Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Spenty the day on the Hill as part of the President’s Coronavirus Task Force led by Alex Azar and Mick Mulvany to brief first the Senators in the Dirksen Building led by Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray and then the House led by Rosa DeLauro and Tom Cole in the Capitol Visitor’s Center. Also, spent time in the SCIF planning for tomorrow when we may be briefing the POTUS again. 25,000 cases/479 deaths. President was acquitted today by the Senate on a partisan vote. Much print press about every aspect of nCoV, particularly the controversy about asymptomatic transmission. In the Washington Post today, Nancy Pelosi, when asked whether she feels the administration is doing a good job, said the following: Post – Feb. 5, 2020: Exiting the briefing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is also on the administration task force, saying she had worked with him for years. Fauci was among those briefing lawmakers on Wednesday. “He has confidence in what is happening at CDC, so again, my confidence is in him,” Pelosi said. “I think we have to be appropriately alert but not fearmongering on this, and I think that’s the right tempo.” Asked about Azar’s leadership, Pelosi said: “I don’t know that much about Azar but I know Fauci. All I know about Azar is he used to work for a pharmaceutical company. I don’t know that much about his experience with disease but Dr. Fauci is a doctor, and this is his life’s work.” PRESS: KCBS Radio – San Francisco; MSNBC; Radio Free Asia (TV); Wed MD; Washington Post