Katherine Eban: Biden Admin Passed on Ramping Up Testing, Instead of Doing ‘Operation Warp Speed’ Type Program

WALKER It s not ░░░░░░░░ lines many Americans thought ░░░░░░░░ d be stuck in ░░░░░░░░ Christmas but across the ░░░░░░░░ S people have been ░░░░░░░░ hours to take Covid ░░░░░░░░ this week That wait ░░░░░░░░ is infuriating but it ░░░░░░░░ also potentially inexcusable when ░░░░░░░░ consider Covid has become ░░░░░░░░ reality for nearly two ░░░░░░░░ now This week President ░░░░░░░░ defended his administration s ░░░░░░░░ to the pandemic but ░░░░░░░░ admitted that he wishes ░░░░░░░░ had ordered more tests ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts Biden No ░░░░░░░░ don t think it ░░░░░░░░ a failure I think ░░░░░░░░ s a you could ░░░░░░░░ that we should have ░░░░░░░░ a year ago six ░░░░░░░░ ago two months ago ░░░░░░░░ month ago I ve ░░░░░░░░ half a billion of ░░░░░░░░ pills 500 million pills ░░░░░░░░ me 500 million test ░░░░░░░░ that are going to ░░░░░░░░ available to be sent ░░░░░░░░ every home in America ░░░░░░░░ anybody wants them But ░░░░░░░░ answer is yeah I ░░░░░░░░ I had thought about ░░░░░░░░ half a billion pills ░░░░░░░░ months ago before Covid ░░░░░░░░ here Clip ends WALKER ░░░░░░░░ Well according to Vanity ░░░░░░░░ two months ago President ░░░░░░░░ was presented with a ░░░░░░░░ to do just that ░░░░░░░░ was an idea for ░░░░░░░░ rapid tests for the ░░░░░░░░ and to prevent a ░░░░░░░░ Covid surge What is ░░░░░░░░ right now Joining me ░░░░░░░░ the journalist behind this ░░░░░░░░ Fair reporting Katherine Eban ░░░░░░░░ Merry Christmas Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for joining us ░░░░░░░░ this day Can you ░░░░░░░░ to us this meeting ░░░░░░░░ what transpired after EBAN ░░░░░░░░ Well first of all ░░░░░░░░ you for having me ░░░░░░░░ Happy holidays to you ░░░░░░░░ all the viewers The ░░░░░░░░ that I reported on ░░░░░░░░ place on October 22nd ░░░░░░░░ a group of Covid ░░░░░░░░ testing experts who had ░░░░░░░░ strongly advocating for a ░░░░░░░░ in rapid tests which ░░░░░░░░ the over the counter ░░░░░░░░ that some Americans have ░░░░░░░░ lucky enough to become ░░░░░░░░ with and basically had ░░░░░░░░ proposal for a big ░░░░░░░░ action which was to ░░░░░░░░ that all Americans were ░░░░░░░░ free tests the point ░░░░░░░░ to protect against a ░░░░░░░░ Covid surge so that ░░░░░░░░ and New Year s ░░░░░░░░ Americans would be given ░░░░░░░░ tests That is exactly ░░░░░░░░ many Americans are spending ░░░░░░░░ holidays doing looking for ░░░░░░░░ looking for rapid tests ░░░░░░░░ they can get over ░░░░░░░░ counter at pharmacies so ░░░░░░░░ can go into a ░░░░░░░░ event a Christmas family ░░░░░░░░ with some assurance that ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ Covid to their relatives ░░░░░░░░ at the time the ░░░░░░░░ administration assessed the plan ░░░░░░░░ they did not have ░░░░░░░░ manufacturing capacity to do ░░░░░░░░ and passed on it ░░░░░░░░ of doubling down on ░░░░░░░░ up the testing So ░░░░░░░░ interviewed seven people who ░░░░░░░░ been at that meeting ░░░░░░░░ as one of them ░░░░░░░░ it to me the ░░░░░░░░ administration in baseball terms ░░░░░░░░ playing small ball just ░░░░░░░░ the players along WALKER ░░░░░░░░ do want to point ░░░░░░░░ that CNN has not ░░░░░░░░ confirmed the Biden administration ░░░░░░░░ rejected the proposal for ░░░░░░░░ home testing I do ░░░░░░░░ to play White House ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Jenn Psaki addressing ░░░░░░░░ issues and manufacturing capacity ░░░░░░░░ starts PSAKI The President ░░░░░░░░ t have taken the ░░░░░░░░ in September and October ░░░░░░░░ had taken