Federal Officials Point to Underfunding, Lockdown Avoidance for Coronavirus Failings

Government Executive: Federal public health officials on Friday defended the actions their agencies have taken to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, pushing back on allegations the Trump administration has dragged its feet in confronting the pandemic.

Democrats on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis repeatedly needled officials for the Trump administration's failure to develop a national, comprehensive plan for responding to the outbreak, saying it has led to thousands of unnecessary deaths. While in several instances federal agency leaders testifying at the hearing rebuked false comments repeated by President Trump, they stressed that they and their expert employees had been given the freedom to do their jobs.

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