply untrue, with States and doctors
across the country pleading for more tests.
Then, on March 15th, HHS said that 1.9 million tests would
be available the next week, calling it a, quote, ``game
changer.'' A week later, only 250,000 tests had been conducted
nationwide in total, far short of the 1.9 million that had been
promised.
And, again, on March 19th, the FDA staff told committee
staff that over 27 million tests would be available by March
28. That was clearly an absurd promise because, even today, in
a country with over 329 million people, only about 17 million
tests have been conducted. And still, the administration keeps
overpromising. As recently as May 11, President Trump said
again, quote, ``If people want to get tested, they get
tested.''
When it comes to testing, this has just been untruth after
untruth. President Trump's strategy for testing has been to
bury his head in the sand and hope that the pandemic
miraculously disappears. If we are going to give the American
public confidence that they can resume familiar activities and
safely return to work, we need to greatly expand testing to
more people, including asymptomatic people.
Some public health experts estimate that the U.S. needs to
be testing at least twice as many people as it is right now, up
to 7 million per week. This will require more engagement by the
administration, which so far has not happened. And the fall is
going to present an entirely new challenge for us. Nearly every
State is already in the process of reopening. And without a
vaccine, we will face a possible second wave of coronavirus
infections just at the same time we enter the influenza season.
So now is the time to get it right.
The administration is promising 40 to 50 million tests per
month by September. I would like to give them the benefit of
the doubt, but with this track record, the administration
simply has no credibility in this matter.
Let's be clear: The States and Governors on the front lines
of this crisis are working round the clock, doing everything
they can to address shortages and help their communities, but
there's only so much that any one Governor can do in this
global crisis without clear, effective leadership from the
Federal Government. As more communities reopen this summer and
as we head into the fall, we cannot repeat the chaos we saw
this spring, with States scrambling for tests and competing
with one another for critical supplies.
Again, I'm grateful to the witnesses today for taking the
time as they oversee the COVID-19 responses in their States.
Governors Whitmer and Hutchinson, I thank you for bringing your
insight into this issue. And I want to thank my homie, Governor
Polis, who's right around the corner from me right now, who has
really been at the helm in Colorado.
While 20-to-50-year-olds represent the majority of cases
here in Colorado, of course, we all know it's the elderly who
are suffering the most severe effects, including death. And,
like many other States, communities of color in Colorado have
been disproportionately impacted by this disease. Each of the
three of you has a monumental task before you, and it's
important that the committee hear from you about the challenges
you face and what more you need from Congress and the
administration.
We've come a long way, and I look forward to hearing from
the witnesses about the progress made in their States, how we
might replicate that success elsewhere, and what we can do to
help as we move forward throughout the summer and the fall.
It's a national emergency, and only a coordinated national
effort will allow us to emerge from this crisis.
[The prepared statement of Ms. DeGette follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Diana DeGette
Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee is holding its
first virtual hearing. As the oldest standing committee in the
House of Representatives, this is an historic occasion for the
Congress and this committee, and this unusual setting is a
testament to unprecedented times. Nevertheless, the
responsibilities of this subcommittee continue, most
importantly, with oversight of our country's response to COVID-
19.
We have come a long way in our fight against COVID-19, but
we must not get complacent. New cases and deaths are still
rising in some States, and public health experts warn of a
second wave if we relax social distancing measures without
sufficient safeguards, such as contact tracing and testing.
Committee leaders have repeatedly emphasized that
widespread testing is key to both monitoring the spread of
coronavirus, and enabling States and communities to safely
reopen. But six months into this crisis, there is still not
enough testing being done.
The Trump administration has a long record of broken
promises when it comes to testing.
Back in the first week of March, Vice President Pence
estimated that 1.5 million tests would be available by the end
of the week, but a week later only 4,000 tests had been
conducted across the country, according to the COVID Tracking
Project.
We all remember President Trump visited the CDC on March
6th and declared [quote], ``Anybody that needs a test can have
a test. They're all set; they have them out there.'' Those
infamous words were simply a lie, with States and doctors
across the country pleading for more tests.
Then on March 15th, HHS said that 1.9 million tests would
be available in the next week, calling it a [quote] ``game
changer.'' A week later, just over 250,000 tests had been
conducted in total--far short of the 1.9 million that had been
promised.
And on March 19th, FDA told committee staff that over 27
million tests would be available by March 28th. That was
clearly an absurd promise, because even today, in a country
with over 329 million people, only about 17 million tests have
been conducted.
And still, the Trump administration keeps overpromising. As
recently as May 11th, President Trump said [quote] ``if people
want to get tested, they get tested.''
When it comes to testing, this administration has told lie
after lie. President Trump's strategy for testing has been to
bury his head in the sand and hope this pandemic miraculously
disappears.
If we are going to give the American public confidence that
they can resume familiar activities and safely return to work,
we need to greatly expand testing to more people, including
asymptomatic people.
Some public health experts estimate that the U.S. needs to
be testing at least twice as many people as it is right now--up
to 7 million per week. That will require more engagement by the
administration, which so far has not risen to the occasion.
This fall will present an entirely new challenge for us.
Nearly every State is already in the process of reopening--and
without a vaccine, we will face a possible second wave of
coronavirus infections, just as we enter influenza season. So
now is the time to get it right.
The administration is promising 40 to 50 million tests per
month by September. I would like to give them the benefit of
the doubt, but with their track record, this administration
simply has no credibility.
Let's be clear. The States and Governors on the front lines
of this crisis are working around-the-clock, doing everything
they can to address shortages and help their communities. But
there is only so much any Governor can do in this global crisis
without clear, effective leadership from the Federal
Government.
As more communities reopen this summer, and as we head into
the fall, we cannot repeat the chaos we saw this spring with
States scrambling for tests and competing with one another for
critical supplies.
I am grateful to the witnesses today for taking the time
out of their busy schedules as they oversee the COVID-19
responses in their States. Governors Whitmer and Hutchinson, I
thank you for bringing us your insight into this issue. And I
also thank Governor Polis from my State of Colorado, which has
been hard-hit by the coronavirus--especially in Denver.
While 20-to-50-year-olds represent the majority of cases
here in Colorado, it is the elderly who are suffering the most
severe effects, including fatality. And, like many other
States, communities of color in Colorado have been
disproportionately impacted by this disease.
Each of these Governors has a monumental task before them,
and it is important for the committee to hear from them about
what challenges they face, and what more they need from
Congress and the Trump administration.
We have come a long way--and I look forward to hearing from
the witnesses about progress made in their States, and how we
might replicate that success elsewhere.
But these States cannot do it on their own. This is a
national emergency, and only a coordinated national effort will
allow us to emerge from this crisis.
I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. And, with that, I am happy to yield 5 minutes
to the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Guthrie, for
purposes of an opening statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRETT GUTHRIE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Mr. Guthrie. Thank you very much. I thank you for yielding.
And I want to appreciate the Governors for being here today. A
little connection to all of you. Governor Polis, you may not
remember it, but you're the first person I met when I got to DC
as a new Member. We were checking in for new Member orientation
together. And great to hear that your kids are doing well,
Marlon is doing well.
Governor Hutchinson, I don't have a degree, but three
family members have degrees from Harding University in Searcy,
Arkansas, and very proud and a great school.
And Governor Whitmer, my wife and I, when I first left the
Army, lived in Grand Rapids. I was studying--my family's in
automotive supply, so we lived off 28th Street and Breton right
at the corner in a little apartment and worked in Grandville.
So I appreciate the opportunity for you to be here,
particularly during these challenging times, dealing with the
ongoing coronavirus pandemic and now the unrest.
My own home State of Kentucky and city of Louisville is
grappling with the tragic death of Breonna Taylor, and now
another businessperson, David McAtee, was killed, I think, 2
days ago. And so we're all going through these together. I know
we're going to work through these issues and come out a better
country at the other end, and proud of the hard work you guys
are doing.
There are a lot of important oversight hearings that we
need to have on the COVID-19 pandemic, and I'm glad the first
Oversight and Investigations hearing that I worked with the
chair together on is focused on the critical issue of COVID-19
testing.
The Federal Government and States have faced many
challenges in increasing COVID-19 testing capacity. This is
especially true in my home State of Kentucky. In mid-April,
Kentucky's daily testing rate was below 20 per 100,000
residents. Thankfully, Kentucky has significantly increased its
testing capacity over the last few weeks, and Kentucky has now
exceeded the daily average amount of testing recommended by the
White House.
The Federal Government has made substantial efforts for
States to increase testing capacity. Given the increased
worldwide demand, there have been shortages of various
components needed to collect samples and perform the tests,
including swabs, transport media, reagents, and personal
protective equipment. I appreciate how rapidly the Federal
Government, the States, and the private sector have acted to
help address these supply issues. For example, through
Laboratory Diagnostic Testing Task Force, the Federal
Government and industry have developed a better understanding
of challenges in the supply chain and expected inventory. And
HHS and FEMA have worked diligently to address these issues,
including by obtaining swabs and biotransport media for States.
The Federal Government also used the Defense Production Act to
increase domestic production of swabs.
In addition, the FDA is continuously working to promote the
development of diagnosis tests for COVID-19 in order to achieve
a more rapid testing capacity. As of May 27th, the FDA had
worked with more than 400 test developers and had authorized
113 tests under emergency-use authorization, including 100
molecular tests, 12 antibody tests, and one antigen test. All
of these efforts have enhanced U.S. testing capacity over the
last month.
The U.S. has achieved more than 400,000 tests a day several
times, nearly hitting 500,000 tests in a single day last week.
States are reaching recommended levels of COVID-19 testing.
Kentucky's testing target for May is about 2.95 percent, which
exceeds the Federal Government's recommendation that States
test 2 percent of their population in May and June.
The Federal Government and States have also worked
diligently to develop and implement testing plans. The Trump
administration recently released an 81-page COVID-19 strategic
testing plan. According to the report, HHS anticipates that the
U.S. will be able to perform 40 to 50 million tests by
September, including about 25 million point-of-care tests.
All of this hard work is not only important to improve the
immediate response to COVID-19 pandemic, but to also prepare
for a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases. Committee
Republicans have been closely examining current issues on how
to best prepare for a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
Today, we released a report on the first pillar of our work
focused on COVID-19 testing and surveillance. We expect to
release the rest of the work as it is finalized. The 50-page
report that was released today addresses a number of important
issues related to COVID-19 testing, ranging from biodetection
testing and antibody testing to contact tracing and
surveillance.
One issue we examine in this work, and I hope we talk about
today, is how we can make sure that we are best prepared for
potential overlap of COVID-19 and influenza cases in the fall.
I am looking forward to the conversation we're going to have
today. I greatly appreciate all three of our witnesses and
Governors for taking time from their extremely busy schedules
to be here. And while we made a lot of improvement over the
last few months, our work is not done. And as we continue to
work on drafting more legislation responding to the COVID-19
pandemic, it is especially important to hear State
perspectives.
I thank you ,and I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Guthrie follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Brett Guthrie
Thank you, Chair DeGette, for holding this important
virtual hearing today.I also want to thank the Governors for
taking the time out of their busy schedules to join us today.
These are challenging times, first with responding to the
ongoing coronavirus pandemic and now with unrest around the
country. My home State of Kentucky has been grappling with the
tragic death of Breonna Taylor. I appreciate you all coming
today as we work together through these issues.
There are a lot of important oversight hearings that we
need to have on the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am glad the first
Oversight and Investigations hearing is focused on the critical
issue of COVID-19 testing.
The Federal Government and States have faced many
challenges in increasing COVID-19 testing capacity. This has
been especially true in my home State of Kentucky. In mid-
April, Kentucky's daily testing rate was below 20 per 100,000
residents. Thankfully, Kentucky has significantly increased its
testing capacity over the last few weeks, and Kentucky has now
exceeded the daily average amount of testing recommended by the
White House.
The Federal Government has made substantial efforts for
States to increase testing capacity. Given the increased,
worldwide demand, there have been shortages for various
components needed to collect samples and perform the tests,
including swabs, transport media, reagents, and personal
protective equipment (PPE). I appreciate how rapidly the
Federal Government, the States, and the private sector have
acted to help address these supply issues.
For example, through the Laboratory Diagnostic Testing Task
Force, the Federal Government and industry have developed a
better understanding of challenges in the supply chain and
expected inventory, and HHS and FEMA have worked diligently to
address these issues, including by obtaining swabs and viral
transport media for States. The Federal Government has also
used the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production
of swabs.
In addition, the FDA is continuously working to promote the
development of diagnostic tests for COVID-19 in order to
achieve more rapid testing capacity. As of May 27, the FDA had
worked with more than 400 tests developers and had authorized
113 tests under Emergency Use Authorizations, including 100
molecular tests, 12 antibody tests, and 1 antigen test.
All of these efforts have enhanced U.S. testing capacity.
Over the last month, the U.S. has achieved more than 400,000
tests a day several times, nearly hitting 500,000 tests in a
single day last week. States are reaching recommended levels of
COVID-19 testing. Kentucky's testing target for May is about
2.95 percent, which exceeds the Federal Government's
recommendation that States test 2 percent of their population
in May and June.
The Federal Government and States are also working
diligently to develop and implement testing plans. The Trump
administration recently released an 81-page COVID-19 Strategic
Testing Plan. According to the report, HHS anticipates that the
U.S. will be able to perform 40 to 50 million tests per month
by September, including about 25 million point-of-care tests.
All of this hard work is not only important to improve the
immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to
prepare for a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases. Committee
Republicans have been closely examining current issues and how
to best prepare for a second wave of COVID-19 cases. Today, we
released a report on the first pillar of our work focused on
COVID-19 testing and surveillance. We expect to release the
rest of the work as it is finalized.
The 50-page report we released today addresses a number of
important issues related to COVID-19 testing, ranging from
viral detection testing and antibody testing to contact tracing
and surveillance.
One issue we examine in this work that I hope we can talk
about today is how we can make sure that we are best prepared
for the potential overlap of COVID-19 and influenza cases in
the fall. The development of combined diagnostic testing kits
for both COVID-19 and influenza would allow providers to
quickly determine whether a patient is infected with influenza
or COVID-19. The FDA has already issued two EUAs for laboratory
diagnostic tests that detect numerous respiratory viruses,
including both COVID-19 and influenza. We need to continue to
prepare for the possible resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the
fall when influenza season begins.
I am looking forward to the conversation. I greatly
appreciate all three of our witnesses taking the time out of
their busy schedules to testify today.
While we have made a lot of improvements over the last few
months, our work is not done. As we continue to work on
drafting more legislation responding to the COVID-19 pandemic,
it is especially important to hear State perspectives.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman for yielding back.
I would advise Members, in case you are unaware of this,
there is a window on your screen that says ``123 Clock,'' and
this will count down from 5 minutes for either your statements
or questioning, and then it will start going over. And if
that's not working for you, try clicking on it, and we hope
that it will work.
The Chair now will recognize the chairman of the full
committee, Mr. Pallone, for 5 minutes for purposes of an
opening statement. Mr. Pallone.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK PALLONE, Jr., A REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Mr. Pallone. I want to thank Chairwoman DeGette for doing
this. The chairwoman has been very much involved during this
COVID crisis and doing some really excellent oversight and
investigation, and so, Diana, I particularly want to thank you
for that and for putting this together today.
And I also want to mention the other Coloradan, Governor
Polis--because I always love to see our former colleagues
become Governors or Senators or President or whatever--and the
other Governors, too, for being with us today.
We've had, in my district, several peaceful protests over
the last few days, so I've been happy with the fact that they
have been peaceful, and hopefully that continues in our State
and throughout the country. But the hearing today is basically
continuing our work to confront COVID-19 and to hear from
Governors about what more the Federal Government can and should
be doing to help in our Nation's response.
It's essential that we unite to combat this virus so that
we can save lives, protect communities, and safely reopen our
economy, and the only way that we're going to do that is
through a coordinated national strategy that increases testing
and dedicates sufficient resources to contact tracing,
surveillance, and containment.
Unfortunately, President Trump continues to refuse to put
in place a national strategy for moving forward. And it's just
the latest example, in my opinion, of the President's failures
to properly recognize the crisis that we face. At first, the
President scoffed at those who were raising alarm about COVID-
19, and insisted the virus would go away. And then, as the
threat became more undeniable, he refused any responsibility.
And for months, he has failed to develop and implement a
national testing program with clear goals and plans for
achieving them.
And this failure of leadership at the national level has
forced States to fend for themselves, oftentimes competing
against each other on the open market for critical tests,
personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other resources
they need to fight this virus. And States were essentially
bidding against each other, which drives up prices for the
resources that will continue to be needed in the weeks and
months ahead. And this is not the way to combat a national
public health crisis. And, of course, being in New Jersey,
which is one of the hardest-hit States, I'm particularly
concerned about this, but I care about it for the whole
country.
The President continues, in my opinion, to abdicate his
responsibility. So House Democrats took bold action last month
by passing the HEROES Act. This legislation provides critical
healthcare resources that are needed, including up to $75
billion in grants to support robust testing, contact tracing,
surveillance, and containment activities.
The HEROES Act also finally requires the Trump
administration to develop comprehensive and coordinated
strategies for testing, contact tracing, and surveillance, and
provides greater transparency in real time around supplies,
testing, and infection rates, and the HEROES Act requires clear
benchmarks and timelines and brings public accountability to
this entire process.
And we, also in the HEROES Act, shore up our public health
infrastructure by replenishing much-needed medical supplies,
modernizing how we use the Strategic National Stockpile, and
installing a medical supplies response czar. We also require
the administration to provide clear accounting for the work
being done now in preparation for the manufacturing and
distribution of a future vaccine, and identify what more must
be done to ensure that the vaccine can be swiftly available to
all who need it.
The HEROES Act also puts in place clear guidelines for how
an additional $100 billion in resources for the Provider Relief
Fund should be distributed and ensures those resources are
allocated to our hospitals and front-line healthcare providers
in an equitable and efficient way.
Now, because of the Governors, I also want to mention that
the HEROES Act supports States' Medicaid programs by increasing
the Federal Matching Assistance Percentage, or FMAP, by 14
percentage points, and increases Federal payments for Medicaid
services for patients in home and community-based care. And
this is critical to States that are facing dire financial
situations as the results of the pandemic, and it allows them
to continue providing essential healthcare services.
