California Rep. Katie Porter exacted a commitment from the director of the Center for Disease Control to pay for coronavirus tests of uninsured Americans, grilling the Trump administration official repeatedly in the middle of a Congressional hearing until he agreed the government would pay for the tests.
When CDC director Robert Redfield agreed to Porter’s demands, she quickly turned to the American public to urge them to get tested.
“Everyone in America, hear that. You are eligible to go get tested for coronavirus and have that covered, regardless of insurance.”
Porter cited a provision in federal administrative law to ask Redfield, if he would commit to “using that existing authority to pay for diagnostic testing free to every American regardless of insurance.”
I bet they go back on the promise but it was one of the best things I ever saw happen during a Congressional hearing. Though testing is only one small part of it, it was an enormous achievement.
* Elizabeth Warren
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