Frank Pallone

This should be a time of national mourning, unity, healing, and action.

These companies have a lot of power and an important role to play in our country's political discourse.

These platforms may bias towards conspiracy theories. But I think the problem is made ten times worse when important figures and government officials peddle disinformation.

Mark Zuckerberg and the C-Suite in Facebook knows that they are peddlers of hate, divisiveness, conspiracies because it is good for business.

I constantly am reminded of a quote by Mark Zuckerberg that he doesn't want to be, and I quote, "the arbiter of truth."

I championed legislation included in the Heroes Act that would require insurers to cover COVID-19 treatment with no cost-sharing.

Admiral Giroir, yes or no, are we currently in the United States conducting five million tests per day?

On April 28th, President Trump said testing in the United States would surpass five million per day.

I have introduced a bill, the TRACE Act, which calls for a $100 million for testing and contact tracing.

On January 31st, Secretary Azar declared COVID-19 a public health emergency.

The Trump administration failed to bring COVID-19 testing to scale in the early months of the pandemic.

I am very critical of the president for a lack of leadership from the start of this pandemic, which I think continues.

This was an extremely reckless action, and unfortunately it continues the President's pattern of ignoring the advice of his own public health experts.

This cannot continue - we need federal public health experts to take more of a leadership role, and this Administration is failing to allow that.

It is difficult to overstate this disease's devastating impact.

I think is going to lead more deaths and more needless suffering.

I think this was extremely reckless, and unfortunately, it continues the President's pattern of ignoring the advice of his own public health experts.

Public health must also be our first consideration as we accelerate research into a vaccine and treatments for COVID-19.

On top of the raw devastation of this disease, this committee must confront the fact that, had it not been for a sluggish initial response from the Trump administration, and a President in my opinion putting political considerations over…

Now President Trump refuses to even acknowledge the challenges we face and the difficult work that must be done to prevent further destruction.

Fortunately, last month the House passed the Heroes Act, which provides our public health agencies with the mandate and the resources to ensure we are prepared going forward.

This cannot continue. I think we need federal public health experts to take more of a leadership role, and this administration is failing to allow that.

Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee continues its important work overseeing the administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I can't imagine that NIH or CDC would suggest this as a best practice in the face of this pandemic.

The Administration's unwillingness to face these hard truths I think will lead to more deaths and more needless suffering.