The House Oversight Committee is opening an investigation into the Trump administration’s deployment of rapid COVID-19 tests to nursing homes around the country after TPM revealed in August that the tests had been sent without warning or guidance on their operation.
Another “macaca” moment?
Kudos!
And whatever the oversight committe does will be ignored.
Kudos to TPM. Go team!
We must stay vigilant and watch everything that is done by this Konniving Klan of Kriminals.
Krishnamoorthi is a Democrat.
I want a probe into which five languages she is supposedly “fluent” in.
Melania Trump also is heard saying on the tape that many migrant children with families seeking asylum are “teached by other people what to say” to stay in the U.S.
My head hurts.
Raja is suburban Chicago. He probably has Abbot employees in his district.
Congats to TPM for getting attention to this.
This hasn’t gotten enough attention, but you need to know. Everybody needs to know.
1/ It’s about the massive coverup campaign underway to disguise the octopus-like Russian election interference operation being run on Trump’s behalf.
Please read this whole thing.
2/ Earlier this year, reports start coming into Congress about a giant, multi-layer Russian effort to help Trump in 2020. Bigger than what they did in 2016. Looks like Russians are trying to get U.S. persons - especially those close to Trump - to help.
3/ On July 13, Dem leadership writes a letter to FBI Director Wray, asking for an all-Congress briefing, especially because the reports we’re reading suggest Russian agents are trying to find Members of Congress to assist their interference operation.
4/ On 7/24, Bill Evanina, Trump’s counter-intel chief, releases a super vague statement. 72 words on Chinese/Iranian interference, and 54 words on Russia.
Very puzzling. Congress has never been briefed on any meaningful Chinese/Iranian interference plans.
dni.gov/index.php/news…
5/ On 8/7, an update. This one has 219 words on China/Iran, 105 on Russia.
But read it closely - though China gets the lead and the most attention, Evanina just says they are “weigh[ing] the risks” of election interference - NOT that they are doing it.
dni.gov/index.php/news…
6/ Then, on 9/9, a bombshell that few noticed. The head of intelligence at DHS (the top guy!) files a whistleblower complaint.
He says the White House instructed him to bury info on Russian interference because it “made the President look bad.”
washingtonpost.com/national-secur…
7/ A day later (coincidence!), the Treasury Dept. sanctions Andriy Derkach, a Ukrainian politician in charge of spreading Biden conspiracy theories, and notes, offhand, that Derkach is indeed a Russian agent.
8/ No press conference from Intel or the FBI or DHS that they’ve caught a Russian agent who has been in regular contact with the President’s inner circle.
Nope. Just buried in a sanctions announcement. Likely because so many people knew the intel, they knew it would come out.
9/ What’s happening is clear. American intel agencies, that are supposed to be totally apolitical, have been folded into Trump’s campaign.
They are keeping info about Russian interference hidden, and overhyping info about China and Iran helping Biden.
10/ It’s why Trump’s former National Security Advisor, H.R. McMaster, said something today that is as shocking as it unsurprising.
He said Trump is “aiding and abetting” Putin’s interference campaign.
Wow.
But of course he is. And now you know the details.
There is an article at the Beast about the WH protocols for C19. I’m not sure you can read it unless you are a subscriber. Here’s a bit of it.
Under the testing regiment, the “failure to report to testing” would be “considered a refusal to test,” while an individual could defer testing “based on a compelling need.” Exceptions included those who had teleworked for more than 30 days or planned to in the following two weeks, employees on approved leave or on official travel, or people who were not in the immediate vicinity of the building during testing hours.
There were, officials said, other problems with the testing protocols. For starters, staffers in the EEOB said they have been concerned about the accuracy of the tests administered—swab tests with near immediate results. And one other EEOB official said that while not everyone in the building has been required to work from the office, some individuals who experienced symptoms over the last several months were able to stay at work before securing a time to be tested.
At the White House, those entering the compound had reportedly been required to take Abbot point of care swab tests. But scientists said those have mixed results and it’s unclear what tests are being administered now. Over time, the universe of those subjected to testing has been decreased to those who work closely with the president. The White House does not mandate the wearing of face masks either.
“All those in close proximity to the president are tested beforehand,” said White House spokesperson Judd Deere. “Per CDC guidelines, face coverings are recommended.”
In the wake of the Trumps’ positive tests, on Friday morning, First Lady Trump’s chief of staff Stephanie Grisham told The Daily Beast that “all East Wing staff continues to telework.”
Good job, TPM!
This is but an example of the incompetency of these people. They simply do not know enough about what they don’t know, so they just can’t bring in the people who do know.
Ma peeps!
This is what happens when you surround yourself with incompetents.
An HHS spokeswoman told TPM in August that the responsibility to instruct nursing homes on how to use the tests lay with the manufacturers. “Training documentation will be made widely available for all nursing homes that are receiving supplies,” the spokeswoman said.
“We are not responsible.” Where have I heard that recently?
Her coach must have had the day off.
How much of this goes back to Seema Verma? If I’m remembering one of Rachel’s rants correctly Seema was suppose to publish guidelines for care facilities in April on how to deal the the virus on those settings, and what help operators were going to get. She kept mentioning it for awhile, like Seema promised this by such and such date, and yet nothing was ever published, or was weak sauce info.
And because of other events, and the massive surge in cases this part of the story I don’t think ever got enough attention.
Doesn’t $750 million seem like a lot for unreliable tests? But it’s OK, they were sent to nursing homes and schools?
So, was training part of the deal? Were the manufacturers paid in full? I’m thinking no, and yes. Or just as likely, yes and yes.