Now, Governors, I haven't mentioned, of course, the fact
that we have direct aid for States and municipalities in the
HEROES Act as well. That's not in our jurisdiction, but
obviously very important. And it ensures that all COVID-19
treatment is free without cost-sharing for all Americans, so
that nobody has to worry about the cost of getting treatment or
vaccines.
So, you know, we have that in the CARES Act that the
testing was free. Now the treatment and the vaccine would be
free as well. Obviously, I think the Senate should act on this,
because we're not going to be able to beat this virus without
the HEROES efforts in place.
So I just wanted to welcome the three Governors who have
all faced challenges in responding to this public health
threat. As the committee continues its oversight under
Chairwoman DeGette and considers further legislative action,
it's important for us to hear from the Governors on what's
working, what isn't working, and what more they need, either
from the Federal Government or from Congress.
And I know you guys are on the front line. I know how
important it is for us to help the Governors and the States,
and certainly our committee will be fully cognizant as we
proceed.
So thank you again, Diana. I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Pallone follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr.
This virtual hearing will continue our work to confront
COVID-19, and to hear from Governors about what more the
Federal Government can and should be doing to help in our
Nation's response.
It's essential that we unite to combat this virus so that
we can save lives, protect communities and safely reopen our
economy.
The only way we can do this is through a coordinated
national strategy--a strategy that increases testing and
dedicates sufficient resources to contact tracing,
surveillance, and containment.
Unfortunately, President Trump continues to refuse to put
in place a national strategy for moving forward. It is just the
latest example of the President's failures to properly
recognize a crisis before us. At first, President Trump scoffed
at those who were raising alarm about COVID-19 and insisted the
virus would go away. Then, as the threat became undeniable, he
refused any responsibility. For months he has failed to develop
and implement a national testing program, with clear goals and
plans for achieving them.
This failure of leadership at the national level has forced
States to fend for themselves--oftentimes competing against
each other on the open market for the critical tests, personal
protective equipment, ventilators and other resources they need
to fight this virus. States are essentially bidding against
each other--driving up prices for the critical resources they
will continue to need in the weeks and months ahead. This is
not the way to combat a national public health crisis.
While the President continues to abdicate his
responsibility, House Democrats once again took bold action
last month by passing the HEROES Act. This legislation will
provide critical healthcare resources that are needed,
including up to $75 billion in grants to support robust
testing, contact tracing, surveillance, and containment
activities.
This legislation will also finally require the Trump
administration to develop comprehensive and coordinated
strategies for testing, contact tracing, and surveillance, and
provide greater transparency, in real-time, around supplies,
testing, and infection rates. The HEROES Act requires clear
benchmarks and timelines and brings public accountability to
this entire process.
We also shore up our public health infrastructure by
replenishing much-needed medical supplies, modernizing how we
use the Strategic National Stockpile, and installing a Medical
Supplies Response czar. We also require the administration
provide clear accounting for the work being done now in
preparation for the manufacturing and distribution of a future
vaccine and identify what more must be done to ensure that the
vaccine can be swiftly available to all who need it.
The HEROES Act also puts in place clear guidelines for how
an additional $100 billion in resources for the Provider Relief
Fund should be distributed, and ensures these resources are
allocated to our hospitals and frontline healthcare providers
in an equitable and efficient way.
The legislation supports States' Medicaid programs by
increasing the Federal Matching Assistance Percentage, or FMAP,
by 14 percentage points and increases Federal payments for
Medicaid services for patients in home and community-based
care. This is critical to States that are facing dire financial
situations as a result of the pandemic, and it will allow them
to continue providing essential healthcare services.
Our legislation also ensures that all COVID-19 treatment is
free, without cost sharing for all Americans so that nobody has
to worry about the costs of getting treatment or vaccine for
this virus.
The Senate should act on this legislation immediately. We
simply cannot beat this virus without these efforts in place.
Let me welcome our three Governors who have all faced
challenges in responding to this public health threat. As the
committee conducts its oversight and considers further
legislative action, it is important for us to hear from the
Governors on what's working, what isn't working, and what more
they need--either from the Federal Government or Congress. I
thank all of you for joining us today to share your views from
the front line of this pandemic.
It is clear that we must collectively find solutions to
stop the spread of this devastating virus so that we can safely
and confidently reopen our communities and our economy.
I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman. And I'm now pleased to
recognize the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Walden,
for 5 minutes for purposes of an opening statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. GREG WALDEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OREGON
Mr. Walden. Well, good morning, Madam Chair, and Chair
Pallone, and to our Governors, welcome. This is an important
hearing.
I want to say at the outset, just on a technical note,
apparently C-SPAN has not been able to get the audio up for
this hearing. So one of those things if the public is trying to
watch it on C-SPAN, they're not going to be able to hear your
opening statements, at least not yet.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that accommodations were
made so those of us in Washington could meet here in our
committee room. As you know, in approving the hearings, the
Rules Committee recommended House committees make such
accommodations. And, as we all know, the Health Subcommittee
proved we could safely conduct our business with a hearing 2
weeks ago in this room.
Several committees have held either in-person or hybrid-
style hearings in the Capitol Office Building in recent weeks,
and many of the members of this subcommittee are here in
Washington today. So I urge the chairman to continue to
accommodate in-person participation of Members going forward.
Meanwhile, I want to welcome the Governors. With all the
challenges we are facing as a Nation, from the pandemic we're
discussing today to the unrest in the wake of the tragic death
of George Floyd, we deeply appreciate your making time to be
with us today.
States are, indeed, what Justice Brandeis called
laboratories of democracy, testing different policies for their
individual circumstances. And I look forward to learning about
your successes in responding to the pandemic, the remaining
challenges, what you got right, what you got wrong, and how the
State and Federal partnership can be strengthened to ensure
these challenges can be successfully addressed going forward.
Look, there's no question, facing a once-in-a-century
global pandemic, Federal, State, and local health systems
encountered some difficulties in ramping up diagnostic testing,
working out the logistical details of complex global supply
chains. However, it is only fair to now acknowledge that
tremendous progress has been achieved over the last few weeks.
The efforts of the White House, President Trump, the
Federal agencies to get full visibility into various supply
chains in a very short period of time, and then obtain
necessary supplies for the Nation's testing and other needs,
while competing for them globally with the rest of the world,
it's been nothing short of a remarkable undertaking, while
Federal officials, such as Dr. Brett Giroir and Admiral John
Polowczyk, have been candid, clear-eyed, and open about the
enormity of standing up a testing structure in the middle of a
pandemic emergency.
Nearly every State is now in a better position to test
anybody they have determined to be a high priority. Congress
stepped up to the plate in the CARES Act and other stimulus
packages with billions of dollars in funding for States to use
for more testing and more contact tracing.
These actions are getting results. Since the beginning of
this pandemic, many experts have argued the U.S. needs to reach
a level of conducting 500,000 COVID-19 tests a day. In May, the
United States achieved more than 400,000 tests a day several
times. With vastly more rapid point-of-care testing, at-home,
and saliva-based testing, and antigen testing, are expected to
be rolled out in the coming weeks, this benchmark is expected
to rapidly increase.
Look, there's no question that some States have responded
to this pandemic better than others, both in focusing resources
to address the public health crisis and positioning their
States to responsibly reopen. For example, in Arkansas, I
understand you've already met the federally recommended goal of
testing 2 percent of your population in a month through May and
aim to reach 3 to 4 percent of your population monthly by June.
Health and Human Services' strategic testing plan projects
that, by September, the United States may be able to conduct up
to 50 million tests per month, or more than 1.6 million tests
per day. At more than 1.6 million tests a day, the U.S. would
not only easily exceed the goal of half a million tests a day
but would also surpass the Harvard Global Health Institute's
recommendation of 900,000 tests per day to contain the
outbreak.
The HHS strategic plan on testing shows a serious and
honest effort. It outlines a pathway toward providing more
resources and more assistance to States for more and better
testing in order to manage risks and allow our economy to
safely reopen.
So I thank all of our distinguished witnesses today for
appearing. Especially, I want to express my appreciation to
Governor Asa Hutchinson, who on very short notice agreed to
work us into his schedule.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Walden follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Greg Walden
Chair DeGette, I was pleasantly surprised to see
accommodations were made so that those Members who are here in
Washington, DC, could meet in the hearing room. In approving
virtual hearings, the Rules Committee recommended that House
committees make such accommodations.
The Health Subcommittee proved we could safely conduct our
business with a hearing 2 weeks ago.
Several committees have held either in-person or hybrid-
style hearings in the Capitol office buildings in recent weeks.
Many of the members of this subcommittee are here in Washington
today. This hearing could have easily followed suit.
I urge my friend, Chairman Pallone, to continue to
accommodate the in-person participation of Members going
forward.
Meanwhile, I want to welcome the Governors. With all the
challenges we are facing as a nation, from the pandemic we are
discussing today, to the unrest in the wake of the tragic death
of George Floyd, we deeply appreciate your making time to be
with us today.
States are indeed what Justice Brandeis called
``laboratories of democracy,'' testing different policies for
their individual circumstances. I look forward to learning
about their successes in responding to the pandemic, the
remaining challenges, and how the State and Federal partnership
can be strengthened to ensure these challenges can be
successfully addressed.
There is no question, facing a once-in-a-century global
pandemic, the Federal, State, and local health systems
encountered some difficulties in ramping up diagnostic testing
and working out the logistical details of complex, global
supply chains. However, it is only fair to now acknowledge the
tremendous progress that has been achieved over the last few
weeks. The efforts by the White House and Federal agencies to
get full visibility into various supply chains in a very short
period of time, and then obtaining necessary supplies for the
Nation's testing and other needs while competing for them with
the rest of the world, has been nothing short of remarkable,
while Federal officials such as Dr. Brett Giroir and Admiral
John Polowczyk have been candid, clear-eyed, and open about the
enormity of standing up a testing structure in the middle of a
pandemic emergency.
Nearly every State is now in a better position to test
anybody they have determined to be a high priority. Congress
stepped up to the plate in the CARES Act and other stimulus
packages with billions in funding for States to use for more
testing and contact tracing.
These actions are getting results. Since the beginning of
this pandemic, many experts have argued that the U.S. needs to
reach a level of conducting 500,000 COVID-19 tests a day. In
May, the U.S. achieved more than 400,000 tests a day, several
times. With vastly more rapid point-of-care testing, at-home
and saliva-based testing, and antigen testing are expected to
be rolled out in the coming weeks, this benchmark is expected
to rapidly increase.
There is also no question that some States have responded
to this pandemic better than others, both in focusing resources
to address the public health crisis and positioning their
States to responsibly reopen. For example, Arkansas has already
met the federally recommended goal of testing 2 percent of its
population in a month for May and aims to reach 3 to 4 percent
of its population monthly after June.
The HHS strategic testing plan projects that by September
that the U.S. may be able to conduct up to 50 million tests per
month, or more than 1.6 million tests per day. At more than 1.6
million tests a day, the U.S. would not only easily exceed the
goal of 500,000 tests a day but would also surpass the Harvard
Global Health Institute's recommendation of 900,000 tests per
day to contain the outbreak.
The HHS strategic plan on testing shows a serious and
honest effort. It outlines a pathway toward providing more
resources and more assistance to States for more and better
testing in order to manage risks and allow our economy to
safely reopen.
I thank of all of our distinguished witnesses for appearing
today. I especially express my appreciation to Governor Asa
Hutchinson, who on very short notice, agreed to work us into
his schedule.
Mr. Walden. With that, Madam Chair, I would yield back the
balance of my time. I understand you wanted me to introduce
Governor Hutchinson, so I am prepared to do that whenever you'd
like.
Ms. DeGette. OK. We'll do it in just a minute. I thank the
gentleman for yielding back and ask unanimous consent----
Mr. Griffith. Madam chair. Sorry, go ahead. It's Morgan. I
have my hand up.
Ms. DeGette. For what purpose does the gentleman from
Virginia rise?
Mr. Griffith. Point of order.
Ms. DeGette. The gentleman will state his point of order.
Mr. Griffith. Madam Chair, since House Resolution 965
governs this meeting generally, and section 4 specifically
deals with proceedings in committee and section 4(b) puts
limitations on business meetings, including, and I quote, ``A
committee shall not conduct a meeting remotely or permit remote
participation at a meeting under this section until a member of
the committee submits for printing in the Congressional Record
a letter from a majority of the members of the committee,
notifying the Speaker that the requirements for conducting a
meeting in regulations referred to in subsection (h) have been
met and that the committee is prepared to conduct a remote
meeting and permit remote participation,'' end quote.
And recognizing that the regulations promulgated in
accordance with subsection 4(h) of House Resolution 965 in
regulation section 1(i), the definitions section, it states,
and I quote, ``Proceedings or committee proceedings refers to
meetings, hearings, or depositions, as appropriate,'' end
quote.
And, in light of the full Energy and Commerce Committee
having failed to comply with these regulations submitted by the
chairman of the Rules Committee in accordance with House
Resolution 965, or even to comply with the letter requirements
of section 4(b) of House Resolution 965, is it not true that
these proceedings, by whatever name, cannot lawfully conduct
business, such as swearing in witnesses or even having Code
Section 18 U.S.C. Section 1001, relating to perjury apply?
Ms. DeGette. The Chair thanks the gentleman for his
parliamentary inquiry. H.R. 965 refers to business meetings,
not hearings, and the committee has met all of the requirements
for regular hearings under the House rules.
Mr. Griffith. Under the--Madam Chair, exception.
Ms. DeGette. I ask unanimous consent that Members' written
opening statements be made part of the record, and, without
objection, so ordered.
I'd now like to introduce the witnesses for today's
hearing. First, I'd like to introduce Governor Jared Polis, the
Governor of the State of Colorado, no stranger to this
committee, or most of the members of this committee. The
Governor has been working very hard with the entire Colorado
congressional delegation, House and Senate Democrats and
Republicans on the coronavirus issue, and we appreciate it
very, very much.
I would now turn to Congresswoman Dingell to introduce her
Governor.
Mrs. Dingell. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Challenging times demand decisive and compassionate
leaders. I'm grateful to all of the Governors that are here
today, and the Dingell family has had long histories with all
of them. But Governor Whitmer is such a leader. I'm proud to
introduce her today. She's a lawyer and an educator, a former
prosecutor, and a lifelong Michigander dedicated to public
service, and she is a close friend.
Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers are
devastating. Michigan has been hit harder than most States.
We're the fourth highest in deaths in the country. We have
nearly 2 million people unemployed, one in four, and lives have
been forever changed.
Throughout this pandemic, Governor Whitmer has taken swift
actions to flatten the curve and blunt the spread of COVID-19.
There is much that this committee can learn from how Michigan
has responded. And, as the States begin the reopening phase,
there is much we need to learn on what challenges still remain,
the resources that are still needed, and the actions that we
can take.
I want to just make this personal comment, that the
Governor is a friend. And after she saw the modeling numbers of
the potential deaths that could happen in Michigan, she called
me. She took personal responsibility for the potential death of
everybody in our State. And she's been a true leader, and I am
honored that she accepted the invitation today.
I thank all the Governors for testifying today. We thank
you for your service and your leadership through these
difficult times, and we look forward to hearing all of your
valuable testimony.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentlelady.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Walden to introduce our former
colleague, Governor Hutchinson.
Mr. Walden. Well, thank you, Madam Chair.
And welcome to all of the Governors. Governor Asa
Hutchinson is a friend of many of us, a former colleague to
many of us. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1996 and served
in this body until President George W. Bush appointed him
Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and later
Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security at the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Earlier in his career, President Reagan appointed Governor
Hutchinson as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of
Arkansas. Governor Hutchinson was first elected Governor of
Arkansas in 2014 and reelected in 2018. He and his wife, Susan,
have four children and six grandchildren. We thank him for
taking time out of his very busy schedule to lend his
experience and expertise to us on these issues.
Madam Chair, I do want to advise that the Governor will
have to leave the hearing today at 2 p.m., and I thank your
indulgence for excusing him as a witness at that time. I know
he had a preconflict that he couldn't get out of.
So, with that, we're delighted Asa could join us, and Jared
and the Governor from Michigan as well. And I will yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman. And the Chair is aware
of Governor Hutchinson's previous commitment. We're just glad
that you could join us, Governor, along with your two
colleagues.
Now, I know all three of you are aware the committee is
holding an investigative hearing, and when doing so we have the
practice of taking testimony under oath. Do any of you have any
objections to testifying under oath?
Let the record reflect the witnesses have responded no. The
Chair then advises you under the rules of the House and rules
of the committee, you are entitled to be accompanied by
counsel. Do you desire to be accompanied by counsel during your
testimony today?
Governor Polis. No.
Governor Whitmer. No.
Governor Hutchinson. No.
Ms. DeGette. Let the record reflect the witnesses have
responded no.
I won't make you stand up, but if all of you could please
raise your right hand so you may be sworn in.
[Witnesses sworn.]
Ms. DeGette. Let the record reflect the witnesses have
responded affirmatively.
You are now under oath and subject to the penalties set
forth in Title 18, Section 1001 of the United States Code.
The Chair will now recognize our witnesses for a 5-minute
summary of their written statements. As I mentioned earlier,
there's a timer on your screen that will count down your time,
and it turns red when your 5 minutes have come to an end.
And so, Governor Polis, we will recognize you for 5
minutes.
STATEMENT OF HON. JARED POLIS, GOVERNOR, STATE OF COLORADO
Governor Polis. Good morning, and thank you for the
invitation to testify. Starting the stopwatch here. Thank you,
Chairwoman DeGette. You've done an amazing job in this crisis
and beyond, and I appreciate this hearing. Thank you, Ranking
Member Guthrie, a pleasure working with you. It's great to see
you in this capacity. Thank you, Chairman Pallone and Ranking
Member Walden and members of the committee.
I want to provide an overview of the steps that we've taken
in Colorado, with the hope that some of the successful
practices that we've implemented here can be an example for
other States, for the Federal Government, and for other nations
that are dealing with the coronavirus. We started by setting
realistic goals. We know that, given freedom of movement
throughout the United States, it would be impossible to
eradicate the virus in Colorado or America until there's a cure
or vaccine.
