VP Pence on coronavirus: President Trump has 'no higher priority'
Vice President Mike Pence speaks at CPAC about the potential impact of coronavirus and steps being taken to protect the American people
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., rebuffed a CNN anchor's question on Thursday, indicating that the query was set up to provoke criticism of Vice President Mike Pence as he took the lead on the federal government's response to the coronavirus.
CNN anchor Poppy Harlow had asked Dingell: "Given Vice President Pence's history as governor dealing with a recent health crisis in terms of HIV in Indiana, is he the best equipped to lead this effort at the White House?"
"You know what?" Dingell responded. "I don’t think this is a time to take shots. I think this is a time for all of us to work together. Coronavirus is a potential threat.
"We've already seen what it's done to other countries," she added. "We've got to work together. If they’re not doing what they need to do, then we need to make sure they are doing what they need to do. But taking cheap shots at people right now is not the thing to do, working together is."
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Harlow replied: "There you go, that's how you solve problems."
Their exchange came amid criticism of President Trump's decision to put Pence in charge of responding to the coronavirus, with some pointing to the way Pence responded to an HIV outbreak in Indiana in 2015, while he was governor.
The outbreak reportedly occurred as a result of needle sharing and opioid addiction. Pence opposed a needle exchange program out of moral considerations, despite health experts urging that course of action.
"I don't believe that effective anti-drug policy involves handing out paraphernalia to drug users by government officials," he said at the time, according to NPR. Pence eventually reversed course and approved a needle exchange program for Scott County, but for some, Pence acted too late.
The Yale School of Public Health later released a study claiming that if the state acted earlier, the number of infections could have been dramatically reduced.
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Dingell's comments came after President Trump knocked Democratic congressional leaders during a press conference on Wednesday, deriding House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., over the issue.
"She wants to do the same thing with cryin' Chuck Schumer. He goes out and he says the president only asked for $2.5 billion, he should have $8.5 billion. This is the first time I've ever been told that we should take more. Usually, it's we have to take less," Trump said.
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The White House is requesting $1.25 billion in new funding and wants to transfer $535 million more from an Ebola preparedness account — a move opposed by Democrats. The administration anticipates shifting money from other Department of Health and Human Services accounts and other agencies to complete the $2.5 billion response plan.
On Thursday, Schumer and Pelosi issued a statement calling for additional action in response to the crisis -- warning that "lives are at stake -- this is not the time for name-calling or playing politics."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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