The reaction of the Trump Administration to the Coronavirus has received both praise and condemnation.
The scientists and specialists (who Trump routinely dismissed as deep state hacks up until last week) who are working in the Administration to disseminate accurate information on the virus to the states, send out appropriate testing materials, and work on a vaccine, are earning praise and trust by the people.
This is while Mr. Trump and his political allies inside and outside the Administration are being condemned for spreading fringe conspiracy theories about the virus and chastising the media and Democrats who have been critical of his response to the crisis.
The Arizona Democrats vying to defeat Republican incumbents Debbie Lesko, Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and David Schweikert offered their views on the Coronavirus.
Arizona Congressional District Four Democratic Candidate Delina DiSanto (who is looking to defeat Paul Gosar) commented that:
“The coronavirus is more communicable than the flu. It passes between people very easily. The most important thing for all of us to do is to critically think about how important it is to not touch our face, pick up a baby, care for the elderly unless we have already washed our hands. Sneeze and cough into your elbow, not your hand.”
“I am very upset that Arizona received coronavirus test kits that were defective and we are just getting new kits this week. I’m concerned with workers who do not have time to take off work, do not have savings, do not have a 401K, do not have insurance, and can’t get medications or healthy foods to make their immune system stronger. I would want to ensure our citizens have a safety net in these situations and have a federal assistance fund like we do for FEMA.”
“I am concerned that our administration has contradicted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I believe schools, businesses, hospitals, and health departments must initiate pandemic preparedness plans now, not when a case occurs because then it is too late.”
Joan Greene, the Democrat looking to defeat Andy Biggs in Arizona Congressional District Five wrote:
“Andy Biggs (Rep. AZ05) minimizes the Coronavirus (COVID -19) as the flu even though the experts have said with the COVID-19 there are a lot of unknowns and the threat it poses.”
“Instead of sharing the truth and how to protect oneself immediately, Biggs chose to protect the inaction and ineptness of not only Donald Trump but himself, to the detriment of our vulnerable citizens is unconscionable.”
“Schools are closing in some areas of our Country and test kits are not available or they are defective.”
“Financial and healthcare hardships that were preventable will continue to rise because the ineffective elected GOP refused to listen to the experts.”
“The duties and responsibilities of the elected officials are to keep the Nation safe, not put us in danger.”
“Donald Trump and Andy Biggs have failed.”
Anita Malik, the 2018 Congressional District Six Democratic Nominee against David Schweikert and 2020 Candidate offered:
“People are underinsured and uninsured because of this administration’s continued attacks on our health. Those attacks have also been in the form of budget cuts, including cutting funds to the CDC for the type of pandemic response we need. These reckless, rash decisions can hurt our ability to respond as effectively as possible.”
“This also again highlights our need for important policy and safety nets. We should be leading in proactive wellness policies, but we are lagging far behind. This includes guaranteed paid sick leave and universal health care.”
“Without guaranteed paid sick leave, we get sicker. In a debt vs. health society, we spread disease faster and see an increase in preventable deaths because people opt out of getting care. Safety nets are not about political labels. This is about the government doing its job and protecting us rather than harming us.”
Another Congressional District Six Democratic Candidate (and 2018 District Eight Nominee) Dr. Hiral Tipirneni offered medical advice to Arizona’s residents and posted a video on Facebook.
Please click on the video here.
Dr. Tipirneni also partially echoed Ms. Malik by commenting:
“Over 27 million uninsured Americans – many of whom are restaurant, hotel, retail, child care, and gig economy workers – have NO ability to work remotely & NO paid sick days. Policy failures can directly hasten viral outbreaks into public health crises. #COVIDー19”
Two of the Democrats looking to defeat Debbie Lesko in District Eight in 2020 offered their perspectives.
Michael Muscato wrote:
Bob Musselwhite relayed:
“Epidemiology, disease vectors, Dr. John Snow, England, 1854….it is science that will save us not politics and ideology. We have known what to do for 166 years”
Viruses do not discriminate.
They do not care if the person that gets it is a Democrat, Independent, or Republican.
They do not care if the individual is White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American.
They do not care if you are rich, poor, or middle class.
That means that all of the people in Arizona and the country, as the Democratic candidates above relayed:
- Deserve accurate and timely scientific and medical information from the government along with nondefective supplies.
- Deserve a government that properly funds the Center for Disease Control and other health-related agencies.
- Need to follow sound and simple preventive and precautionary medical measures.
- Need better access to quality and affordable health care, including affordable treatment, as well as paid sick leave.
The Coronavirus is not a Republican or Democratic problem to untangle.
It is an American one and everyone needs to work together to solve it.
That is what good government is supposed to be about.
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