So, on the public health side, our focus from the very
start has been to save lives by limiting the spread of the
virus, protecting the most vulnerable, particularly older
Coloradans in congregate care facilities, supporting our
healthcare providers, making sure that people have access to
all forms of healthcare, including for non-COVID-related
healthcare, and doing everything we can to acquire testing
equipment and personal protection equipment, and being as smart
as we can with the use of these limited resources, and really,
as a benchmark making sure we preserve the ability of our
healthcare system to meet the needs of every critical patient
that comes through the door, COVID or non-COVID, so not to
overwhelm our healthcare system.
And on the economic side, we also understood, from the
early days, the economic implications of this crisis, and we've
taken a number of extraordinary measures to help small
businesses and workers, and made strategic decisions about
reopening, really taking into account the economic, social, and
psychological needs of Coloradans as well as the health goals.
We confirmed our first case in the beginning of March. We
since found out that, like much of the country, we likely had
COVID before that in our State, and we began to take action to
reduce the spread of the virus, which was on an exponential
growth curve at that time.
Based on what our modeling was telling us, we needed to
really severely limit the number of person-to-person
interactions to about 75 to 80 percent reduction from the
normal baseline. On the other side of the spectrum, the model
showed that, taking no action, the virus would have killed over
30,000 Coloradans by now.
So March 25th, we imposed a stay-at-home order, which
lasted until April 26th. That was a very difficult decision to
make. As a former business owner, I know the effort it takes to
keep small businesses profitable even in good times.
And as Governor of a State with the fastest-growing economy
in the Nation and amazing quality of life, it really pained me
greatly to see Coloradans out of work, stuck inside, businesses
temporarily closed. But that monthlong stay-at-home order was
critical to slow the spread of COVID-19, to build additional
hospital capacity, including critical care beds, and acquire
more testing and PPE for our workforce.
One of the most important things we did is we stood up an
innovation response team with some of the best minds from the
private sector who went--volunteered full-time to help us work
through the issues in the supply chain for testing, and for
PPE.
And, during this period, we enacted a number of important
measures to help individuals and businesses weather the
economic storm, including short-term paid sick leave for
workers so they didn't feel that they had to go to work sick
and spread the virus; expanding childcare benefits for front-
line workers; helping small businesses and individuals make
ends meet by delaying when they had to pay and file their
income tax, their sales tax, and their property tax; a
temporary moratorium on evictions and foreclosures; and taking
commonsense steps to lift regulations, like eliminating the
prohibition on takeout or delivery of alcohol, which helped
restaurants stay in business.
We set up a private relief fund at HelpColoradoNow.org to
help meet the needs of Coloradans across the State. I'm proud
to say we've raised over $18 million from philanthropic,
corporate, and individual donors. And we also convened in the
early days a Council on Economic Stability and Recovery,
chaired by former U.S. Transportation Secretary and Denver
mayor Federico Pena. This bipartisan council of business
leaders from across our State has already put forward
recommendations for executive actions, State legislation, and
for Federal consideration.
Madam Chair, I ask that the letter to the Colorado
delegation dated April 9, 2020, from Secretary Pena and myself
be placed into the record and considered.
Ms. DeGette. Governor, we will hold that to the end, as
announced at the beginning, with all the other documents. Thank
you.
Governor Polis. Thank you. And as cases began to level off
and trend downward, we ended the stay-at-home order on April 27
and replaced it with Safer-at-Home. Safer-at-Home really allows
for a greater degree of economic and social activity, while
keeping the rate of infection low. It has four main points:
scaling up testing and capability; developing a mask-wearing
culture in our State to make person-to-person interactions
safer; having Coloradans with underlying health conditions,
including seniors, stay home whenever possible; and greater
social distancing among the general population. We've also
expanded this month for more outdoor opportunities for people
to enjoy our great vast outdoors at a safe social distance.
With our beautiful Colorado June and July weather, we encourage
people to get out in a safe way at a distance from others.
I've been straightforward and honest with the people of my
State from the very start, that there will be some level of
social distancing restrictions until there is a cure or
vaccine. We simply need to find a sustainable way to live with
COVID-19.
So thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I look
forward to answering your questions.
[The prepared statement of Governor Polis follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Ms. DeGette. Thank you, Governor.
Now, I'm pleased, Governor Whitmer, to recognize you for 5
minutes for your opening statement.
STATEMENT OF HON. GRETCHEN WHITMER, GOVERNOR, STATE OF COLORADO
Governor Whitmer. Thank you, Chair DeGette, Ranking Member
Guthrie, full House Chair Pallone, Ranking Member Walden, and
members of the subcommittee. Thank you all for the opportunity
to speak with you about COVID-19, its impact on the State of
Michigan, and how we worked to confront this unprecedented
public health crisis. Representatives Dingell and Walden, thank
you for your efforts on behalf of Michigan. And, of course,
Governors Polis and Hutchinson, I'm glad to be with you.
On March 10th, the day that Michigan confirmed our first
cases of COVID-19, I declared a state of emergency. Michigan
had a unique struggle with COVID-19 pandemic because, despite
being the 10th most populous State, we spent several weeks with
the third-highest number of cases and deaths in the Nation. As
of today, we've recorded 57,000 positive cases, and over 5,500
COVID-19-related deaths.
In response to this pandemic, we've had to take aggressive
measures to fight the spread of COVID-19, to prevent the rapid
depletion of our State's critical healthcare resources, and to
lower the chance of a devastating second wave.
There was a time in March when a number of metro Detroit
hospitals lacked enough masks, face shields, gowns or gloves to
last a single day. The Federal Government delivered several
allocations of PPE from the Strategic National Stockpile, but
they were dangerously insufficient to meet our needs in the
early days of the virus' spread.
During that same time, on a call with the Nation's
Governors, we were told we would have to procure these items on
our own. Without time to waste, we set up a global procurement
arm of our SEOC. We tracked down every lead. Some panned out,
some were dead ends, and some were deadbeats. But in the heat
of the Nation's early days and the lack of a national strategy,
and failure to use the DPA to produce PPE, lives were on the
line and necessitated these actions.
By mid-April, though, our hard work of our procurement
office, private donations, nimble Michigan businesses, and with
the assistance from FEMA, the State had PPE to last for several
weeks, and that is true today. We're truly grateful for the
materials that we've received. However, if Federal supplies
could be allocated more quickly with a detailed breakdown in
advance and shipped at a regular cadence, we would be able to
hit our goals and ensure that we prevent a second wave.
Absent a vaccine or cure, tracing and testing are the
foundation of a COVID-19 response. Throughout much of April,
our State averaged about 5,000 tests a day. Now we have reached
almost 15,000 a day, with our real goal being 30,000 tests a
day.
Despite the progress that we've made, the single biggest
threat to our ability to hit these goals is supply shortages
that continue to significantly restrict Michigan's testing
capability. I've conferred with many of my colleagues, and I
know this is not unique to Michigan. We need the White House to
create a specific long-term plan outlining how the Federal
Government will assure we've got adequate testing supplies, so
we can gather the data we need to make informed decisions about
reengaging our economies, as we would all benefit from a
guarantee of free testing nationwide, coupled with a robust
Federal messaging campaign.
The economic havoc wreaked on State residents and our
government budgets by the coronavirus has been severe. We have
now processed more unemployment claims in a single day than
during the worst week of the Great Recession. We've already
reached the highest unemployment rate since the Great
Depression.
Right now, the language in the CARES Act does not give us
the flexibility we need to address our revenue shortfalls. A
broader solution is needed. And I thank the House of
Representatives for your work, and I'm hopeful that the greater
Congress can come together and get it done.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the
disproportionate impact on communities of color. African
Americans are 13.6 percent of our resident population, and yet
represent a staggering 40 percent of deaths in Michigan. Our
Lieutenant Governor, Michigan's first African-American
Lieutenant Governor, is heading up our Task Force on Racial
Disparities, a task force that is dedicated in the memory of
Skylar Herbert, the youngest person in Michigan to lose the
battle with coronavirus at the age of 5. Both her parents are
first responders.
As we reengage Michigan's economy through the My Safe Start
Plan, we need to make sure that we avoid a second wave of
infections at all costs. We've made incredible progress pushing
down our curve and saving lives in Michigan. Our phased-in
reopening plan is informed by the best public health experts in
our country.
I'm glad to participate today to tell Michigan's story.
We're resilient and we're tough, and it's that determination
I'm tremendously proud of and I know will sustain us in these
challenging times. I look forward to our discussions.
[The prepared statement of Governor Whitmer follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Ms. DeGette. Thank you, Governor.
It's now time for members of the subcommittee to ask
questions, and the Chair will now recognize herself for 5
minutes.
Mr. Walden. Aren't we going to hear from Governor
Hutchinson?
Ms. DeGette. Oh, I'm so sorry. Governor, I'm so sorry.
Mr. Walden. I mean, we only have one Republican witness
that we should hear from.
Ms. DeGette. I know, and he's a Republican that I love,
because he was my colleague. I'm so sorry.
Governor, you are recognized for 5 minutes. Sorry about
that.
STATEMENT OF HON. ASA HUTCHINSON, GOVERNOR, STATE OF ARKANSAS
Governor Hutchinson. No problem at all. And thank you,
Madam Chairwoman. It is good to see you again, and I do recall
our days serving in Congress together.
Ranking Member Guthrie, thank you for this opportunity. And
I want to say hello and thank my good friend, Ranking Member
Greg Walden, for the invitation today and for his friendship
through the years. Of course, Chairman Pallone, it is good to
see you again as well.
And I am delighted to be here with my fellow Governors, who
each one of us has faced different challenges in our respective
States, perhaps in different ways, but it reflects the
uniqueness of each State and the decisions that have to be
made. And I certainly respect every decision that was made by
other Governors reflecting their State.
Our fight against COVID-19 began on March 11, when testing
revealed our first case in the State. I immediately declared an
emergency from that day on, and we took this very seriously,
and we took quick and appropriate, aggressive measures to
minimize the impact.
We had a dual mission. Our first mission, of course, was to
protect the health of our citizens, especially those that were
deemed to be most at risk. Our second mission was to minimize
the economic harm to individual families, because it costs
them, it hurts them in so many different ways.
Today, we are in phase one of our recovery. And to put it
in perspective, we have about 7,500 cases in Arkansas, we have
121 hospitalized, and we have had 133 Arkansans die of COVID-
19. These numbers, as the other Governors will attest, are very
minimal in terms of what we see in so many other States. Our
hospitalization rate and death rate are low compared nationally
and to our region.
When it comes to testing, we are testing more each day. In
late April, we were testing 1,000 to 1,500 tests each day. I
set as a goal that we would test 2 percent of our population in
the month of May, which would have been 60,000 Arkansans. We
exceeded that goal in May. In fact, we tested over 80,000
Arkansans in the month of May. And so the testing has
accelerated greatly. During the last 7 days, our positivity
rate has been right at 5 percent. Over the last 30 days, it's
been about 7 percent, well below the national standard that has
been recognized of 10 percent. In June, our goal in terms of
testing is to test every resident in every nursing home in
Arkansas, including all staff.
Our testing is done through a combination of our Department
of Health, our University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, and
then the commercial labs. And then the employers are doing an
extraordinary job of starting their own testing programs
through commercial labs.
Whenever it comes to following up with our contact tracing,
to put it in perspective, when we started this pandemic, we had
three nurses at our Department of Health that were responsible
for contact tracing. Three. Today, we have over 200 that are
doing contact tracing, and that is an important part of our
infrastructure for avoiding and handling the future, in terms
of a potential wave.
The most frequent question I get asked is, Why did you not
issue a shelter-in-place order in Arkansas? And, again, I
respect every Governor as to the decision that they had to
make, but our decision for our State in not issuing a shelter-
in-place order was in combination with our public health team,
and we believe it was the right direction for our State.
My public health team advised that a stay-at-home order
would not significantly slow the spread of COVID, and I knew a
stay-at-home order would cost thousands more Arkansans their
jobs, and possibly cause more businesses to close permanently.
Instead, we doubled down on our message that encouraged
Arkansans to follow social distancing guidelines, to wash their
hands often and well, and to wear masks in public. I trusted
the citizens of my State with good information to act
responsibly in their personal choices, and they did. There's
always a few outliers, but they have followed those guidelines.
From the beginning, we proceeded cautiously in terms of our
targeted restrictions on businesses. We calculated which
businesses were more at risk. We put more restrictions there,
and now, of course, we've been gradually releasing and lifting
those restrictions.
As I said, our rates are among the lowest in the Nation.
Our hospitals have never come close to filling up. Our supply
of ventilators is more than adequate. We even offered to send
five ventilators to a fellow State that was in need.
In terms of the private sector, I want to acknowledge their
support. Walmart particularly has helped us to set up mobile
testing sites across the State. Our poultry industry, which has
been a challenge for us, but they are a critical essential
industry, and they have begun their own testing within their
plants. They engaged their own contact tracing, which was very
impressive to me, that they don't simply rely upon the
government to do that. They have their own health clinics, and
they provide paid time if quarantine is necessary.
And so, with that, we have over 60 processing plants in
Arkansas, and none of them are currently shut down. They're all
operational, and people are working.
In terms of the economy, just like everyone else, we
projected a significant loss of revenue to our State budget. In
fact, we projected a 10 percent loss of revenue from sales
taxes. But our economy has been stronger, has suffered less of
a loss, and we're coming in at less than 5 percent of a loss in
terms of sales tax revenue.
Today, we're issuing our revenue report that will show that
we're above our revised forecast, which is still down from last
year, but we're beating the projections significantly in terms
of our recovering economy. And we look forward to having more
success in the future. We have an Economic Recovery Task Force
that's going to be leading that effort that Steuart Walton is
chairman of and have leading Arkansans that are supporting that
effort.
With that, I'm very grateful for the opportunity to tell a
little bit of Arkansas' story and look forward to the questions
from the committee.
[The prepared statement of Governor Hutchinson follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Ms. DeGette. Thank you so much, Governor. And thanks to all
of our witnesses.
Now the Chair will recognize herself for 5 minutes for
questioning. And let me begin by saying, as the members of the
O&I Subcommittee know, we have a long history of examining
pandemic preparedness. In fact, we've had 11 hearings in the
last 15 years in this subcommittee on pandemic preparedness.
And the most recent one, many of you will recall, was on
December 4th, where we had many of the players who you see,
including Dr. Fauci and Dr. Redfield and others, come and
testify. And these officials have spoken candidly about the
challenges that we would face during a pandemic. And, so, I was
pretty appalled that the Federal leadership and systems failed
as dramatically as they did when we actually did get a
pandemic, because of all the assurances that we had had.
Governor Whitmer, in your testimony, you stated, quote,
``The overall Federal response on this front has been uneven.
The uncertainty about the availability of supplies and the
Federal Government's role in directing the allocation of these
supplies has hindered our ability to coordinate our testing
strategy.''
Governor, could you elaborate further on this uneven
Federal response, and how it impacted Michigan's ability to
combat COVID, particularly in the testing realm?
Governor Whitmer. Sure, I'd be happy to. Thank you for
giving me the opportunity to flesh this out a bit for you. On
the whole, our experience working with the administration, I
think ``uneven'' is the right word. We are truly grateful for
the supplies that we have received and for the ongoing
assistance that we've gotten out of FEMA Region V and their
team, as well as HHS and the CDC.
I'll just say that uncertainty about supplies, however, and
the Federal Government's role in directing the allocation of
these supplies, has really undermined our ability to coordinate
a testing strategy. In the early months of the pandemic,
testing supplies were extremely limited. Information was
scarce, and the Federal Government's role in supporting testing
was narrow. In May, we began receiving, you know, significant
numbers of swabs and transport media, which was a commitment
from HHS and FEMA for 450,000 swabs and over 300,000 transport
media.
Now, while we are appreciative, we're often given very
little information in terms of when that is going to be coming
in. The information that we're given sometimes is inaccurate
about what types of supplies are being shipped, what we
anticipate receiving, and so it's made our planning very
difficult. If supplies could be allocated more quickly and if
we had a detailed breakdown of what was actually in the
shipment, we could, you know, mobilize and ensure that we can
make the best use of these supplies and hit our capacity. We
have a capacity to do 25,000 tests a day in Michigan right now,
and because we're lacking these fundamental pieces of doing the
tests or because we can't plan on them with certainty, it's
really--we haven't been able to achieve that 25,000 a day yet.
And I think that's the biggest concern that I have.
I know that it was raised a question about the flu season.
My chief medical expert in Michigan is just absolutely worried
about flu season when it comes to supplies, when it comes to
testing, when it comes to our ability to meet the needs.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you, Governor.
And, Governor Polis, you also--we've talked about this on
our delegation calls, but also in your testimony, you testified
about how Colorado was caught off guard by the conflicting
messages and lack of support for the Federal Government as to
what Colorado would get. Can you elaborate on that?
Governor Polis. Yes. I think the most important things that
we could do better with on the Federal side is on transparency
and really knowing what we're going to get when. Consistency
and transparency. A lot of discussions that left us as a State
not knowing--not with a no, not with a yes--are there going to
be masks? Are there going to be tests? Delivery dates that
weren't met, but even greater, kind of sort of vague
commitments at certain levels without that transparency level
to know, at this point in time, this is what you'll get at this
point in time.
That makes it very hard for a number of reasons, because we
have to go out and then purchase our own. And if, in fact, the
Federal Government does come through at a certain date at a
certain time, then we might have too much of something and not
enough of something else.
So, if we're going to plan in coordination with our Federal
partners, we need to make sure we have all the cards on the
table, everybody knows exactly what we're going to get when and
what we're not going to get when, and then the States try to
fill in in the holes.
Ms. DeGette. And so, you think that's the kind of plan we
would need as we look forward to the fall and beyond?
Governor Polis. Yes. We would love a way where it's very
clear to the States exactly what they will and won't get and,
you know, within reasonable parameters, and we understand if
it's, you know, a 2-day, 3-day window for delivery. I mean, no
one is saying it has to be the exact day, but approximately
when and what so that States can plan around that and then
backfill the rest of their needs.
Ms. DeGette. Governor Whitmer, would you agree with that?