if we ░░░░░░░░ t aware that we ░░░░░░░░ to have increased supply ░░░░░░░░ also there wasn t ░░░░░░░░ demand back in June ░░░░░░░░ it right and Delta ░░░░░░░░ the mentality in the ░░░░░░░░ for understandable reasons and ░░░░░░░░ fact that there were ░░░░░░░░ a couple of approved ░░░░░░░░ just before October there ░░░░░░░░ only about three on ░░░░░░░░ market right that we ░░░░░░░░ have tapped into The ░░░░░░░░ using the Defense Production ░░░░░░░░ and investing 3 billion ░░░░░░░░ for there to be ░░░░░░░░ increase in production so ░░░░░░░░ could order the huge ░░░░░░░░ of supplies that we ░░░░░░░░ ordering now Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ So you report that ░░░░░░░░ plan presented to the ░░░░░░░░ administration called for I ░░░░░░░░ 700 million tests to ░░░░░░░░ made available a month ░░░░░░░░ you re saying look ░░░░░░░░ know the administration pushed ░░░░░░░░ and said we just ░░░░░░░░ t have the capacity ░░░░░░░░ manufacture on this scale ░░░░░░░░ could these long lines ░░░░░░░░ the surge from your ░░░░░░░░ do you believe that ░░░░░░░░ have been avoidable especially ░░░░░░░░ you talk to health ░░░░░░░░ EBAN Well a number ░░░░░░░░ people who were at ░░░░░░░░ meeting and people who ░░░░░░░░ been advocating for a ░░░░░░░░ surge in rapid testing ░░░░░░░░ feel that these long ░░░░░░░░ could have been avoided ░░░░░░░░ that also if you ░░░░░░░░ rapid testing you can ░░░░░░░░ further and actually break ░░░░░░░░ chains of transmission because ░░░░░░░░ rapid tests do is ░░░░░░░░ give you a snapshot ░░░░░░░░ time Am I contagious ░░░░░░░░ now as I m ░░░░░░░░ to walk into my ░░░░░░░░ s home am I ░░░░░░░░ to turn this family ░░░░░░░░ into a super spreader ░░░░░░░░ So people could use ░░░░░░░░ tests to make critical ░░░░░░░░ for their families was ░░░░░░░░ argument You know experts ░░░░░░░░ advocates have felt that ░░░░░░░░ Biden administration has not ░░░░░░░░ rapid testing they have ░░░░░░░░ vaccines and vaccinations for ░░░░░░░░ but they did not ░░░░░░░░ to do something like ░░░░░░░░ Operation Warp Speed for ░░░░░░░░ which was the kind ░░░░░░░░ dramatic program that was ░░░░░░░░ for vaccines WALKER You ░░░░░░░░ report about the strong ░░░░░░░░ from the medical community ░░░░░░░░ having people you know ░░░░░░░░ themselves Why EBAN That ░░░░░░░░ right I mean these ░░░░░░░░ tests interestingly enough have ░░░░░░░░ controversial that doctors who ░░░░░░░░ sort of guarding their ░░░░░░░░ feel that you know ░░░░░░░░ re in charge of ░░░░░░░░ patients if they have ░░░░░░░░ diagnosis So that if ░░░░░░░░ make rapid tests available ░░░░░░░░ all what are patients ░░░░░░░░ to do with that ░░░░░░░░ diagnosis Are they going ░░░░░░░░ take the appropriate steps ░░░░░░░░ that was a concern ░░░░░░░░ the beginning Most doctors ░░░░░░░░ I know at this ░░░░░░░░ though say you know ░░░░░░░░ It is a critical ░░░░░░░░ of the just in ░░░░░░░░ pandemic toolbox to help ░░░░░░░░ make important decisions to ░░░░░░░░ you know big scale ░░░░░░░░ you want to get ░░░░░░░░ 000 people safely in ░░░░░░░░ stadium Let s find ░░░░░░░░ what their status is ░░░░░░░░ Yeah EBAN So you ░░░░░░░░ while vaccinations are still ░░░░░░░░ obviously they re not ░░░░░░░░ and Omicron has shown ░░░░░░░░ that the rise in ░░░░░░░░ cases for fully vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ has shown us vaccines ░░░░░░░░ not sufficient unto themselves ░░░░░░░░ Yeah testing also a ░░░░░░░░ tool that we need ░░░░░░░░ Appreciate your reporting Katherine ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ joining us EBAN Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much for having ░░░░░░░░