berg80
Diamond Member
- Oct 28, 2017
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Trump declares national emergency in latest bid to combat coronavirus
www.politico.com
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Friday to offset lagging coronavirus testing and unlock billions of dollars — accelerating a response plan that has faced weeks of criticism.
Trump touted partnerships with private companies that he claimed would allow patients to learn if they need to be tested and locate a testing site, some of which will be drive-thru facilities at big box retailers across the country.
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Last time he declared a national emergency it was to authorize him to misappropriate funds in order to defy the wishes of the American people and Congress in order to fund the border wall...........the one Mexico was going to pay for.
................................................................................................................................................
Let's put aside what has become the hallmark of this admin, the routine failure to execute on statements that are made, in this case the promise of widespread availability of testing, as well as confused messaging.
Contrary to Trump’s claim, Google is not building a nationwide coronavirus screening website
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10745893/acastro_180427_1777_0003.jpg)
www.theverge.com
Instead, let's focus on what the declaration of a national emergency means in a technocratic sense.
In any major disaster, the President may—
(1)
direct any Federal agency, with or without reimbursement, to utilize its authorities and the resources granted to it under Federal law (including personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and managerial, technical, and advisory services) in support of State and local assistance response or recovery efforts, including precautionary evacuations;
(2)
coordinate all disaster relief assistance (including voluntary assistance) provided by Federal agencies, private organizations, and State and local governments, including precautionary evacuations and recovery;
(3)provide technical and advisory assistance to affected State and local governmentsfor—
(A)
the performance of essential community services;
(B)
issuance of warnings of risks and hazards;
(C)
public health and safety information, including dissemination of such information;
(D)
provision of health and safety measures;
(E)
management, control, and reduction of immediate threats to public health and safety; and
(F)
recovery activities, including disaster impact assessments and planning;
www.law.cornell.edu
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The questions we should all be asking are 1. why a man bent on exercising accumulated or assumed power (he declared he is the ultimate arbiter in deciding how money will be dispersed to corporations from the relief fund) refuses to do so with respect to the authorization to coordinate the federal emergency response given to him by his declaration. And 2. what has been the result of his refusal.
The answer to the first seems obvious. He does not want to put the Trump brand on the disaster response. Rather, he needs a scapegoat for what is already recognized as a botched federal response. Consequently, the 24/7 conservative spin machine is fully engaged in laying blame for his failures of omission and commission at the feet of state governments.
As for the real world result of the abdication of his authority to coordinate the country's response to COVID-19, that has been a disaster in and of itself. 17 tons of medical supplies were sent to China when Don was still in total denial of the repeated warnings from the intel and health agencies that a massive outbreak was inevitable. There was this excruciatingly embarrassing event....... Pence task force freezes coronavirus aid amid backlash
The Defense Production Act has been invoked (far too late) but not utilized (WHY?) in an effective way, contributing to a critical shortage of medical supplies.
Which leads me to note the most egregious example of the practical results............a bidding war for medical supplies that has broken out with states competing against states...........and FEMA competing against everyone. A bidding war occurring despite Billy the Bagman's pledge to prevent it. One that is a direct consequence of Trump's inaction when action has been called for, indeed pleaded for, by the nation's governors for weeks.
The Golfer-in-Chief is not responsible for the viral outbreak that began in China. Nor is he responsible for China's awful mismanagement of it. But this admin received its first formal notification of the outbreak of the coronavirus in China on Jan. 3. Since that time the federal reaction to the predictable outbreak in the US has been a cluster fuck. It began with the misguided belief the virus was "under control" and since has been marked by a series of terrible decisions based on the desire not to disrupt the economy. Tragically bad decisions highlighted by myself and other progressives on this board. The delineation of which has been met with recrimination, denial, whataboutisms, deflection, and factual inaccuracies by indignant Trumpleton's. All to no avail. The facts are as they are. In spite of our foreknowledge, repeated warnings, the capacity to mobilize tremendous resources to fight the virus, a nationwide system of excellent medical facilities, the ability to easily communicate accurate information nationally, an educated citizenry, the US has what is arguably the worst outbreak of the virus in the world.
There needs to be a reckoning for our failure. One that rightfully begins at the top.