Governor Whitmer. Absolutely. I think that that's--
absolutely.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Representative Guthrie, you are now recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. Guthrie. Thank you, Madam Chair, and, again, thank you
all for being here.
And, Governor Hutchinson, you answered my first question. I
was going to ask about why you chose not to do a statewide
order. So I'm going to skip right to the second question. And
for all of them, I'll just go alphabetical by State if that
works--Arkansas, Colorado, Michigan--but for all three of you.
But at the very beginning, Dr. Fauci came before us and
says, we have to flatten the curve, we have to manage peak
capacity, and until we get a vaccine, we're really not going to
have zero cases. And I was on a call with some people and
somebody said, as you all have experienced the most difficult--
well, a very difficult decision is shutting down different
parts of the economy. A difficult decision that could be even
harder is when to open up, because, as we interact more, we
know there are going to be more cases until we get a vaccine,
but we can't stay shut down forever.
And so, my question is, one of your colleagues I saw on
television, the Governor of Oklahoma, when they were expanding
interactions, that he was kind of being criticized on
television, he says, Well, ``I have 300 cases and 4,000 empty
hospital beds.''
So I guess my question is, as you look to open up and as we
interact, there will be flare-ups. I mean, what are you looking
for? What data does your State look for to determine when you
can open, and then if you're--what are you looking for to say,
well, we reopened too much, we need to retract, as you move
forward, kind of what are you looking for?
I'll start with Governor Hutchinson.
Governor Hutchinson. Well, thank you, Congressman. If you
look back to the very beginning of this, it was all about
hospital capacity. Well, hospital capacity is not an issue
anymore in terms of our State, with 150-some or less than that
hospitalizations. We have over 8,000-bed capacity. We needed to
go back doing elective surgery. We needed to go back doing
other procedures. And we've done that here in this State.
So what do we look at? And it's about the number of cases.
That's important to know, but it's, more importantly, the
positivity rate. It is about our contact tracing and the
success of that, the recovery rate, and how many active cases
that we have. Those are some of the things that we're looking
at. Obviously, the end result or the ultimate test is, what are
the deaths that are being caused from that? And we've been
fortunate to have a minimal number in Arkansas.
But if you look at the future, the most important thing is
that we have to manage this risk. We can't go back and say
we're going to all be shut down. We've got to go into the fall,
recognize there could be another wave, but we can't go back
into sheltering in place. We have to be able to manage through
this risk, and that is through the testing, that is through the
contact tracing, and that's through the social distancing until
we get a vaccine. And that's our strategy.
We're in phase 1. We're not going to go back, but we're
going to wait till we open up more until we get a little bit
more successful data that we can open up even more.
Mr. Guthrie. OK. Thanks.
And Governor Polis. And I've got 2 minutes, and I want to
make sure Governor Whitmer gets a chance to answer. So Governor
Polis?
Governor Polis. Yes. You know, I think all Governors share
a desire to reopen as much as possible as soon as possible, as
long as it's a sustained opening, right? I don't think anybody
wants to be in a situation where, because you have too many
people together--and I don't think there is a State in the
Nation, for instance, that's having 20,000-person concerts or
events right now, and there is a reason for that. If that were
to occur, it would likely lead to mass transmission of the
virus, going from, you know, dozens of people to hundreds of
people to thousands of people.
So you want to do this in a way that has safety guidelines
around what--the types of aid that occurs. For instance, we
opened up sometime ago, I think in late April, barber shops and
salons, and we made sure that both parties were wearing masks,
that there was limited capacity in them. And so far, it's been
a relative success story. We haven't heard of transmission
cases that are linked to them. If there are, they would be
minimized by that safer behavior.
So the answer is, as soon as possible in a way that doesn't
have to be reversed, because it leads to an overwhelming of the
hospitals.
Mr. Guthrie. Thank you.
And Governor Whitmer?
Governor Whitmer. Sure. Thank you. So I appreciate the
question, and I think that, because there hasn't been a
national strategy, each of us has developed our own
reengagement strategies, and, in Michigan, it's called the MI
Safe Start. It's six phases. The vast majority of the State is
in phase 4.
What we're looking at is the number of tests that we're
able to perform a day, what the positivity of rates are, what
is the capacity in our hospitals. All of these things go into
that. But also working with the business community to develop
protocols to mitigate risk associated with different sectors of
our economy.
The most important thing we need to do is continue to ramp
up testing in lieu of a vaccine or a cure, and that's precisely
why getting these supplies is so crucial to reengagement and
avoiding that second wave, because none of us wants to take
steps backward. We want to keep moving forward.
As we look at testing--I know I'm out of time, but as we
look at testing, I do think it's important to acknowledge we've
got to be looking at diagnostic testing and not conflating
serology testing with diagnostic testing. We have to get to
that 1 to 2 percent of our population.
And if there is a possibility we could use the Defense
Production Act to start producing swabs and the types of things
that are so critical to testing, that's what we should be using
the DPA for, and I'm hopeful that we will.
Mr. Guthrie. Thank you very much.
And I really, really appreciate you guys being here today.
Thank you very much, and I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. The gentleman yields back.
The Chair now recognizes Chairman Pallone for 5 minutes.
Mr. Pallone. I want to thank the chairwoman. And I really
want to ask two things of our two Democratic Governors. One was
to double down, Diana, on what you said about the Federal
supply chain and the lack of national testing, and then briefly
something about FMAP.
My concern is that, you know, I think that Democrats on the
Energy and Commerce Committee--I guess I'm being a little
partisan now--really do not trust the President to implement
any kind of national strategy for the supply chain, the
testing, or even the vaccines, and his constant effort to say,
well, it's the States' responsibility, it's the States'
responsibility, I don't believe that.
And so, as Democrats on the committee, we have tried in the
CARES Act, in the bill that followed, the interim bill, and now
in the HEROES Act, to really be more prescriptive to try to
have some kind of uniform national policy, and also a lot of
transparency, which both Whitmer and Jared Polis mentioned.
So I wanted to ask Governor Whitmer and then Governor
Polis, if you look at what's in the HEROES Act, which is what
we really wanted to do from the beginning--what we do is we
have a supply chain czar, we require a national chain of
command, and we have all kinds of transparency along the lines
of what you said to make sure that you know exactly what the
goals are, what's being delivered, what isn't, and when.
And then, with regard to the testing, we--you know, we
would say that there has to be a national goal. I mean, right
now, in Arkansas, is at 2 percent goal; New Jersey, 7 percent;
Rhode Island is 14 percent. Governor Polis, you said, you know,
people can travel from one State to the next. We have freedom
of movement, so that doesn't work. And so we say that the
testing has to be nationalized in the sense that there are
clear goals, there are benchmarks, there are timetables, you
know, for what do you do to--what testing level to achieve for
opening schools, what testing levels for employers. A lot more
detail.
If the two of you could just tell me what you think about
that, you know, have comment a little, start with Whitmer and
then Polis quickly, and then I'd like to ask a question about
FMAP, if we could, briefly.
Governor Whitmer. OK. So there's no question that the
testing is the thing that we need to do more of nationally. I
can tell you, in Michigan, the things we're worried about are
making sure that we've got the plastics, you know, the swabs,
the reagents. These are critical components of doing this
robust testing that every epidemiologist and public health
expert is telling us that we need.
You know, we can debate about international manufacturing,
but we have paid a price for the fact that these things have
not been produced in the United States. And I would just submit
that a national strategy to ensure that we have these test kits
is the most important thing that the Federal Government really
needs to take the reins on.
Having States bid against one another for supplies has
created a shortage, has driven up the price, and has left us
with deep and serious holes in a national policy, and I think,
absent a national policy, just having the supply so we can
execute on the front line is crucial. And FMAP's been great. I
hope you extend it through June of next year.
Mr. Pallone. And, Governor Polis, you particularly
mentioned the fall. You know, I'm concerned that if we don't
have a national czar and we don't have these national, you
know, policies in place with specific benchmarks and
transparency, we're going to have the same problem with
vaccines. Dr. Bright testified before our Health subcommittee
and basically said that.
So would you comment on that, and particularly as it
relates to the fall and the next step in terms of the supply
chain and national czar and a national strategy?
Governor Polis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is important
that we do have a mechanism in place for national coordination
on vaccine delivery, or there's going to be even greater free-
for-all around that when we reach that fortunate date. Just
like we have at the State, with our county health departments--
in our State, each county has a health department. Some of them
are multicounty. The State plays a coordinating role, and the
delivery of services of testing is locally administered. I
think what I would like to see in the ideal world is the
Federal Government playing that coordinating role, and then, of
course, the actual work is locally administered by States and
by counties.
We were particularly thrilled that in the HEROES Act it set
a 14 percent FMAP increase. I can tell you the importance of
that to States like Colorado and others is absolutely critical
for the recovery from this crisis.
Mr. Pallone. So, as you know, we increased it from 6.2 to
14. And, Governor Whitmer, would you support that as well for
FMAP?
Governor Whitmer. Absolutely. We know that the economic
crisis will outlast a lot longer than the health crisis, and
this is something that's been really important in Michigan as
well.
Mr. Pallone. Thank you both.
And thank you, Chairwoman DeGette.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you so much, Mr. Pallone.
The Chair now recognizes Ranking Member Walden for 5
minutes for questioning.
Mr. Walden. Thank you, Madam Chair. And, again, thanks to
our Governors for your leadership and your participation today.
One of the things going forward we're trying to look at is
nursing home deaths. And I know that different States dealt
with this issue differently in the early stages and some clear
into probably a month ago that sent COVID-positive patients
back to nursing homes. I think that happened in New York.
Each of you, how did you handle that issue with COVID-
positive nursing home patients? Did you have them go back to
the nursing homes from whence they came? And maybe we start--
Asa, do you want to start, and then maybe Governor Whitmer, and
then----
Governor Hutchinson. Well, sure. And, first of all, we
would never send a COVID-positive patient into an environment
in which they would expose others. Yes. So in any congregate
setting, whether it be the prison or whether it would be a
nursing home--obviously totally different--but we would make
sure that the positive patients were totally separated from
those that tested negative----
Mr. Walden. OK.
Governor Hutchinson [continuing]. And they wouldn't be
required, of course, to go back there.
And so, you know, we've had challenges like everybody else,
but our public health has just done an extraordinary job of
going in and testing every resident that, whenever there's a
positive case, and dealing with it head-on.
Mr. Walden. All right. And I understand, on CMS data that
came out today, your rate of deaths per thousand in nursing
homes is 6 percent, and I think Colorado is 28 percent, and
Michigan shows up at 63 percent.
So is there a different policy in Colorado or in Michigan?
Governor Polis. Who are you addressing the question to?
Mr. Walden. Let's go to Michigan first.
Governor Whitmer. OK. Sure. So I--63 percent, that is not
an accurate number from the data that----
Mr. Walden. It's--I'm sorry. It's 63.6 per thousand nursing
home deaths----
Governor Whitmer. So 23 percent is roughly what our number
has been, and we know that people living in nursing homes in
Michigan and across the country have faced unbearable
devastation from COVID-19.
Like Governor Hutchinson said, we have taken efforts to
ensure that, if a resident, after being discharged with a
COVID-19 diagnosis, was going back to a nursing home, they are
separated, that the protocols are very strict about what that
looks like. And no COVID-19 patient has been--no nursing home
is required to take a COVID-19 patient, and that's something
we----
Mr. Walden. All right.
Governor Whitmer [continuing]. Felt was the right thing to
do. We've had strict protocols around who can go into these
congregate care settings----
Mr. Walden. All right.
Governor Whitmer [continuing]. And really prioritize PPE
and testing in those facilities.
Mr. Walden. Governor Polis?
Governor Polis. Yes. We set up a residential care task
force in April that really helped address some of these issues.
The team's been working to ramp up the testing of asymptomatic
workers at senior care facilities, both through the Colorado
National Guard as well as in a partnership with Colorado State
University.
We require that every congregate senior care facility in
the State prepare an isolation plan for their residents----
Mr. Walden. OK.
Governor Polis [continuing]. That might have been exposed
to COVID and not require hospitalization. Those who have had
cases, have had to implement those plans, which might mean a
separate wing. It might mean--of course it means things like
making sure there's not roommates and dining areas. And, of
course, the best way to prevent the deaths at nursing homes and
senior care facilities is to prevent the virus from coming in
in the first place.
Mr. Walden. Exactly.
Governor Polis. And that's why testing asymptomatic workers
is so important.
Mr. Walden. All right. I'm going to yield the remainder of
my time to the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Walberg, who I know
has some questions as well and has waived on the committee.
Ms. DeGette. The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. Walberg. I thank the chair, and I thank the ranking
member. And it's good to see you, Governor. I appreciate you
being here. I recognize the fact that we're all doing this for
the first time, and we're learning as we go, so I appreciate
that.
I guess I would just follow up. Being ranked at fifth in
the Nation for overall deaths in nursing homes, with the most
recent one I saw from CDC, which was beyond what you have now
put out, was 1,654 patients who died and 12 staff members on
top of that.
Why did it take you so long to change the policy, not only
of putting COVID patients back in the nursing homes, but also
reporting? Because it was just, I believe, this past Thursday
or Friday you began to report, and that report was low, and
it's been changed since then. But could you inform us why it
took so long to begin the reports?
Governor Whitmer. So, Congressman Walberg, I think what
Michigan has experienced with COVID-19 is different than what
other States have. We had such exponential growth early on when
we just started learning about how incredibly contagious this
disease is and how people can carry it without having a single
symptom and infect others.
We were working with the best counsel of our public health
experts across the country and at the University of Michigan.
Every policy that we instituted was informed by that data. We
recognize that, of course, in retrospect, probably a number of
decisions we would have made some adjustment in, but the fact
of the matter is, when it comes to the data, one of the
inherent challenges with COVID-19 is that people don't
necessarily reflect on a death certificate that it is COVID-19.
I know a lot of other States have seen exponential
reporting on their pneumonia cases. Well, if their public
health goes back and looks, a lot of those could be COVID-19
deaths. And so I think that that's just the inherent challenge
here.
We've done remarkable things in terms of sharing
information. I'm happy to follow up with you.
Sorry, Chair.
Ms. DeGette. The Chair now recognizes----
Mr. Walberg. I yield back.
Ms. DeGette [continuing]. The gentlelady from Illinois, Ms.
Schakowsky, for 5 minutes.
Game time now.
Ms. Schakowsky. Am I in now?
Ms. DeGette. You're in now.
Ms. Schakowsky. OK. Thank you.
You know, I was informed of the first case in Illinois on
January 30 by Dr. Redfield. That is 6 months ago, and we still
have not bent the curve in the United States. One-point-eight
million cases yesterday, and, on Sunday, it went--so it went up
26,000 from Sunday. Other countries have done better.
And I want to focus also on the hard-hit nursing homes, the
long-term care facilities. CMS has finally started doing the
promised releasing of information that they gave 2 months ago
and said that 26,000 nursing home residents and workers have
died. Media reports say it's closer to 40,000. In my hometown,
we know--in my home State, rather, of Illinois--I know that
nursing homes account for over half of the confirmed COVID-19
deaths, and in other places in the country, it's as high as 70
percent.
And it's just unacceptable that the racial disparities and
overall COVID-19 cases and fatalities also extend to nursing
homes. We see higher deaths among African Americans and Latinos
in Illinois and around the country.
The COVID-19 crisis in our Nation's nursing homes and long-
term care facilities is a national disgrace, and we have not
seen help from the Trump administration. They have failed to
publish data until beginning now; ensure access to testing,
which is so important; and coordinating of distribution of PPE.
And I just want to thank the heroes that are going every
day to work and are suffering from, you know, the challenge
that they face in those nursing homes and the fact that they
get up every day and go to work. And I've been in constant
contact with my Governor, J.B. Pritzker, who is doing his best.
So Governor Polis and Governor Whitmer, what I'd really
like to ask you, how have you been keeping long-term care
residents and workers safe? You mentioned some of those things
in the last question, and I thank Greg Walden for raising the
issue. And what do you need from the Federal Government? It
seems to me that that is an important role for them to play.
If I could get answers from Governor Whitmer and from our
good friend, Governor Polis.
Governor Whitmer. Sure. Well, thank you, Congresswoman, and
I appreciate your passion on this issue. I know that this is
something that, as a Nation, we're grappling with how do we do
a better job keeping people in our congregate care, especially
people who we know are uniquely susceptible to COVID-19.
You know, in lieu of a national policy in terms of nursing
homes, in lieu of all of the robust testing supplies that we
need, I think it is really incumbent on the Nation's Governors
to ensure that we have a handle on who's going in and out of
those congregate care facilities, that we are setting a higher
standard and getting every single person there tested regularly
so we are in an ability to isolate.
That's the key. In lieu of this vaccine and cure, that is
the most important thing that we can do. And so I would like to
have every nursing home patient tested regularly, every person
who's going into a nursing home tested regularly, with a plan
to give them paid sick leave so that they don't feel compelled
to come into work if they--if they or someone they know or is
close to has any symptoms of COVID-19. That's one important
piece of it.
And I'll let Jared take the--I've ate up some time. Thank
you.
Governor Polis. Yes. Thank you, Congresswoman Schakowsky.
You know, about two-thirds of our outbreaks in Colorado have
been in congregate care settings for the elderly, and it's--you
know, within some variation, it's similar to where many other
States are. We set up our residential task force in early
April.
We also appreciate the effort of the Federal Government to
deliver personal protective equipment to certified nursing
homes, but just to put that in perspective, certified nursing
homes is about 226 in our State. We have about a thousand
senior congregate care living facilities, so they're just--the
equipment is only going to a subclassification of the total
number of places that older Coloradoans live together.
We have also required isolation planning from all of those
facilities, and we are rapidly stepping up the testing of
asymptomatic workers, which is not a one-time thing, right? If
you test a worker that's asymptomatic and they're negative,
it's only as good as it is on that day and time. In a fully
scaled-up scenario, we would love to be testing workers once a
week to see if we can prevent those infections from even
reaching those senior care facilities. And we need help with
the supplies as well as continued testing to help keep it out
of those facilities.
Ms. Schakowsky. Thank you, Governor.
Governor Whitmer. We need some help from the Federal
Government.
Ms. DeGette. The Chair now recognizes Mr. Burgess for 5
minutes.
