February 26, 2020

Politico: Warren calls on Trump admin to explain process for bringing back Americans infected by coronavirus

"The process by which this decision was reportedly made is troubling," she writes.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) is calling on Trump administration officials to explain its handling of the evacuation of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, after 14 passengers infected with the coronavirus flew on a plane with other travelers despite a warning from the Centers for Disease Control.

The infected passengers were among the 300 Americans evacuated from the cruise ship in Japan and flown home earlier this month.

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"The process by which this decision was reportedly made is troubling," Warren wrote. "As the global coronavirus public health emergency continues, it will be essential for the leadership of all the relevant agencies to have a clear, responsive, and integrated process for responding to new circumstances and incorporating expert advice."

In her letter, Warren asked for further clarification about which agency was at the top of the chain of command when it came to the ship's evacuation, and whether there have been any changes to the pecking order. In addition, she asked under what circumstances the State Department can overrule the CDC and if HHS is involved at all in the decision-making process.

Read the full article from Politico here.


By:  Marianne Levine
Source: Politico