On Wednesday, President-elect Joe Biden held a virtual meeting with front-line health care workers to discuss the future actions his administration will take against Covid-19.
What We Know:
- During Biden’s meeting, he discussed how the white house has delayed the transition process in which President Donald Trump and his administration have failed to accept.
“One of the problems that we’re having now is the failure of the administration to recognize — the law says that the General Services Administration has a person who recognizes who the winner is.” Biden added, “which, unless it’s made available soon, we’re gonna be behind by weeks or months being able to put together the whole initiative.”
- Biden’s biggest message during the virtual discussion was the support first responders have received during the pandemic. He expressed how healthcare professionals have been forced to work for more than nine months and have not received the proper course of action under the Trump administration. While speaking to a group that consisted of a fighter, an intensive care unit nurse, and a school nurse he stated, “It’s not enough to praise you. We have to protect you, we have to pay you.”
- There was an emotional moment when Mary Turner, an intensive care nurse from Minnesota, fought back tears as she explained that she and her colleagues have been the last people, to be with dying Covid-19 patients, due to restrictions making it so that family members are unable to be by their side.
- Biden also expressed that he hopes when Trump is out of office Republicans are bolder in how they assist people affected economically by the pandemic. “The Congress has already passed that money, it’s sitting there. It’s available right now,” Biden said. “But we’re unwilling, some of our friends on the Senate side are unwilling to spend the money.”
“It’s not a responsible position,” he added. “And I’m hoping that the reason why my friends on the other side have not stepped up to do something is because of their fear of retribution from the president, and hopefully when he’s gone, they’ll be more willing to do what they know, should be done.”
In the past few weeks, the number of coronavirus cases has increased rapidly. Biden conducted this meeting to discuss the Trump administration response throughout the pandemic and how he plans to handle it when he takes office in January.