You need to unmute, Mike.
Mr. Burgess. That sound better?
Ms. DeGette. You bet.
Mr. Burgess. OK. So thank you to our panelists----
Ms. DeGette. I kind of like it on the mute, but----
Mr. Burgess. Yes, I thought you would.
I want to welcome our panelists, our Governors to the
hearing.
Governor Polis, it's good to see you again. Governor Polis
and I served for what seemed like forever on the House Rules
Committee. We're doing OK over there, but it's a little less
exciting without having you there.
I do want to acknowledge to Governor Hutchinson, although
I'm from your neighboring State of Texas, I'm related to
Arkansas by marriage. All of my wife's people are from Prairie
County.
So let me just ask all of you to--and we could answer
whatever order you prefer--the difficulty with getting the CDC
up to a level where testing was sufficient. Early days, the CDC
was only putting out single digits of tests at a time where the
requirement was many, many times that. So the impact to the
delay that the CDC had on the diagnostic tests in your State,
I'm interested in hearing from each of you. If we could please
start with you, Governor Hutchinson.
Governor Hutchinson. Well, thank you, and come back to
Prairie County anytime.
Mr. Burgess. Yes, sir.
Governor Hutchinson. Good farm country here.
You know, in terms of--first of all, there's been a lot
said about the role of the Federal Government. I think every
Governor recognizes that, early on in this, the supply chain
was weak, and--but it's gotten stronger and stronger. And,
today, you know, within 90 days, you know, our Nation has
actually ramped up its reagents production, the supply chain
for testing. And I have confidence in that supply chain that
has been built up both in the private sector and through CDC.
And also, you know, in terms of the Federal standards, I
look at the CDC guidelines, and I think they've been very, very
helpful in setting some national standards for how we reopen
and how we do gymnasiums and everything from sports to
churches. Those guidelines are very, very helpful to us as a
State. Obviously, we can tweak them, but that's what, to me,
State flexibility is all about.
You know, in terms of the testing, the CDC has made a
commitment to us on testing and supply chain, and they're
fulfilling that. That's the reason we're able to go from, you
know, a thousand tests a day up to close to 3,000 tests a day.
It's because the CDC has accelerated their supply chain and
it's working for us.
Mr. Burgess. Very well.
Governor Polis?
Governor Polis. Yes. I mean, I think that the supply chains
are in a better place than they were. But the CDC, in the early
days, we did not count on them. Ultimately, they validated some
tests, perhaps. We reported, as I think most States did, the
presumed positives, meaning we validated them in our State lab,
and the number coming from CDC was so ridiculously low. So,
once we had a test validated--and we still report our State-
validated tests.
I don't know how far behind CDC is in validating. I don't
know what their numbers are, because, honestly, we don't even
use them or track them anymore. Our State lab and the private
lab partners are the ones that provide the daily information on
exactly where we are with the virus.
Mr. Burgess. Sure.
And Governor Whitmer?
Governor Whitmer. Thank you.
And, you know, I agree with the sentiments of my colleagues
here. I would just add that, you know, the supply chain crosses
at State and national borders, and regardless of some of the
hiccups of the CDC and some of the wasted time early on,
Michigan's brought on nearly 70 in-State laboratories on
numerous of high throughput systems. We just cannot be fully
utilizing what we've created here without a consistent,
reliable, abundant source of supplies.
And I think that's the frustration that I have, and I'm
confident many Governors on both sides of the aisle have as
well. Testing is crucial to our ability to know what--how vast
COVID-19 is in our States, to assess if there is a second wave
and how we bring that from becoming exponential growth. And
that's, I think----
Mr. Burgess. So what--we're going to run out of time. Can I
just ask each of you quickly how you're modernizing your
State's public health labs?
Governor Whitmer, we can stay with you.
Governor Whitmer. Sure. I mean, we have ramped up
dramatically. We built our own lab early days because we didn't
want to send results to the CDC and wait for them to come back.
So we've made incredible strides on that front.
Mr. Burgess. OK. Governor Polis?
Governor Polis. Yes. I'm very proud of our State lab.
They've scaled up to be able to process up to 8,000 tests a day
from just 200. I think the State labs are very much where it's
at. A lot of them have risen to the occasion. They're an
appropriate way for national coordination, local administration
at State labs across the country.
Mr. Burgess. And Governor Hutchinson?
Governor Hutchinson. Well, the same here. And the CARES Act
funding has helped a great deal as well to beef up the
infrastructure of our State lab, and we're not only increasing
our testing, but also building a capacity for antibody testing
that we'll need very much in the fall as we look to continuing
to live and function in this environment.
Mr. Burgess. OK. Thank you.
I yield back, Chairman.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentlemen.
The Chair now recognizes Congressman Kennedy for 5 minutes.
Mr. Kennedy. Madam Chair, thank you. And to our Governors,
thank you very much for being here. Good to see you again,
Governor Polis, Governor Whitmer. It's a pleasure to have you
here, Governor Hutchinson.
Numerous experts, including former CDC Director Tom
Frieden, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, and former CMS
Acting Director Andy Slavitt have all stated that robust and
increased contact tracing capacity throughout the country will
be essential to contain COVID-19, ensuring that communities can
safely resume a pre-pandemic life.
Some States, such as mine here in Massachusetts, were early
leaders in that front, launching a new collaboration with
partners in health in early April to establish a virtual call
center of roughly 1,000 contact tracers. But, according to
experts, the Nation will need as many as 180,000 contact
tracers to effectively stem the tide of this virus. Clearly, we
obviously have a long way to go and investments to make to
build this critical workforce. So, fortunately, Chairman
Pallone, as he said, in the HEROES Act, would provide resources
to help support this workforce and expand contact tracing
efforts on the ground.
Governor Polis, I want to start with you. Many experts
point to robust contact tracing capacity as important for our
containment efforts, as I said. Do you believe that continued
increase in contact tracing capacity and building contact
tracing workforce, both in Colorado and across the Nation, is a
critical component to your response?
Governor Polis. Absolutely. A test is only as good as how
we can better isolate the individual and those who come into
contact with the individual. There's no proven, effective
clinical treatment for coronavirus. And, frankly, what most
doctors will tell somebody who tests positive is you go home
and get better. If you need hospitalization, don't hesitate to
get hospitalized.
So, really, the benefit from testing, because we're, of
course, encouraging people to self-isolate who are sick, is
twofold: of course, identifying asymptomatic cases that are
positive, and then, of course, tracing who came in contact with
somebody who was contagious at a certain period of time, so
that we can have targeted isolations and quarantines, so
certain people--or perhaps placing people who work in a common
workplace are isolated for 14 days, rather than the societywide
quarantines and isolations, which are devastating for our
economy as well as our psychological health and our society.
So that's really the goal with increased tracking and
tracing.
Mr. Kennedy. And, Governor, what obstacles are you
confronting in trying to staff up the necessary personnel
that's needed to do this?
Governor Polis. I would say two, but certainly, we know how
to do it. There's really two. One is time, meaning it's not
something that you can turn on. You have to train people. You
have to get them up to speed. We wish that we could have had
this a month ago, right, but we are working very hard. We've
doubled the number of epidemiologists in our State.
The second is money, right? And some of that was in the
CARES Act, some of that is in the HEROES Act. But, absolutely,
especially given the enormous, devastating cuts to State
budgets, if we're serious about increasing tracking and
tracing, there'll need to be a Federal role in partnering with
States to do that.
Mr. Kennedy. And so, Governor Hutchinson, you had stated in
your testimony to the Testing Advisory Group that you formed in
mid-April that there are four recommendations, including
expanding contact tracing. What challenges have you faced in
trying to ramp up those capacities, and what else do you need?
Governor Hutchinson. Well, thank you. And Governor Baker
and the team there in Massachusetts have done a very good job,
setting a good example for the Nation. But in terms of the
challenges, there's many. It is the training. It takes a little
bit of a unique personality to be able to call somebody up and
start asking questions about, ``Who have you been in contact
with over the last few days, and give us that information, and,
by the way, you need to quarantine and isolate yourself, and
we're going to check with you every day.''
That takes some training to be able to handle those calls,
because it's a very sensitive area, and it's very critical. And
I think, as time goes on, you're going to get more resistance
to that, because, if we have 250 cases, that could mean that
close to a thousand people are going to have to isolate or
quarantine once you do your contact tracing, and that is a huge
hit on people's lives, and they're going to have some pushback
if you--as we go through this.
But it's absolutely essential to do it, so it is the
training. Obviously, we're utilizing some CARES Act funding to
beef that up. You need the right people. And we're looking at
some private contracts to help us, because when we get an
immunization for this, we're probably going to have to scale
back quickly, and we're going to be beefing up for thousands of
workers, and a contract might be a useful tool to use.
Mr. Kennedy. Thank you, Governor.
And real quick, Governor Whitmer--I've only got about 30
seconds left--I'm curious, from your perspective here--and,
again, there's a very--you know, heavy urban parts of your
State, there are rural parts of your State, have you seen a
difference in terms of engagement there, urban role, with
regards to contact tracing? You know, what can we do to support
you?
Governor Whitmer. Sure. What I will just add to what
they've said in the last 10 seconds here is technology. We have
to get people to answer the phone. Our ability to test and
isolate and trace is dependent on people feeling comfortable to
share information and to be honest. Not that there's a penalty
with being honest. So, basically, would be a helpful thing on
top of a robust campaign federally to get people tested and to
get them to answer the phone when we start the tracing.
Mr. Kennedy. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you, all.
Goodbye.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you.
The Chair now recognizes Congressman McKinley for 5
minutes.
Mr. McKinley. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Governor Whitmer, I'm going to direct my questions all to
you, and I've got three questions, and then, after you can
answer those, and I've got a followup after that.
Governor Whitmer, you have been openly critical in the
media of the Trump administration's response to the pandemic.
With all due respect, let's take a hard look at some of the
actions that the Trump administration and CDC have accomplished
in chronological order.
On January 7, they established a coronavirus incident
management system. On January 17, they began implementing
screening at three U.S. airports. On the 21st, they activated
emergency operations center. On January 31, the Trump
administration declared the coronavirus a public health
emergency. Then, following, on March 12, the World Health
Organization declared that COVID-19 is a pandemic. The
following day, the President declared a national emergency.
But, Governor, you hesitated, and, according to the Detroit
Free Press, you waited till March 26 to ask for a Federal
disaster declaration from the President. So, by the time you
asked for that declaration on March 26, 12 other States had
already requested and had been approved for that, and almost 60
Michigan residents had died of COVID-19.
So--and this is a two-part question there. Governor, do you
regret not acting sooner? And, secondly, remember that 12 other
States had already acquired disaster declarations. Do you think
Michigan should have been put in the front of the line and
ahead of these other States relative to the Federal stockpile,
the SNS?
Second question. Governor Whitmer, on March 27, you told
radio station WWJ 950 that Michigan was in trouble getting the
equipment they needed because you allege that the Federal
Government was telling vendors--the Federal Government was
telling vendors not to honor the contract they had with
Michigan. These are serious violations--or allegations.
Governor, will you release the names of who those vendors were?
And then the third question. Governor, according to The
Washington Post, more than 25,000 nursing home residents and
more than 4,000 nursing home staff have died nationally. That's
25 percent of all the COVID patients. And as of Friday, at
least 1,216 nursing home residents have died from COVID in
Michigan, which is about a quarter of your State's total. Other
States have instituted mandatory testing of nursing home
residents and staff, but apparently you have not. Why not,
Governor?
Could you answer those questions, please?
Governor Whitmer. Congressman, thank you for raising these
questions. And with all due respect, I'm not going to go toe to
toe with you on every allegation that you've alleged. I will
say this, though, the United States lost valuable time in the
early days of COVID-19 when we could have been planning, when
there could have been a national strategy, when the use of the
DPA could have been used, not for meat production but for
swabs, which we still don't have enough of.
What we know in this country is that the enemy is not one
another, it's a virus, and the virus doesn't stop at State line
and it doesn't stop at party line. We have to band together to
address the crisis that has ravaged our Nation, that has killed
over 100,000 Americans, that has unemployed 40 million
Americans. Until we get our arms around the health crisis, the
economic crisis will be longer and deeper, and that's precisely
why we have to get this right.
Now, when I went to the media and I was talking about the
fact that, because the Federal Government did not have these
supplies, we were told to procure them on our own, I started
contracting globally. I never imagined I would have to create a
global procurement office in the middle of my State emergency
operation center, but that's what we did. And as our contracts
were coming due, we were getting calls saying that they were
going to be delayed or they were going to be canceled. I
acknowledged that publicly.
You know what? Republican Governors have acknowledged that
same thing. For whatever reason, I've gotten the criticism for
raising that, but I am not alone in that experience. And I
would direct you to speaking with other Governors to
acknowledge that, when we are procuring these on our own, we
necessarily start bidding against one another. And guess who
tops all of our contracting ability? It's the Federal
Government.
So, while Michigan was heating up and exponential growth
was happening here, it was the Federal Government that was
where our supplies were getting delayed and distracted to, and
that's why I was calling on help, because we had one shift's
worth of PPE at that time.
Ms. DeGette. The gentleman's time's expired.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Ruiz for 5 minutes.
Mr. Ruiz. Thank you very much, Chair.
I appreciate everybody being here today. This is very
informative and very much needed.
Riverside County, the county in which my district resides,
like so many others have seen, that the impacts of this
pandemic have disproportionately and adversely affected
vulnerable communities--communities of color, low wealth,
resource-poor communities, and our immigrant communities. Black
and Latinx individuals are contracting COVID-19, being
hospitalized due to COVID-19, and are dying from COVID-19 at
rates that are as much as four times greater than their share
of the population in the city or the State.
My question to the Governors joining us today seek to find
out what actions your States are taking to increase access to
COVID-19 testing and care for these marginalized communities
that have taken the brunt of the pandemic.
Governor Whitmer, in your testimony, you mentioned the
staggering disproportionate rate of deaths from COVID-19 among
Black Michiganders. You established the Michigan Coronavirus
Task Force on Racial Disparities, dedicated to Skylar Herbert,
to study the causes, impacts of COVID-19, and make
recommendations to address these related racial inequities.
How will the task force's findings and recommendations be
incorporated into Michigan's response to support a more
equitable system for ensuring access to COVID-19 testing and
care?
Governor Whitmer. Congressman, thank you so much for your
question. I appreciate the nature of it, and I think that, in
light of everything that is transpiring in our country today,
it's incredibly important that we talk about the racial
inequities inherent in COVID-19 and also inherent in our
criminal justice system and, frankly, beyond.
That's precisely why I asked the Lieutenant Governor to
chair this task force, so that we can get our best minds around
the table to understand how do we improve outcomes in the
health realm for people, but also taking the lessons from this
and using them to drive the policy agenda that we're going to
pursue as well.
There's no question that COVID-19 has amplified preexisting
social inequities that are tied to race, class, and access to
our healthcare system, but we also know that communities of
color, frankly, are frequently the ones that are unable to have
the financial luxury to work from home, to stay on the front
lines during our pandemic, don't have the kind of money to go
and buy 3 weeks' worth of groceries, necessitating more and
frequent trips. They don't have access to neighborhoods that
might be in--you know, safe environmentally. And so these are
all aspects to the lessons that we're seeing.
Mr. Ruiz. What exactly will the State do to remedy some of
these?
Governor Whitmer. So we know that there's not an overnight
solution, but we have gotten the process started, and it
includes your colleague. Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence is a
part of this effort, because it's important that all of these
lessons are taken not just in this moment, but to drive an
agenda that mends and heals this experience.
Mr. Ruiz. Governor Polis, communities of color in Colorado
have also experienced higher rates of COVID-19-related death
than their White neighbors. In your testimony, you mentioned
that Colorado's public health response is focused on protecting
the most vulnerable communities in your State. How does
Colorado plan to increase access to testing and care for these
communities of color and other vulnerable populations,
including by making sure it is affordable? And what do you
believe the Federal Government could be doing a better job in
helping your State and others address these disproportionate
impacts and systemic inequities?
And, also, Governor Polis, I just want to say we miss you
on the congressional Democratic baseball team.
Governor Polis. We miss you, too, Doctor. So, first of all,
we have over 45 free community testing sites across our State.
It's quick, it's easy, it's free. We've made clear in our
English and Spanish communications that no one asks about
citizenship or status. It's available for everybody. We have
widely marketed materials in English and Spanish, and we have
limited translation of materials into a number of other
languages. I've talked to a group of Somalis and folks the
other day, and we have some of the documents that are
translated into Somali. But the clear message is it's free,
it's easy, it's quick to get tested at any of the over 45 free
community testing sites.
In addition, we formed a task force on healthcare
disparities and are really working closely with Latino and
Black communities to really identify some of the systemic
issues that led to the different impact of COVID-19 as well as,
in this crisis, address how we can get better testing and care
out to minority communities.
Mr. Ruiz. Thank you.
I think this is a very important moment to pause and
reflect. In the future, when there are attempts to cut the
offices of minority health, to defund programs that look at
health disparities, or pipelines that help produce more
minority providers and public health experts, you know, many
people in the field have said that it has detrimental effects
on the actual health of human beings, and it is now no more
pronounced than in a pandemic, seeing the death rates due to
these chronic disparities that we need to address as a Nation.
Thank you very much.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Griffith for 5 minutes.
Mr. Griffith. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Earlier, I made a point of order relating to House
Resolution 965 and regulations promulgated by the chairman of
the House Rules Committee in accordance with that resolution.
While I don't care for House Resolution 965, it is important
that we strictly follow the letter of the resolution and the
regulations promulgated thereunder.
Today's hearing or proceeding is not the problem. These
witnesses are honest. The problem is that the regulations the
Rules chair promulgated are, at best, clumsy. If we have a
witness in the future who intentionally misleads this
subcommittee on a material fact, i.e., perjures themselves, as
an attorney, I am confident any attorney worth their salt would
successfully defend and have their bad actor found not guilty
of misleading us or perjuring himself.
I implore the majority reread the sections I mentioned and
rewrite the regulations. Don't read the resolution and the
regulations for what you meant them to say. Read them for what
they actually say.
Thank you, and I'm now going to go to questions.
