During a hearing, Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) cited a federal law that allowed the CDC to make coronavirus testing free and got the CDC Director to agree to it.
Porter asked CDC Director Redfield if he would commit to free coronavirus testing. Redfield danced and dodged. Porter stopped him and said, “No. Not good enough.” She asked him a yes or no question. Redfield refused to answer again. Porter went back at him again and asked if he will commit to using his existing authority.
Rep. Porter kept at him and told him to make a commitment to free testing. Redfield finally said, “I believe you are an excellent questioner, so the answer is yes.”
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I did the math: a full battery of coronavirus testing costs at minimum $1,331.
I also did the legal research: the Administration has the authority to make testing free for every American TODAY.
I secured a commitment from a high-level Trump official that they’d actually do it. pic.twitter.com/RmolCtmNbG
— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) March 12, 2020
It was an incredible exchange that revealed what tenacity and commitment to fighting for public health could do.
Rep. Porter may end up saving a countless number of lives because she took on Trump’s CDC and made him commit to providing free coronavirus testing to every single American.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
