Today, Vice President Mike Pence led a discussion with the chief executives of approximately 50 States, territories, and the city of Washington, DC, and the White House Coronavirus Task Force to discuss local, State, and Federal Coronavirus response and recovery best practices.
Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau Lieutenant General Marc H. Sasseville and FEMA Administrator Gaynor confirmed the receipt of Title 32 extension requests from a number of states and that President Donald J. Trump would be making a decision on those requests in the coming days. Additionally, Administrator Gaynor gave a brief update on the status on Tropical Storm Isaias and FEMA’s continued actions to support States during hurricanes and other natural disasters.
The Vice President briefly updated governors on the status of Congressional negotiations and the administration’s ongoing prioritization of jobs and schools. Vice President Pence also provided an update on the COVID-19 response, including best practices to limit Coronavirus spread, encouraging Americans to adhere to state and local guidelines and to wear face coverings when social distancing cannot be maintained.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield discussed guidance on encouraging schools to reopen in the Fall and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma discussed supporting States’ efforts at protecting our most vulnerable citizens.
Ambassador Birx provided an updated on trends and data and discussed the need for ongoing coordination between state and local officials.
Secretary Azar provided an overview of the President’s telehealth action that will expand telehealth access to rural America. Additionally, Secretary Azar provided an update on the importance of donating convalescent plasma, and urged governors to encourage their residents to visit Coronavirus.gov for more information on how to donate plasma.
Admiral Giroir provided an update on resourcing state testing needs, additional support for testing supplies for the month of August, and pooling best practices.
Participants from the White House Coronavirus Task Force:
- The Vice President
- Secretary Alex Azar, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Ambassador Deborah Birx, M.D., White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator
- Administrator Seema Verma, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Administrator Pete Gaynor, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Director Robert Redfield, M.D., Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
- Admiral Brett Giroir, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS
- Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, Joint Chiefs of Staff, DOD
- Lieutenant General Marc H. Sasseville, Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau (DOD)
Since January 2020, the Trump Administration has led over 325 briefings – including 32 governors’ briefings – with over 152,000 State, local, and Tribal participants.