Governor Hutchinson, in a paper released by committee
Republicans on testing and surveillance, we recommended that a
top priority should be testing nursing home and assisted living
residents and staff, whether symptomatic or not. Nursing homes
and other congregate living centers account for more than 40
percent of the COVID-19 deaths nationally, even though
residents at these facilities represent a fraction of a
percentage of the population.
It is my understanding that you have made a pledge to test
all nursing home residents and workers starting this month. Can
you explain this initiative and how it fits into your overall
testing strategy?
Governor Hutchinson. Well, thank you. And I appreciate the
committee report that emphasized the importance of this. And
the reason we're doing it in Arkansas is that, of course, this
is the most vulnerable population. We want to be able to keep
them safe, and with the staff going in and out of facilities as
necessary, we want them tested whether they're symptomatic or
asymptomatic. So that's a critical part of it.
It also will identify, you know, any residents that are
positive, and we can isolate them or take the protective
measures. I think it will be a great boon, and what we
ultimately want to get to is that we can once again have people
tested to go in and visit a family member. We've got to be able
to stop having total isolation of someone in a nursing home and
to let them come back, to be around their loved ones again, and
hopefully, through this testing process, we'll eventually be
able to get there.
Mr. Griffith. Well, and I appreciate that. I know somebody
whose loved one was in a nursing home, had some dementia, would
not--without their family there to encourage them, would not do
their therapy, and then subsequently, within a week or so, died
after they contacted me about the problem about getting in to
encourage them to do their therapy. So I know that that's
important.
Has the State established protocols for if a resident or
employee tests positive in order to prevent an outbreak, and,
if so, what protocols do you have at this point?
Governor Hutchinson. Well, of course, if an employee tests
positive, then they are isolated. They're quarantined. And, you
know, there's been a question as to whether a--somebody--a
staff person who tests positive should be able even to treat
and work with positive patients. And, early on, with
desperation, I think that was done in some isolated cases, but
we've got sufficient resources now that that should not be
done. That's not the ideal.
So they're simply isolated, and given, of course, the
health benefits. And they should be paid during that time.
Every worker who tests positive should not have an obstacle and
say, ``I'm not going to get tested because I might lose 14 days
of wages.'' And that's something that we need to continue to
do.
Mr. Griffith. Well, that's a really good point, and I
appreciate that.
As a note on some prior testimony, I would point out that
the Defense Procurement Act was, in fact, used to give funds to
Puritan Medical Products in Maine, and they are increasing
their swab production by 20 million, so they're doubling it
from 20 to 40 million. I think that's important.
Would you agree with that, Governor?
Governor Hutchinson. Absolutely. I mean, the Defense
Production Act has been utilized for the supply chain, and
that's been appropriate, and it's been quietly influenced by
the Federal Government as well as to where the hotspots are,
where the priorities are. And I would say that the use of
Defense Production Act in terms of the supply chain for food,
for poultry, for meat, that is essential. We cannot go to our
grocery stores in this environment, in this America, and not
have sufficient food for people who need that nourishment. And
so the supply chain, I'm glad that the President invoked it for
that purpose.
Mr. Griffith. And I agree and yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman.
The Chair now recognizes Ms. Kuster for 5 minutes.
You're going to need to unmute. There you go.
Ms. Kuster. Excuse me. We'll get the hang of it. I'm trying
to do two things at once with my testimony. My apology.
Thank you so much for being with us. I want to thank you.
This is not a partisan issue. We have a Federal delegation
here, Democratic delegation in New Hampshire, and a Republican
Governor, and we have struggled with all of the issues that
you've talked about with PPE and with testing and with
supplies.
I want to move to the next step, which is moving forward
about an even more dangerous second wave of COVID-19, along
with the flu, next fall or winter. CDC Director Dr. Redfield
has cautioned that a second wave of COVID-19 could be even more
dangerous.
Given the burdens that COVID-19 placed on the Nation's
public health and healthcare system, it's my belief that we
have a very brief window to learn from our past missteps that
you all have outlined regarding supplies and testing and PPE
and prepare for this second wave. And I wanted to say, not just
with regard to additional testing and care demands on our
providers, but also the vaccinations that we are going to need
across our country.
Governor Whitmer, I'd like to ask you, in light of the
COVID-19 testing challenges your State has faced, what
solutions can be applied in preparation for a potential second
wave of the virus to ensure that your progress is not undone?
Governor Whitmer. Congresswoman, thank you for the
question. I think that it's an important one. I know that,
while we've been through a tremendously difficult couple of
months, a second wave would be even more devastating, and
that's precisely why it's so important we get this right as we
think about reengagement.
It's also why I'm working with some of the best experts and
epidemiologists in the country to inform every step of the way,
also working with a bipartisan group of midwestern Governors to
share information about how we're phasing in our economies.
We've got to avoid a second wave at all costs, and ensuring
that there is robust access and utilization of a flu vaccine
and that people aren't putting off other vaccines that they are
due for is all a critical component to us being as strong as we
can going into the fall.
And it's also why things can't just flip a switch and
return to normal. We have to turn a dial and incrementally
reengage, knowing that, until we have a vaccine that is widely
available, we've go to wear masks and socially distance and be
really smart. But I think all of these pieces are why it's so
critical we make a data-driven, fact-based approach and listen
to the science, and build up our stores of testing and our
ability to trace and isolate.
Ms. Kuster. Well, I appreciate that, and particularly your
comments about a lack of a national strategy for testing. We
definitely need a national strategy for vaccination, and we had
some troubling testimony from Dr. Rick Bright in our committee
about the lack of national strategy and planning and
preparedness.
I want to ask you, Governor Polis, as the public health
workforce and healthcare providers focus on vaccination going
forward, I want to understand if you have lessons learned in
your State. And, particularly, I'm concerned about the
equitable distribution of vaccines once it's approved, and
particularly in lower-income communities, rural communities,
and, most especially, given the events of this week, in
communities of color, who we know have been disproportionately
impacted by COVID-19 with a much higher rate of death. And how
can we be certain that the vaccine, when it becomes available,
will be available in an equitable way in communities of color
and also rural communities in your State and across the
country?
Governor Polis. First, for the vaccines we have, namely the
flu vaccine, we're doing a major effort, heading into late
summer and fall, to increase our flu vaccine rates, because the
last thing we want is a resurgence in COVID patients coupled
with a worse than average flu season that would only contribute
to overwhelming our hospitals.
What's also important here is that we look at prioritizing
those who are most at risk from COVID-19 for vaccination when
we have the vaccine. The CDC has current guidelines for who is
at risk. It's 65 and up, and it's a number of other criteria
that they use. In our State, we added one, pregnant women,
because we don't yet know enough and out of precaution we
wanted to add pregnant women to the CDC list.
As that list is finalized, optimized, improved, that should
be the list for who gets vaccinated first, those who have a
much higher hospitalization rate and morbidity rate from COVID-
19, regardless of their economic circumstances. The virus does
not discriminate. It's based on the attributes, the age, and
the other preexisting conditions that people have.
Ms. Kuster. Thank you.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentlelady.
The Chair now recognizes Congresswoman Brooks for 5
minutes.
Mrs. Brooks. Thank you all so very much for being here and
for your leadership.
I want to build on a little bit talking about a second wave
and the confluence of potentially of opening schools. Schools
obviously had to close this year due to the virus, and while so
many students transitioned to online learning, we know that the
importance of reopening schools and getting kids back into
schools has to do with, you know, making sure they're
adequately fed, making sure that teachers can report child
abuse situations, having the opportunity to interact with their
classmates.
Can you talk about--I'll start with you, Governor
Hutchinson. Can you talk about your plans to reopen schools,
especially with the concern about a potential second wave? And
I'd like to hear about each of your--you know, each of your
plans for the reopening, the use of testing, and what your
State's game plan is. Governor Hutchinson?
Governor Hutchinson. Well, thank you, Congresswoman, and a
perfect question, because, as you point out, for many the
school environment is the safest environment for a child, and
we're really missing something when we don't have the in-
classroom instruction. And so we're very committed to opening
school next fall for those reasons, as well as that's the best
educational tool.
And we recognize, though, that there is--might have a
second wave. There might be positive tests, and so we're making
plans for a blended learning environment so that, if we have to
close for 2 days for cleaning the school or for other reasons,
we could go--shift very quickly to online instruction for a
couple of days, and then come back to the in-classroom
instruction. We're preparing that right now, but we're very
committed to having school next year.
And then, in terms of the testing site--and, by the way, I
am--the teachers, you know, some of those are going to be
vulnerable populations, and they're going to be a little bit
worried about this. We've still got to sort through to make
sure the teachers have the support that they need in that
environment. But we're going to have school. Testing is a big
part of that, and quick response to testing, tracing that, and
we're going to have it, though, because it's so critical.
Mrs. Brooks. Thank you so much.
Governor Polis, anything different that you and your State
are doing? As you know, my son has taught in Colorado.
Governor Polis. Yes, and we appreciate his work here.
You know, I expect that schools will largely be back in the
fall. And I use the word ``largely'' because it's certainly
possible there will be particular communities, particular
neighborhoods where there are outbreaks, and there might be
temporary measures, or some students might need to start
online.
And, as the Governor in Arkansas indicated, it's also
important to know that there will be interruptions for some
kids during the school year; namely, when there is a site-based
outbreak, kids will likely need to move to an online format for
a period of likely 2 weeks, so that there's time for the
incubation period, for people to get tested, and for people to
return.
So our teachers, our principals, our superintendents are
doing an amazing job under extraordinary circumstances. We--
they truly would not have been able to have done that work
without the CARES Act. I thank you and your colleagues for the
support. I encourage an additional round of support for our
schools during this very difficult period where they're
effectively being asked to, out of necessity, create a hybrid
way of doing things in tandem, knowing that, by and large, we
hope the kids are there and that they're back, but there could
absolutely be periods of time where they have to go online
temporarily.
Mrs. Brooks. Thank you.
Governor Whitmer, my son actually did a student teaching in
Hamtramck area.
Governor Whitmer. All right.
Mrs. Brooks. So just anything different that Michigan is
planning on doing relative to reopening and to prevent this
second wave of COVID in the fall, anything different?
Governor Whitmer. Well, so similar. I would just say this,
that, you know, the decision to take kids out of school I know
weighed as heavily on both of my colleagues here on this call
as it did on Governors across the country. And I am the reason
my daughter didn't have a graduation ceremony, and that's
tough. I'm hearing it in my own household. But the fact of the
matter is that science and the best information we had said
that that was the right thing to do.
We're now in a spot where we are impaneling a group to come
together and promulgate practices for reengagement this fall.
That is our hope and our plan. It might look differently than
it did before. We might have to drop class sizes or have
different additional protocols to keep people safe. But, like
my colleagues both just said, that is our goal, is to resume
some form of in-person instruction in the fall with greatly
increased testing.
Mrs. Brooks. Congratulations to your daughter.
Governor Whitmer. Thank you.
Mrs. Brooks. I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you,
Next, I'll recognize Congresswoman Castor for 5 minutes.
Congresswoman.
Ms. Castor. Yes. Thanks, Chair DeGette, and thanks to the
Governors for joining us today.
I want to ask a few questions about transparency in the
testing plans, and in the data reporting. I think we all
understand the key to safely reopening schools and our
businesses is going to be that widespread rapid testing, with a
diligent focus on our vulnerable neighbors, like in skilled
nursing centers.
After the administration kind of failed to play that
coordinating role early on with testing, testing supplies, the
Congress passed bipartisan direction spearheaded by a lot of
folks on this committee to direct HHS and the administration to
do a better job in developing a national testing strategy, in
partnership with States and local communities.
In the new law, it requires States to report a testing plan
back to HHS. It provides resources to States to help with that.
I'd like to know, did each of you submit your testing plan
details to HHS, and did you publicly release that to folks in
your State?
Governor Hutchinson. I can start. The answer is yes, we
have coordinated our testing plan. We have submitted our
testing plan. I'll have to check as to whether that's been
posted on the website, but we certainly are transparent about
that. We announce our goals continually as to what we want to
do testing-wise, and that will be part of it.
Ms. Castor. Governor Polis?
Governor Polis. Yes, we did submit that last Friday, and
we've offered to make our plan public. I don't know whether
it's been made public yet or not, but we've said that we will
do that.
Ms. Castor. And Governor Whitmer?
Governor Whitmer. The same for Michigan, yes. We did a
plan.
Ms. Castor. Did you release it to the public?
Governor Whitmer. I'm not sure if it is on the website. I'm
going to double-check right now.
Ms. Castor. OK, because there's some consternation because
the HHS, as I understand it, does not intend to release those
details publicly, so we're going to have to count on the States
to be transparent. I trust that you are doing that.
But we've had some other problems in reporting of public
health data across the country, and I'd like to get your advice
on how we standardize that data. For example, here in the State
of Florida, early on we had resistance at the State level on
reporting infections in nursing homes. Then we had medical
examiner data that was redacted by the State while we have
strong public record laws here in Florida that they're not
allowed to do that. So they finally--when we pointed that out,
they changed their tune.
And just last week, there was a story in Politico, they ran
an article that highlighted the fact that bad State data hides
the coronavirus threat as Trump pushes reopening. They quoted a
public health expert from Columbia University that really sums
it all up: ``All these stories about undercounts, overcounts,
miscounts are undermining our ability to deal with this
pandemic. The country,'' he says, ``is confronting an unheard-
of level of chaos in the data, the protocols, and the
information.''
Would you share with me how any challenges you've had in
the reporting of data, and what do you need from Congress to
boost the collection and reporting of data and working with us
to make sure it's standardized from State to State so we have a
true picture and are able to make informed decisions.
Governor Whitmer. I'll jump in. I absolutely support that
goal. I think that the frustration that the general public and
the Governors have and the like, as well as Members of
Congress, is making sure that we've got good, accurate, real-
time data. The data just simply around testing right now is
very confusing, because some States include serology tests
while others, like Michigan, are only doing the COVID-19
diagnostic testing in our data. That's just one of a plethora
of examples of how it's different across the Nation.
An additional challenge is, of course, we've got local
public health departments. So I've had to issue a number of
executive orders requiring that hospitals and those local
departments are, in real time, sharing data with the State. And
it is a challenge. But I think direction and articulation from
the Federal Government, along with additional support to ensure
that we can get this done, would go a long ways toward really
assessing where we are as a country and where we want to be.
Governor Polis. I would just--I certainly agree with that.
You can look at our extensive reporting at
covid19.Colorado.gov. I think all the States--certainly, I
speak for Colorado. I was very disappointed initially with the
level of data that I had as Governor.
We now have a lot more data, data on racial disparities,
data on who died of COVID versus just who had COVID and also
died as a comorbidity. We have data on who gets released from
hospitals. These are all areas that we lacked initially that we
have now. But we did it on our own, and I think the other
Governors did it on their own, and I don't think there's the
kind of standardization that we might like to compare apples to
apples across the States on all the data.
Governor Hutchinson. And I agree with that as well.
Hospitalizations is a good example, that those are
electronically reported in Arkansas, but I don't know that that
is the same nationally.
And then the other challenge is in the commercial labs. The
commercial labs, of course, we get delayed data. It could be 2
days, it could be however long it takes them to get the test
results back. And then sometimes we only get if it's a positive
test back and we don't get all the negative information. So
that transfer of information to our public health system is too
slow and not sufficient data.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentlelady. The Chair now
recognizes Mr. Duncan for 5 minutes.
Mr. Duncan. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I would like to
yield my time to Tim Walberg from Michigan.
Ms. DeGette. The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. Walberg. I thank the chairman. I thank Representative
Duncan for yielding me some time.
Let me go back to Governor Hutchinson, and it's good to see
you here. I have in-laws that retired down Mountain Home, and I
spend a lot of time on the White River trout fishing. I enjoy
that State.
Let me just ask this question: As a Governor--and I could
ask it to the other two as well--why should the Federal
Government be responsible for funding the actions of a State,
which are specifically not delegated to the Federal Government?
Governor Hutchinson. Well, thank you, Congressman, and come
back and fish the White River anytime.
In terms of the division of authority between the Federal
Government and the States, you know, I think it's been a fair
balance. I mean, we can all complain it got a little slow early
on, but, my goodness, in 90 days, we ramped up the supply chain
for one of the most massive investments in production on
healthcare supplies that we've seen in history.
And--but in terms of the funding side of it, I like the
flexibility that's been given to the States. It's been Federal
support with State flexibility, you know, Federal guidelines
where the State can manage it. And I like that. I like the fact
that we've had that flexibility.
I think, if you look at all the trend lines in the States,
you know, for the pandemic, every one of those is different.
You don't see it mirrored. Even within a State, you see
different trend lines in different regions. We have to be able
to have that flexibility.
Mr. Walberg. Thank you.
Governor Polis, good to see you again.
Governor Polis. Yes, thank you. I think the reality is, is
that, when there's an emergency, we all rise to the occasion.
And whether it's an emergency like Hurricane Katrina, whether
it's fires in California, Colorado sent many crews, we rally
together.
I think the unique nature of this emergency is we're in a
state of emergency the first time in our history, is my
understanding, in all 50 States in the Nation and the
territories. So there's an unprecedented need for collaboration
between the Federal Government and our State governments, but
in a sense it's no different than how we've always come
together as a Nation around national crises and emergencies.
Mr. Walberg. Governor Whitmer? Turn your mic.
Governor Whitmer. Thank you, Congressman.
I would concur with what my colleagues said. I would just
recognize that incredible challenges that States are
confronting right now are real, and it's universal. We in
Michigan have about a $3 billion hole in the current year
budget. It's bigger in next year's budget.
And as we look to where the bulk of State budgets are, we
know that it's in public health, public safety, and public
education, all of which are incredibly important in a global
pandemic. And so I think that's why it's--I think that's why
it's so important that we work together.
Mr. Walberg. Is somebody else on?
Ms. DeGette. Everybody needs to mute except the people
talking.
Mr. Walberg. I can get 3 seconds back there.
Governor Whitmer, how much of the Federal stimulus money
Michigan has received so far has your administration spent?
