formed. like to thank you, budget appropriations reporter for politico, for coming on this morning, and getting the conversation started about the small business loan and paycheck protection program. guest: thank you. >> the white house did not release a weekly address from the president. at bennieresented thompson of mississippi, the homeland security chair, gave the democratic address, discussing widespread coronavirus testing and the federal response to the pandemic. congressmane is , from theompson second district of minnis it -- of mississippi. the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most challenging adversaries our country has faced. many americans have faced unimaginable grief.

millions of families are unsure about their future. all americans have changed their daily lives and are worried about the health of our loved ones. we must thank the thousands of health-care workers, first responders, and other essential workers, who are helping us get through this. they are our heroes. i also think all of you for following social distancing guidelines and for following the orders of your own states. while there are many challenges ahead, we are hoping the darkest days may be behind us. before we move forward, we must get to the truth. the truth is that the response to this pandemic has not been as stellar as the president keeps repeating. the truth is that there is much more that we need to fix now, to get it right. first is testing. overess worked together six weeks ago to pass

legislation for better testing. despite promises from the administration on testing since the beginning of march, we are still behind on testing. this has hurt our ability to get ahead of the virus. 1% of the country has been tested. every day about people waiting in line overnight to get tested. backlogs,ocessing meaning many do not get results for weeks. this week, fewer were tested that last week. this is not right. unfortunately, we have seen no leadership from the president. he is quick to put all blame and responsibility for testing on the states. this is not true. and it is not the american way. the truth is, we need a whole of government response, for a nationwide crisis. all of our states are in crisis

and need federal assistance. widespreads, without testing, we cannot resume our lives. testing, weroper must also compile the necessary covid-19 is affecting different communities. it has become clear that this disease disproportionately impacts communities of color. if we want to address disparities and outcomes and move forward, we need the administration to work with states to document the relevant data and share it. we also must make sure that our health care and first responders have the necessary ppe and medical supplies and equipment they still need. we had an emergency response system at the ready to properly, clickable -- quickly, and could will he distribute supplies. however, the administration has upended the system, putting

political access where expense professionals once were. their efforts have been wrought with chaos, delays, and accusations applicable i.s.. states were told they were on their own -- accusations of political bias. states were told they were on their own only to see the administration obviating them -- outbidding them and rewiring their shipments. no state should have to compete with other states or the federal government to get what they need. if we are to succeed in this crisis and work together, we must use the truth as our guide. while we have hard days ahead, we must rely on science and data. and follow the directions of the health experts and doctors. what we do in the coming weeks will be key to our recovery. you can be sure that house democrats will continue to use the truth as we put workers and families first. thank you for listening.

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