FEMA Admin Repeatedly Dodges Questions On Hospital Supply Shortages

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 14: Peter Gaynor testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Federal Emergency Management ... WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 14: Peter Gaynor testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Federal Emergency Management Administration in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill November 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. Currently serving as deputy administrator of FEMA, Gaynor was nominated after the White House withdrew its previous nominee, Jeffrey Byard, over an accusation he was involved in a possible barroom altercation. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor couldn’t give a clear-cut answer when asked about key supply shortages as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to overwhelm hospitals, during his Sunday morning TV appearances.

After telling CNN that FEMA has been shipping from the national stockpile for weeks, Jake Tapper pressed Gaynor on specific numbers on how many masks the federal government has been able to acquire and whether the masks have been shipped to hospitals.

“It is a dynamic and fluid operation,” Gaynor said. “The President appointed FEMA five days ago to manage federal operations and since I’ve been here, we’ve been shipping continuously from federal warehouses, and again, connecting, you know, those governors that need supplies to those who have it in the commercial sector.”

When asked if he has an estimate, Gaynor responded that he can’t give a rough number, but that “it’s happening every day.”

Tapper then pointed out how the inability of the federal government to give a number in terms of masks alarms doesn’t fill people with confidence.

Gaynor replied that he’s “not sure it’s about an exact number,” before urging the public against getting tested for the coronavirus if they’re not exhibiting symptoms.

“I ask every American: if you have symptoms, go get a test,” Gaynor said. “If you don’t need a test because you don’t have symptoms, don’t do it. That helps us. It helps governors, it helps your local community.”

Watch Gaynor’s remarks on CNN below:

Gaynor similarly couldn’t provide a clear answer to ABC News Sunday morning, saying that masks have been distributed without providing details regarding timeline and quantity.

After telling ABC News’ Martha Raddatz that there are “millions of things” being shipped from the national stockpile, Gaynor said he can’t give details about what every single state or what every single city is doing.

Pressed about how many masks were in the strategic stockpile, Gaynor reiterated that “there are still supplies” in it and that “we’re prepared to go to zero in the stockpile to meet demand.”

Gaynor then went on to urge the public to not get tested for coronavirus if they’re not exhibiting symptoms.

Watch Gaynor’s remarks on ABC below:

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. “It is a dynamic and fluid operation,” Gaynor said. “The President appointed FEMA five days ago to manage federal operations and since I’ve been here, we’ve been shipping continuously from federal warehouses, and again, connecting, you know, those governors that need supplies to those who have it in the commercial sector.”

    Indeed…it is a dynamic and fluid operation…because it is half-hazard response that has been lied about, ignored, denied, delayed for more than 2 months!

    Meanwhile, while medical responders are running out of PPE like N95 masks, ICE Deportation Team is asking for 45,000 N95 masks!

    Addendum:

    Kudos to Invisible Hands (https://www.invisiblehandsdeliver.com/) in NYC for helping the elderly! It took them 72 hours to gather 1300 volunteers.

    And might I add, this is something that the Covidiot Trump Regime should have been planning more than two months ago and implementing them now!

    Addendum2:
    Apparently, the Covidiot Trump Regime is “launching a communications plan across multiple federal agencies that focuses on accusing Beijing of orchestrating a “cover-up” & creating a global pandemic” per Daily Beast.

    And White supremacists are planning to use Covid-19 as bioweapon through “saliva,” a “spray bottle” or “laced items,”

    https://news.yahoo.com/federal-law-enforcement-document-reveals-white-supremacists-discussed-using-coronavirus-as-a-bioweapon-212031308.html

    No wonder there are lies, chaotic responses and shortages…
    The Covidiot Trump Regime is focusing on finger pointing and racism!

  2. “It is a dynamic and fluid operation,”

    And we’re fully stocked on paradigms and contingencies.

  3. So in other words, another incompetent, inaccurate, uninformed Trump lackey. Did he praise Dear Leader during his media appearances?

  4. From June 1948 to September 1949, the United States delivered 2,323,067 tons of food and fuel to the people of Berlin during the Berlin Airlift. And now?

    "The Federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping. You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.”

  5. Avatar for pine pine says:

    Living here on the east coast I know its the responsibility of state and local officials to keep us informed,the MSM is giving New York Governor kudos for his actions,the problem I’m having how much is too much,he and DeBlasio New York city mayor are just doing overkill.My own opinion thus the many Trump lie pressers that we are seeing are Trump trying to keep up with them.Coumo like DeBalsio comes on and the capture all the local and national channels.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

394 more replies

Participants

Avatar for paulw Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for cervantes Avatar for maxwellsdemon Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for becca656 Avatar for inversion Avatar for psudawnc Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for joelopines Avatar for lastroth Avatar for left_in_washington_state Avatar for musgrove Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for pine Avatar for tena Avatar for cub_calloway Avatar for kelaine Avatar for evave2 Avatar for alanonguitar Avatar for dicktater Avatar for Thane Avatar for Hatmama Avatar for Psych

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: