Trump administration reverses plan, will fund COVID-19 testing [UPDATED]

[Marthe48]

Source: arstechnica

UPDATE, April 10: Late yesterday the administration reversed course on its controversial plan to pull federal funding from drive-through community-based COVID-19 testing centers in several states.

Instead, the states can choose whether to continue to receive federal funding and support or take over operations themselves, federal officials said.

After news about the potential closure of many of the 41 community-based testing centers circulated yesterday, a bipartisan group of members of Congress wrote to Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, asking the agency to continue funding the program.



Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/04/trump-admin-pulls-funding-for-drive-through-covid-19-testing/

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I searched DU before I posted.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Trump Admin is taking COVID seriously to the extent it impacts reelection chances

Alarming really.

[babylonsister]

2. Seems they're just throwing spaghetti at the wall

to see what will stick. Looks like they don't have a clue to deal with any of this.

[Marthe48]

4. No they don't

traitor probably thinks a big death toll number is great. The biggest number. f him and his murder for hire crooks.

[forgotmylogin]

5. I think that's actually true.

I bet they're trying stuff to see if they can get away with it. If it gets publicized, they change course.

Who knows how many things they've actually slipped under the radar.

[Wounded Bear]

11. That's how Trump works with his pronouncements...

He'll say something outlandish at a presser or even a rally, or send out a tweet and listen to see the reaction. Then goes on that.

Not a pro-active gene in has bloated carcase.

[Thekaspervote]

18. True! Good for us that the funding will continue ..for now, until the next time

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Yup. Steal 500 vents from Col Gov (D) but sends 100 when Sen Gardner (R) requests it.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Wounded Bear]

3. They don't act until they are dragged, kicking and screaming to it...

[evilhime]

9. You got it!

This is an example of what can happen when there is sufficient pressure brought to bear... The journalists got the story out there and demands started being made . . . and with a re-election bid on the horizon they have to at least pretend to be doing something productive for the people. It's all a fraud but there are those who will buy into it.

[stillcool]

17. demands need to be made..

but it only matters if those demands are coming from the GOP.

[Nitram]

6. So Dump and Co. blocked testing to avoid the appearance of an epidemic, and then found out

that the economy can't restart until testing shows it is safe to do so. Just like that cartoon of the dinosaurs watching the meteor coming and worrying about the economy.

[Baclava]

8. The Trump re-election extinction event has begun, he just dont know it yet

[denem]

7. trump wanted Walmart to do the drive-thoughs

[joost5]

10. Not acting federally to mass test like Korea was criminally negligent.

And I hope there's a massive lawsuit against Drumpf and co for causing thousands of unnecessary deaths.

[NCjack]

12. He is inventing it as he goes along. Good thing for us this is not a military shooting war.

Worst fake general ever.

[greenjar_01]

13. A complete shitshow and clusterfuck

It takes them eight rotations around their own asses to make a decision.

[pazzyanne]

14. I'm suffering from whiplash!

So tired of those floated tRump balloons, that he has to reverse every time due to pushback. You would think he would wise up. Scratch that, he can't learn from mistakes.

[lark]

15. These are totally insufficient, but they are all that many communities have.

drumpf doesn't want us tested, only wants to use federal money to enrich himself & supportive oligarchs and wants to ensure that a 2nd wave hits really hard just at election time. He just doesn't want to make ot totally evident, so he's reverted from zero testing to very small testing. The place in town only allows 250 people to be tested m-f. The line is usually filled before it even opens and everyone starting at 251 is sent home to try again the next day.

[ancianita]

19. I watch what he does, not what he says. This MF will say anything while 41 test centers STILL close.

[Initech]

20. He will only fuind it for states that kiss his ass.

He'll send broken and malfunctioning test kits to the blue states.