U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw blasted Joe Biden and former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett for their criticism of the Trump administration’s response to coronavirus even as the nation is in the midst of the crisis.
The former vice president called it a “national disgrace” that healthcare workers don’t have all the protective gear needed to do their jobs safely, but the Texas lawmaker pointed out that it’s easy to point fingers and his comments are doing nothing to help Americans right now.
“Remember when you were VP and lived through H1N1 and Ebola? You could have added more PPE to national stockpiles right? But you didn’t? See how easy it is to finger point? And play the bad-faith blame game? Everyone is trying solve this,” Crenshaw tweeted. “These type of comments add nothing.”
Remember when you were VP and lived through H1N1 and Ebola? You could have added more PPE to national stockpiles right?
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 2, 2020
But you didn’t?
See how easy it is to finger point? And play the bad-faith blame game?
Everyone is trying solve this. These type of comments add nothing. https://t.co/HSlQTzjELP
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Obama administration never replenished supplies after the swine flu in 2009.
After the swine flu epidemic in 2009, a safety-equipment industry association and a federally sponsored task force both recommended that depleted supplies of N95 respirator masks, which filter out airborne particles, be replenished by the stockpile, which is maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
That didn’t happen, according to Charles Johnson, president of the International Safety Equipment Assn.
The stockpile drew down about 100 million masks during the 2009 epidemic, Johnson said.
“Our association is unaware of any major effort to restore the stockpile to cover that drawdown,” he said. (LA Times)
Crenshaw wasn’t done letting Obama staffers know they are not helping.
Responding to Jarrett, who claimed President Obama would’ve handled the current crisis “much better,” going so far as to pin the tweet to her profile, Crenshaw simply asked, “why?”
“Why do so many Obama administration staffers constantly try to make Americans feel awful? Highlighting policy differences is expected - but this level of vitriol? During this pandemic? Why?" he asked.
Why do so many Obama administration staffers constantly try to make Americans feel awful? Highlighting policy differences is expected - but this level of vitriol? During this pandemic? Why? https://t.co/PGkiOyScrV
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 2, 2020