Governor Whitmer. A great question, Congressman. I know
I've got the answer right here. So at this juncture, I first
want to reiterate how grateful we are for the support that we
have gotten. With some of the Federal funding that's coming to
Michigan, we've spent, you know, a total of--if you just look
at provider relief funds, $900 million for hospitals; $326
million for rural healthcare providers; $1.2 billion for
disaster loans; total loans approved are 16,000 of them.
Mr. Walberg. Those are moneys you've spent or received?
Governor Whitmer. These are moneys that have been made
available to Michigan businesses, hospitals, and via
congressional relief legislation.
Mr. Walberg. I guess the question I have, of the $3.2
billion that I've seen that Michigan has received, quite a bit
of that hasn't been spent yet, and I'm wondering why they
haven't.
Governor Whitmer. Congressman, you know what, I'm happy to
follow up with you and give you a full accounting for each of
the expenditures that we've made on behalf of the people of
Michigan, so you've got that.
Mr. Walberg. Thank you. I look forward to that.
Governor Whitmer. Happy to.
Mr. Walberg. I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman. The Chair now will
recognize Congressman Tonko for 5 minutes. You need to unmute.
We still don't hear you.
Mr. Tonko. Can you hear me now?
Ms. DeGette. Yes, thank you.
Mr. Tonko. OK. Thank you, Chair and ranking member, for
what is a very, very important topic, and thank you for all the
information that people have exchanged.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, States have faced
immense challenges in obtaining testing supplies and other
critical medical equipment such as swabs, masks, gowns, and
gloves.
The Trump administration has left States to battle each
other for scarce supplies on the private market rather than
leading a centralized national effort. As a result, States have
been forced to outbid each other for medical equipment while
scrambling to find new suppliers. This has led to higher
prices, costly delays, inefficient allocations, and widespread
confusion.
And so, Governor Polis, it's good to see you. And can you
describe the challenges Colorado has faced in competing against
other States for critical medical supplies?
Governor Polis. Yes. We have to compete against global
demand for personal protective equipment, also for testing. And
I think it's to be expected that we compete against other
nations. What the surprise element is here, is we're competing
against other States, and sometimes even our own Federal
Government.
So I think, as a Nation, all 50 States and our territories
really need to be able to coordinate, in a more effective way,
local distribution, local autonomy, but coordination with
regard to acquisition so that we're not costing one another
more by bidding up prices in competition with one another.
Mr. Tonko. Are there other things that the Federal
Government could better support in regard to State efforts to
procure medical supplies and ensure that, you know, some of
these mistakes aren't repeated?
Governor Polis. Yes. I think that we should have a lot of
learning from this and really make sure that we have a way
where there is a transparent way of distributing personal
protective equipment to the States, and a collective way where
we can know what we're getting, when we're going to get it, and
coordinating the purchasing with the advantages of the scale at
the Federal level and the advantages of us not bidding against
one another to ultimately get a worse deal for taxpayers than
we would get if we simply coordinated.
Mr. Tonko. Thank you.
Governor Whitmer, welcome. Your testimony also identifies
hurdles your State has faced in obtaining medical supplies, and
I'll quote from your testimony: ``The lack of centralized
coordination at the Federal level created a counterproductive
competition between States and the Federal Government to secure
limited supplies, driving up prices, and exacerbating existing
shortages.''
So, Governor, is the lack of a centralized Federal
coordination effort still limiting Michigan's ability to
reliably secure medical supplies today?
Governor Whitmer. Yes. And I'll just talk about one very
simple piece of the test, which is a swab. Swabs are absolutely
essential to conduct the test. Right now in Michigan, we have
the capacity to do about 25,000 tests a day, but we've never
come close to hitting that capacity because we need this item.
The Federal Government has offered--and we're grateful for
the commitment--to send us these materials, but oftentimes
these shipments don't reflect what we expect or the diversity
of types of swabs that we need. I talk about swabs so much,
it's--I never thought that I would be focused on something,
such a simple implement, and yet each of these different COVID
tests can use different types of swabs. And so, when we expect
180,000 swabs, diverse swabs, and we get 180,000 foam swabs,
we're grateful for the foam swabs, but it means we can't do
those tests that require the other types of swabs.
I've talked to my counterparts, some of whom have literally
gotten Q-tips, which are unusable in COVID-19 tests, and they
were being counted as swabs. That's not been Michigan's
experience, thankfully, and we're grateful for those swabs, but
we need that kind of robust diversity in the implements so that
we can live up to this opportunity to hit that 25,000 capacity.
And so, until there's a centralized procurement and
allocation with real-time information about what's coming so
that we can do our planning, it's going to be hard for us to
hit those numbers that we all know are necessary to
understanding how vast COVID-19 is so we can prevent the
spread.
Mr. Tonko. Thank you so much, Governor. Look, it's obvious
that States were essentially left to fend for themselves,
fighting for limited medical supplies with little Federal help.
And I believe the Trump administration must provide leadership
to ensure every State is able to secure the medical supplies it
desperately needs, which is why I have consistently urged this
administration to make robust use of the Defense Production
Act. And, as we move forward, the mistakes of these last 3
months simply cannot be repeated.
And, with that, Madam Chair, I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman. The Chair now
recognizes Congressman Sarbanes for 5 minutes.
Mr. Sarbanes. Thanks very much, Madam Chair. Can you hear
me?
Ms. DeGette. Yes. Yes, we can. Thank you.
Mr. Sarbanes. Great. Well, I want to thank the Governors on
the call today. Thank you for the work that you're doing very
much on the front line of this pandemic.
My question is about antibody testing, because obviously,
it has a certain allure to it, this notion that people can
discover whether they got the infection, have overcome it, and
are now in a more robust, potentially immune position.
So it's a very appealing concept, but the Centers for
Disease Control, and I think a lot of others in the public
health arena, are being very cautious about the wide deployment
of it and reliance on it.
But it must be something that's getting discussion on your
teams, as Governors, and you must be looking at it and trying
to figure out is there an appropriate role. At what point will
you feel that the antibody testing that's available has reached
a level of reliance that you want to make it part of your
strategy, if you've not done that already? As we head into the
reopening, there's certainly a role to be played by antibody
testing, if that can be done, again, responsibly.
So I just would love to get your take, because I know
there's some nervousness, and appropriately so, about it, and I
also know, frankly, that it's getting deployed in a very uneven
fashion, not just from official sources, but, you know, medical
folks out there who have access to some of these tests and are
providing them.
So, if you could speak to that. Maybe we'll start with
Governor Whitmer and go to Governor Polis and then Governor
Hutchinson.
Governor Whitmer. Sure, I appreciate the question. I think
it's really important. Serology testing is going to be an
incredible long-term asset. Right now, we've got a number of
academic partners here in Michigan that are working to develop
serology studies so that we can assess the prevalence of COVID-
19 in the State.
Given the capabilities and the current limitations of
testing at this point, our experts are telling us it's most
appropriate toward identifying individuals who had a COVID-19
infection at some point and giving them the test so that we can
really study the efficacy of serology. But we believe that this
is going to be a critical component of a long-term strategy,
and we're hopeful that, as these tests improve in their
efficacy, that we can deploy them widely.
Mr. Sarbanes. Thank you.
Governor Polis.
Governor Polis. Yes. And to be clear, the priority now for
testing is who is contagious now, who has active viral count
now and might be contagious, and how do we isolate them. The
serology has significant medium- and long-term benefits, but
the biggest ones depend on the emerging scientific body of
knowledge around what degree of protection antibodies provide,
and how long they provide that protection for.
There does seem to be general scientific consensus that
there is additional protection that is conferred by antibodies,
but the big unknown--and it makes a major difference in terms
of the impact of who's had it and who hasn't--is it 70 percent
protection? Is it 99 percent protection? Does it last 3 months?
Does it last 6 months? These are the unknown factors that we
expect science to answer in the coming weeks and months. But in
the meantime, that limits the impact of knowing whether people
have had it or not.
The second factor that we've had problems you're probably
aware of, is there are a number of low-quality, high-error-rate
serological testing that are out there in the marketplace. I
think that the marketplace is beginning to sort itself out. The
higher-quality validated methods of antibody testing are now
being used, but there's still some dicey results out there from
unreliable tests.
Mr. Sarbanes. Governor Hutchinson, I want to give you a
chance to respond as well.
Governor Hutchinson. Well, I agree with what the comments
of my fellow Governors. We've taken the approach that this is
critical probably for the fall. We want--we're already starting
to invest in that through our University of Arkansas Medical
Sciences to develop an antibody test, but we believe that the
scientific body of knowledge will improve. We think the cost
will go down.
And so we want to wait for the right time to have the right
technology and the best science before we really go full-blown
with that. So it's a part of the future, but it's not the
short-term future. Right now, we're concentrating on the COVID
test.
Mr. Sarbanes. Well, I appreciate that, and I think we're
all right to be somewhat cautious about this. It does have
great promise for our strategy in response to the pandemic. I
think the emphasis rightly remains on the diagnostic test and
making sure that that's as widely available and supported as
possible, with all of the different means and supplies that
need to go with that effort. So I appreciate the testimony
you've all given with respect to the need for the diagnostics,
and we'll continue to obviously emphasize that as well.
And, with that, I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman.
The Chair now represents Congressman Peters for 5 minutes.
Mr. Peters. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thanks to all the
witnesses, the Governors, for being here.
I wanted to start with Governor Hutchinson. Your testimony
highlighted how your State has successfully used Federal funds
from the CARES Act to provide $147 million to Arkansas
businesses to invest in equipment and supplies needed to reopen
safely.
I want to ask you, because you've been in Congress before,
so you've been both a Governor and in Congress. And from the
other side of the aisle, I want to sort of ask you--you touched
on this--but what do you think are the most effective ways for
States to be collaborating with the Federal Government on State
response, and what would you like to see more of from the
Federal Government that you haven't seen?
Governor Hutchinson. Well, thank you for the question. And
I do think that, when it comes to rolling out the vaccine that
we all hope and pray we get before the end of the year or as
soon as possible, that we do have some good national guidelines
that will help us, and they're going to have to help guide the
distribution of those vaccines. And so that's an important part
of it.
I think, you know, in terms of the CARES Act, the
flexibility they give to the States is good. I think they do
need to give us a little more flexibility to help our cities
and counties with the existing funding. That's sort of a gap
that we have, and so I hope that that can be addressed.
You know, a question was asked before about how we use our
CARES Act funding. We actually do intentionally want to reserve
part of that for the fall, because there's going to be
emergencies that come up. We don't want to spend it all early.
We do want to be able to save some of that for emergent needs
that we'll see then.
Mr. Peters. Thank you, Governor.
I want to ask Governor Whitmer, thank you for your work and
for your leadership. And just so you know, I'm originally from
Southfield, so I'm a Michigander by, anyway, being raised as a
Michigander.
In your testimony, you've mentioned that you've encountered
transparency issues when coordinating with the Federal
Government on testing supplies, and on transparency, stated
that supplies could be allocated more quickly if a more
detailed breakdown was provided, and if supplies were shipped
at a regular cadence. This is a little bit different than
setting up States versus States. This is about knowing what's
coming.
Can you elaborate on how the lack of transparency
surrounding supplies has affected your State's response
efforts, and some specific areas where you'd like to see
greater transparency from the Federal Government, Governor
Whitmer?
Governor Whitmer. Sure, Congressman, and you're making
Southfield proud. I just wanted to highlight--I think--I gave
the example of the swab shipment that we were expecting. We are
grateful--and I always want to start with that--we are grateful
for every ounce of support that we've gotten, and FEMA Region V
has been really good to work with.
The issue I think that has made it hard for us to hit our
goals is that, when we are expecting shipments, they don't
reflect what we are planning for. And so, we find when they get
here that it's very different, and so we have to rearrange the
plan, which takes time, and undermines our ability to do--you
know, to execute our plan.
And so, really, it is about making sure that the shipments
are coming fast, that they're accurate in terms of what we're
expecting, and that the cadence is, you know, predictable. We
wanted to plan. For the month of May, we were promised a number
of things, and 90 percent of it has come in. It hasn't come in
at the right cadence, and what's come in has been a little
different than what we expected. And so each of those makes it
challenging for us to execute and to do all of these diagnostic
testings that we so desperately need to do. So that's what I'm
referring to when I made those comments in my opening remarks.
Mr. Peters. I think a lot of us are frustrated that the
stockpiling and domestic production hasn't been robust enough
to deal with something like this, even though we heard years
ago that we should expect this. But it seems very simple to be
very clear about what's coming and what's not coming. That's a
frustration for a lot of folks, that information doesn't cost
anything. Organization doesn't cost anything. We should be
doing a better job at the Federal level, and we certainly would
ask that from the administration.
And, Governor Polis, I'm running out of time, but I just
want to say thanks for your leadership. I've noticed how you've
struggled with the pressures of reopening, but you've stuck to
science and allowed your State to be flexible, based on
conditions across the State. We're seeing some of that in
California as well. And we can talk more at length about the
Federal Government's support of you in the future, but I wish
you all a lot of luck, and thank you for being here today.
I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. I thank the gentleman.
Governor Hutchinson, we know that you have to leave us, and
we really appreciate your presence today and your wise words.
Do you have any final words for us, what we can do to help your
State, as a Congress, going forward?
Governor Hutchinson. First of all, thank you for your
courtesies today. Thank you for the bipartisan way in which
you're looking at this important national issue.
In terms of the future, I would just urge everyone to look
at the future, and what we can do to get it right. There's
going to be a time that we're going to have to rehash all of
this and learn from it, but, you know, it's about being able to
get ready for the fall and working together for it. So thank
you very much for the opportunity today.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you, Governor. We look forward to
continuing to work with you, too.
We are now pleased to be joined by several members of the
full committee who are not members of the Oversight and
Investigations Subcommittee, and I'm happy to go to them.
First, we are going to recognize Congressman Bilirakis, who has
been waiting very patiently, for 5 minutes. Congressman.
Mr. Bilirakis. Thank you. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I appreciate it, and I thank the ranking member and the
Governors. It's really incredible that they've taken all this
time since 11 o'clock to be here.
I have a question, and then I have some prepared questions
for the two Governors. With regard to the unemployment
benefits, across the State we have a set amount, every State
has a different set amount, and then we get the additional $600
from the Federal Government under the CARES program, as you
know.
But if--I know we're having some trouble with our small
businesses actually getting the employees, the former employees
back who are on unemployment, and I know that there's--the
State actually controls this. There's a mechanism of law on the
books, so that the employer would request that the employee
come back to work. And if they don't come back to work, I
understand that they're not eligible for the employment
benefits.
Is that--and we can start with Governor Whitmer. Is that
being enforced in your particular State of Michigan?
Governor Whitmer. So, yes. So one of the things that we
have done is to ensure that we've made use of all of the CARES
Act dollars, the extra $600. We've been able to meet the needs
of over 1.6 million workers in Michigan. Our historic
unemployment is real.
But I think one of the great things that we have available
to us is the Work Share program, and it's one of the best
programs that has been embraced in Michigan. We've been working
with small business, so that they can avail themselves of this.
It's an opportunity to provide unemployment benefits to help
make up for lost wages in the event that workers aren't back at
full capacity, and so to meet that gap in pay. And it's been
something that's really been a win-win for workers and for
business, and for the State, because we get fewer people on
full unemployment.
And so, right now, we've got over 700 businesses taking
advantage of this, 50,000 employees who are benefiting. The
businesses can retain their skilled workforce and kind of at a
lesser level, but pay them as well as they were before. And,
so, this is something that's really been a good tool. I know
that there are more than 20 States that haven't done something
like this, and that's a way that we can help get people back
into the workforce as businesses are coming back online.
Mr. Bilirakis. Governor Polis?
Governor Polis. Yes, I would just add that, for people that
are at risk, if they are 65 and up and in the workforce, or if
they have a preexisting condition, they should not necessarily
yet return in many places to a job where they have interactions
with the general public.
And so, we want to make provisions where they are able to,
if UI is appropriate, or if they can be reassigned to a
position that doesn't interface with the public or they can
telecommute. For those who have added risk, it's important that
we make every possible accommodation.
Mr. Bilirakis. OK. And I really appreciate the bill that
was passed in the House in a bipartisan fashion to give the
businesses the flexibility from 8 weeks to 24 weeks. But I
think this is a problem, and, you know, we want to make sure
that we protect the future employees as well, because, you
know, the current law says that after July 31st the
unemployment runs out.
So I just want to make sure that our States are enforcing
the laws on the books to make sure if they're able employees,
and they can work, that they have to get back to work instead
of, you know, collecting the unemployment benefits.
I have another question here for the Governors. The
Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act
included $11 billion for States and local governments for
purposes related to the COVID-19 testing, including support for
use by employers or in other settings.
Are you planning to use any of the funds that your State
receives, under this provision, to help employers with expenses
related to the COVID-19 testing? So we'll start off with
Governor Polis, since I can see you here.
Governor Polis. Well, so, a lot of that is going to the
critical COVID response, as was the intent of Congress. A lot
of those costs are being borne by county health departments, by
municipalities. Congress directly allocated money to the very
largest of the municipalities, I think we only have one in our
State and a few counties that are very large, and yet many of
the smaller counties also had those expenses. Additional
eligible expenses were also incurred by our schools, by our
community colleges, and we're prioritizing those that have been
in kind of the front line of the expenses with regard to the
COVID-19 response.
Mr. Bilirakis. Governor Whitmer, please?
Governor Whitmer. I think that I would echo what Governor
Polis just said. Thank you.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you. The gentleman's time has expired.
The Chair now recognizes Congresswoman Dingell for 5 minutes.
Unmute, Deb.
Mrs. Dingell. I want to thank all of you for being here
today. And I know the hour is getting late, and you've got
better things to do, but it's really important because this is
the first time the House has really heard from the Governors.
So I want to ask you a broader question, because we all need to
know this.
I know from my Governor--I love you, Jared, but I talk to
my Governor a lot, because that's what I'm there to do--are in
desperate need for more relief. I know she's working with our--
I want to hear from both of you, but she's working with our
State legislature on critical budget needs now.
Can you talk about the urgent need for more funding for the
States, the counties, and the cities to make up for lost
revenue? And what would happen if Congress doesn't provide you
with more direct relief to the States, to the counties, and the
cities? And I guess, Jared, forgive me, I'm going to go to my
Governor first. But you're handsome. He is.
Governor Whitmer. We can agree on that. That is unanimous.