Trump declares national emergency in latest bid to combat coronavirus
Trump said the move would free up $50 billion in additional funding and waive requirements to speed up coronavirus testing and care.
www.politico.com
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Friday to offset lagging coronavirus testing and unlock billions of dollars — accelerating a response plan that has faced weeks of criticism.
Trump touted partnerships with private companies that he claimed would allow patients to learn if they need to be tested and locate a testing site, some of which will be drive-thru facilities at big box retailers across the country.
.................................................................................................................................................
Last time he declared a national emergency it was to authorize him to misappropriate funds in order to defy the wishes of the American people and Congress in order to fund the border wall...........the one Mexico was going to pay for.
................................................................................................................................................
Let's put aside what has become the hallmark of this admin, the routine failure to execute on statements that are made, in this case the promise of widespread availability of testing, as well as confused messaging.
Contrary to Trump’s claim, Google is not building a nationwide coronavirus screening website
Contrary to Trump’s claim, Google is not building a nationwide coronavirus screening website
Instead, Verily is building a triage website just for the Bay Area.
www.theverge.com
Instead, let's focus on what the declaration of a national emergency means in a technocratic sense.
In any major disaster, the President may—
(1)
direct any Federal agency, with or without reimbursement, to utilize its authorities and the resources granted to it under Federal law (including personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and managerial, technical, and advisory services) in support of State and local assistance response or recovery efforts, including precautionary evacuations;
(2)
coordinate all disaster relief assistance (including voluntary assistance) provided by Federal agencies, private organizations, and State and local governments, including precautionary evacuations and recovery;
(3)provide technical and advisory assistance to affected State and local governmentsfor—
(A)
the performance of essential community services;
(B)
issuance of warnings of risks and hazards;
(C)
public health and safety information, including dissemination of such information;
(D)
provision of health and safety measures;
(E)
management, control, and reduction of immediate threats to public health and safety; and
(F)
recovery activities, including disaster impact assessments and planning;
42 U.S. Code § 5170a - General Federal assistance
The questions we should all be asking are 1. why a man bent on exercising accumulated or assumed power (he declared he is the ultimate arbiter in deciding how money will be dispersed to corporations from the relief fund) refuses to do so with respect to the authorization to coordinate the federal emergency response given to him by his declaration. And 2. what has been the result of his refusal.
The answer to the first seems obvious. He does not want to put the Trump brand on the disaster response. Rather, he needs a scapegoat for what is already recognized as a botched federal response. Consequently, the 24/7 conservative spin machine is fully engaged in laying blame for his failures of omission and commission at the feet of state governments.
As for the real world result of the abdication of his authority to coordinate the country's response to COVID-19, that has been a disaster in and of itself. 17 tons of medical supplies were sent to China when Don was still in total denial of the repeated warnings from the intel and health agencies that a massive outbreak was inevitable. There was this excruciatingly embarrassing event....... Pence task force freezes coronavirus aid amid backlash
The Defense Production Act has been invoked (far too late) but not utilized (WHY?) in an effective way, contributing to a critical shortage of medical supplies.
Which leads me to note the most egregious example of the practical results............a bidding war for medical supplies that has broken out with states competing against states...........and FEMA competing against everyone. A bidding war occurring despite Billy the Bagman's pledge to prevent it. One that is a direct consequence of Trump's inaction when action has been called for, indeed pleaded for, by the nation's governors for weeks.
The Golfer-in-Chief is not responsible for the viral outbreak that began in China. Nor is he responsible for China's awful mismanagement of it. But this admin received its first formal notification of the outbreak of the coronavirus in China on Jan. 3. Since that time the federal reaction to the predictable outbreak in the US has been a cluster fuck. It began with the misguided belief the virus was "under control" and since has been marked by a series of terrible decisions based on the desire not to disrupt the economy. Tragically bad decisions highlighted by myself and other progressives on this board. The delineation of which has been met with recrimination, denial, whataboutisms, deflection, and factual inaccuracies by indignant Trumpleton's. All to no avail. The facts are as they are. In spite of our foreknowledge, repeated warnings, the capacity to mobilize tremendous resources to fight the virus, a nationwide system of excellent medical facilities, the ability to easily communicate accurate information nationally, an educated citizenry, the US has what is arguably the worst outbreak of the virus in the world.
There needs to be a reckoning for our failure. One that rightfully begins at the top.