OK.
So I do appreciate the question. I think that it's really
important. You know, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our State
budgets, and we have about a $6.2 billion total loss in the
current fiscal year and next. It's a crisis unlike anything
we've seen before, and it is all associated with the public
health crisis.
Every Governor, regardless of affiliation, we're working
with the NGA to make sure that you in Congress understand the
plight that we are all confronting. The numbers show that we
need flexibility. We need additional support from the Feds if
we're going to continue saving lives and reengage our economy
and provide critical services to the people of our States.
We can't do this alone. We need Federal Government
partnership here. And I think the bottom line is, we really
need additional flexibility and additional resources. We, none
of us would want the people that stayed on the front line and
put themselves in harm's way to take care of everyone else to
bear the brunt of these budget shortfalls. And when the biggest
parts of our budgets are consumed by public health, public
safety, and public education, those are those front-line heroes
that we want to support, not undermine. And, obviously, the
health of our economies depends on us being able to balance
these budgets so we can continue to make the right decisions
for the right reasons in our States all across the country.
Mrs. Dingell. Thank you, Governor.
Governor Polis.
Governor Polis. Yes. We were certainly grateful for the
help in the CARES Act. I honestly don't know where we would be
to address these enormous response costs that our local
agencies have had without the CARES Act money.
We also would be extremely appreciative of the help that's
in the HEROES Act, in some form, reaching the President's desk,
because I can tell you it's very challenging for States. Unlike
the Federal Government, we have a balanced budget requirement.
States are not able to borrow. We would have enormous cutbacks
at a time when many Colorado families could afford it the
least, in necessary social services, our social safety net.
Medicaid expansion would be in jeopardy if not for FMAP and
increased assistance. So it's really a critical time for the
Federal Government to step up, protect the most vulnerable, and
protect our future by supporting our schools.
Mrs. Dingell. So thank you for that answer. I have one--and
we don't have that much time, but I'm very worried about a
return, seeing spikes again. I'm out and people aren't wearing
masks. They're not keeping physical distance. They're not
listening to what you all are saying and the doctors are
saying. I'm very worried about the lack of PPE equipment. We've
got a several weeks supply right now, but if we have another
spike, I'm worried what will happen in the country again, and I
could go through another list.
What do you both think Congress needs to be doing right now
to help prepare for the fall? I'll go to you first, Governor
Polis, since I did it the other way last time.
Governor Polis. Yes, I'll start. You know, and we're not
even through the first wave. There's areas of the country, and
certainly in Colorado, areas of our State that have an
increase, have outbreaks that, for a couple of weeks, have been
going on. Most of our State has been going down, but there, you
know, are several areas across our State that have been going
up, and across the country.
So the first wave isn't over. It's still--while the overall
trends are getting better, it's still on the uptick in a number
of places. Mask wearing is absolutely critical, and modeling
mask wearing at all levels of civil society, including people
that have a soapbox like yourselves as you serve in Congress. I
certainly model mask-wearing also, because, by the way, I want
to protect myself and my family, but I also want to model it
for the general public.
And, of course, building social distancing into how we do
work. I applaud the United States Congress for doing that and
not putting yourselves and your staffs at risk by having to do
things the old-fashioned way, the normal way, and bring
everybody together in a room. We're able to have this
conversation in just as effective a way while being safe. Our
State legislature has taken similar efforts as well.
Governor Whitmer. I'll just say ditto. I know we're out of
time, but I think Jared--Governor Polis articulated very well
what it is, that we need to not let our guard down. We have to
learn to live with COVID-19 and change our culture around how
we personally conduct ourselves. And it starts with mask
wearing and it continues with social distancing. And the
consistent, medically accurate information needs to come from
everyone with a platform.
Mrs. Dingell. Thank you.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you, Congresswoman Dingell.
Congressman Walberg, 5 minutes more.
Mr. Walberg. Well, thank you. And it's good to be the
Michigan token on this side of the aisle, and it's good to be
here with our Governor, with Debbie Dingell and myself as well.
I wish we could all fly back on the same plane I'm flying back
on. And I say that also, I have my mask here. But I think--I
truly think we could be here in Congress working in Washington
on a lot of issues. So this will be second best, and we're
using it as best possible, so I'm glad that I had time yielded.
Just point out as with some other statements that were made
prior to this round of questioning from me, I notice here the
facts that there are 32 States withholding funds from city and
local governments. And, Governor Whitmer, I see that Michigan
is one of those States. And I know that you've mentioned the
$6.2 billion shortfall that's coming.
I would hope that you wouldn't expect that other States who
have opened up their economies, including those just south of
us, let alone States like Georgia and Florida--and I could go
through the list, including Asa Hutchinson's, who never shut it
down--should be expected to help pick up our shortfall. I would
hope that that wouldn't be the case.
But in the meantime, with the funds that have been given to
the States from the Federal Government in the CARES Act, et
cetera, I would hope that those funds would be used for the
purposes intended, and the flexibility that you do have. And
it's not ultimate. I don't think it should be an ultimate
flexibility with Federal dollars coming, but I wonder why
Michigan is one of those States--and I'll give you a chance to
answer that--that is withholding funds from our local
communities.
Governor Whitmer. Thank you, Congressman. And you know
what, we've spent quite a bit of time on this call together. We
should you do that in person when you come home to Michigan.
Mr. Walberg. I wish we could fly back together.
Governor Whitmer. OK, wow. I'm always here. I don't leave
Michigan very often.
You know, one of the things that, if you wanted to be
helpful and lobby our Republican legislature and work with me,
I'm sure we can move a lot of those dollars quicker. That's one
of the things that is happening. I had a conversation with our
quadrant this morning, and we are determined to make sure that
we utilize the dollars that Congress has sent to Michigan in a
smart way that really gets to people and improves, you know,
our plate here in Michigan.
With regard to, you know, our unique reaction to COVID-19,
our unique experience with COVID-19, as you recall, just a
couple of months ago, our numbers were exponentially
increasing, like New York's were, and Louisiana. We were on a
trajectory that put Michigan with the third-highest number of
cases and deaths in the Nation. It is something, as Americans,
everyone who's confronted COVID-19 should be able to expect our
government to step up and to help us. It shouldn't be
disproportionate, based on which State you're in, which party
your Governor is in. Every one of us should have that
expectation. And I know that our congressional delegation is
working incredibly hard to ensure that everyone in our State
gets the kind of support that we need, and for that I am really
grateful.
Mr. Walberg. Respectfully, Governor, our Federal Government
did step up and help Michigan as well with significant dollars.
And I could go through the listing of all that came your way as
an administration, to the legislature, and to the citizens as
well, but they have to be spent well.
And I think, as you've talked very clearly--and, again,
this is our first effort through this type of pandemic. I get
that, and I want to be respectful of that. But other States
have done it in such a way they didn't have that type of spike.
Other States did not put COVID patients back in nursing homes
until just recently. And I appreciate the fact that just
yesterday, you opened our State up more, including the lower
part of Michigan's peninsulas.
But we have settings here where it's been a great amount of
disparity. While we have big box, grocery, convenience,
lottery, marijuana, adult novelty stores open, appointment now
for auto dealers, retail, restaurants and bars, yet barbers,
hair salons, movie theaters, gyms, exercise, unless it's done
outside, are still not open. And that's the economy. That grows
our economy. We can't deal with that $6.2 billion shortfall if
we don't grow our own economy in Michigan.
So, Governor, I want to be a help, certainly, but I think
we have to do what the data says from other States as well.
They're doing it more effectively. I see my time has ended, so
I guess I'll have to yield back.
Governor Whitmer. Chair DeGette, am I permitted to respond
to that?
Ms. DeGette. I'll allow a brief answer.
Mr. Walberg. I certainly would allow.
Governor Whitmer. I would just say that, Congressman, you
know that Michigan has had a uniquely hard time with COVID-19,
and we have needed help from the Federal Government. And when
we were living on literally one shift's worth of masks, we were
in desperate times, and that's why we had to take aggressive
actions
Mr. Walberg. Other States were on just one shift's as well.
Governor Whitmer. They have worked and we have pushed our
curve down, we have saved thousands of lives, and now we are in
phase 4 of a six-phase reengagement. We have made incredible
progress, and it's because people of our State have taken this
seriously and done their part.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you, Governor.
The Chair now recognizes Representative Gianforte for 5
minutes. Representative.
Mr. Gianforte. Thank you, Chairwoman DeGette and Ranking
Member Guthrie, for allowing me to waive on. And thank you to
the Governors. This discussion has been very instructive and
helpful as we look at this. I think one of the important
lessons we've learned in responding to COVID-19 is that one
size doesn't fit all in policy, and it's just not the way to
go.
New York City faces different challenges than Little Rock,
Arkansas, or Denver or Detroit, and are very different than
Deer Lodge, Montana. Even inside my own State of Montana,
cities like Bozeman and Billings saw multiple infected people,
and yet many counties have seen no cases at all. So flexibility
is very important.
I think another lesson learned is that we now know more
about this virus and are learning more every day. We should use
that acquired knowledge to adapt our public policy responses
now, and if there is a resurgence. The virus seems to be most
deadly to the elderly and those with existing health
conditions.
Also, it seems especially deadly in group care facilities
and nursing homes. In many areas, early lockdowns due to the
flu season, and strict processes for COVID, kept these
facilities mostly safe. Other States have made different
choices and had different outcomes. In the future, we'll need
to concentrate our efforts on ensuring we protect the most
vulnerable from COVID-19, like the elderly and those with
underlying health conditions.
I recently had a Zoom meeting with a senior living center
in Ekalaka, Montana. They hadn't been able to see visitors for
months, but fortunately, the worst thing going on in Ekalaka
was some cheating at the pinochle table.
This has been a very difficult time. However, I'm confident
that, with our expanding knowledge about the virus and
increased preparedness, we can both safely restart our economy
and protect the most vulnerable among us.
This has been a great discussion today. I've had my
questions about testing already answered, so I will yield the
remainder of my time to Representative Walberg.
Mr. Walberg. Thank you, Greg, for doing that.
I think I've asked enough questions right now. I appreciate
the opportunity, and the Governor and I will have an
opportunity to talk back in Michigan. I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. The gentleman yields back.
The Chair recognizes Representative Carter for 5 minutes.
Representative Carter, you're our closer, so make it a good
one.
Mr. Carter. Can you hear me OK?
Ms. DeGette. Yes.
Mr. Carter. Well, thank you very much, Madam Chair, for
allowing me to waive in on this. And thank you both of you,
Governor Whitmer and Governor Polis, for your participation
here.
You know, as we roll out our economy, I think one of the--
two of the most important things that we are going to have to
have: First of all, we've going to have to combine technology
that is robust testing along with personal responsibility. And
that is following the guidelines that have been set forth by
the Coronavirus Task Force: washing your hands, practicing
social distancing, et cetera.
One of the things I want to remind you of is that
pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals in
America. Ninety percent of all Americans live within 5 miles of
a pharmacy. Many members of the Coronavirus Task Force have
identified pharmacists as being critical in making sure that we
get mass testing, and that's going to be very important.
Admiral Giroir and Secretary Azar, CMS Administrator Verma have
all identified pharmacists as being key components of this.
And I just wanted to ask you if you have experienced that
in your State, Governor Whitmer. I've been to Michigan, and I
know you have a very strong pharmacy association there. I've
been very impressed with them and wanted to know if you've
experienced any of this, if you've utilized this, and what your
thoughts are?
Governor Whitmer. Thank you. I appreciate the spirit of the
question, and I agree with it. I think that one of the things
that we've been able to do as we try to ramp up testing is to
expand who can, you know, write a prescription for a test, or
an order for a test. And we've included pharmacists,
acknowledging that they are accessible and that people are very
comfortable with their pharmacists.
This is one important piece, I think, of utilizing all of
the different strengths of a healthcare system that has been
incredibly stressed, but recognizing where there are
opportunities. And we work very closely with our pharmacists. I
think that this is one place where this crisis has created a
relationship that--and an ability to confront the issue, and
maybe there is more that we can do in that space.
Mr. Carter. Governor Polis?
Governor Polis. Yes. We're--look, pharmacies can be
convenient, low-cost. They're accessible. We're totally
supportive of it. We are currently in partnerships, Kroger's,
Safeway, and Walgreen's in Colorado are doing testing. We hope
more. Anybody who wants to do that, we think that's a very
convenient, low-cost access point for people, so it's a great
way to increase that collaboration with low-cost pharmacists.
Mr. Carter. Have you experienced any Federal barriers in
the way of reimbursement or anything that you're aware of as
far as it's related to pharmacists?
Governor Polis. I'll ask our healthcare finance people,
Congressman, and if we have some we'll get that to you.
Governor Whitmer. Not to our knowledge in Michigan. We've
got great partnerships, just like in Colorado, with our
producing and conducting tests at pharmacies across Michigan,
and so it's been working really well.
Mr. Carter. What about the drive-through testing? Have you
had any of that in Michigan as well?
Governor Whitmer. Yes, we're doing a lot of drive-through
testing. In fact, I went and did a drive-through COVID test as
well as a serologic test. I maybe should have practiced before
I did it because I made a funny face after that swab came out.
But I think that it was so easy, so fast, and I'm really
encouraging more people to do this.
And I think that it's going to be really important that we
demystify getting COVID tests, and that we encourage people to
do this. The more people that get tested, the more information
we'll have as to how rampant COVID is and how we keep it from
spreading.
And I also think that early on, there were so few tests
that we had to be very prescriptive in the few people that
would get them, and now it's easier and we need to all
encourage people to get this testing done.
Mr. Carter. Governor Polis, have you had the drive-through
testing sites in Colorado as well?
Governor Polis. Yes. We were one of the first in the
country to have drive-through testing 2 months ago. It's now a
big part of what we're doing. In fact, at our largest single
testing site at the Pepsi Center in Denver, which can see up to
1,000 people a day, it's actually a self-administered swab. So
we no longer need the skilled professionals with the deep
nasopharyngeal swab.
There's two ways that we've validated it. One is a saliva
test. The other is they just roll it around like a Q-tip-type
item right at the base of the nose, self-administered,
validated by our State lab, very easy, very scaleable.
Mr. Carter. Well, I'm sure we won't agree on everything,
but I do think we all agree that we all owe a great deal of
debt to our healthcare professionals, who truly have risked
their own health in order to provide healthcare services for
others, for our citizens, and certainly, I want to include the
pharmacists in that as well.
So thank you, Madam Chair, and I yield back.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you so much. And thanks to all the
Members and the staff, and mostly thanks to our wonderful
Governors for being our guinea pigs today.
I'll give both of our Governors the opportunity to just say
a few words as I did Governor Hutchinson. Governor Whitmer,
would you like to say a few words?
Governor Whitmer. Sure, thank you. I appreciate it, and
I've appreciated all of your time today. As a member of the
Executive Committee for the National Governors Association, I
think it is incredibly important that--the communications from
our organization to the Members of Congress, I hope that you
have availed yourself of them. I know that the House has taken
an important step in terms of helping States meet the needs of
our citizens.
We've got to remember that the enemy here is the virus, and
it is crucial that we work very closely together to ensure that
we meet the needs of our people so that we can reengage our
economy in a way that avoids a second wave. And that's what
we're all doing.
And I'll tell you this, too: I am incredibly grateful for
the members of our delegation, as well as my colleagues with
whom I have been working very closely to provide the kind of
thoughtful leadership that we need in these tough times. So
thank you all for your time today.
Ms. DeGette. Thanks, Governor.
And my homie, Governor Polis, thanks for being with us
today, and do you have a few words of wisdom to give us?
Governor Polis. Well, first, thank you, Madam Chair, for
convening this really important panel, because I think while
the learning is important for the future and future crises,
it's also important for this one, because COVID-19 is still
with us. The crisis is still here. It will be with us not only
until there is a vaccine but until that vaccine has been
successfully distributed--and there's been some questions about
that--to enough Americans to be able to achieve control of the
virus.
So the learning is now. The learning on coordination for
personal protective equipment, the learning around better
cohesion around a national testing strategy. We need to make
these improvements in real time as we're going, of course, to
prevent any future health crisis, but also to successfully
manage this one, and to minimize the economic damage and
minimize loss of life.
Ms. DeGette. Great. Thank you. And I would be remiss if I
didn't thank the ranking member, Congressman Guthrie. It was
really his idea to have a hearing on testing, and I thought it
went quite well.
Brett, would you like to say a few words or----
Mr. Guthrie. I just want to say thanks and how valuable the
three of you who have been here today, knowing what all is
going on in your States and your cities that you're responsible
for. It's so important that we hear from you, because it's hard
to do everything from Washington. Our country is so different.
We've had Arkansas, Colorado, Michigan. And I know Michigan
pretty well, my family's automotive supply--even in Michigan,
you have the greatest industrial region in the world, in my
opinion. I think you probably agree, Governor Whitmer, and I
know the Congresspeople do. But you also--I was in Glen Arbor
with the Moolenaars last August, and other than being 10 to 15
degrees difference, you would think you're in west Kentucky. It
is just an absolutely beautiful place, but so diverse and so
different. And so, it's hard to do a one-size-fits-all, and so
hearing what you guys are doing in your States is important for
us.
So thank you, Chair, for putting this together. Governors,
thank you for being here, and appreciate the time.
Ms. DeGette. Thank you so much, Congressman.
And, just to let the committee members know, we have a
robust oversight plan going. We are collecting documents. We're
talking to witnesses. And we can expect to be having some
hearings on the stockpile and on vaccines and other issues
coming up in the following weeks, because this hearing, thanks
to you, was such a swimming success. So thanks to everybody.
I'd now like to ask unanimous consent to insert into the
record the letter that Governor Polis referred to dated April
9, 2020, from himself and Chair Federico Pena to the Colorado
congressional delegation. Without objection, so ordered.
[The information appears at the conclusion of the hearing.]
Ms. DeGette. I want to remind Members that, pursuant to
committee rules, they have 10 business days to submit
additional questions for the record to be answered by witnesses
who have appeared before the subcommittee. I ask that witnesses
agree to respond promptly to any questions should you receive
them. And, with that, the subcommittee is adjourned. Thanks,
everyone.
[Whereupon, at 2:28 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
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