Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Latches On To May 1 Reopen Date Despite Warnings, But It's Not As Easy As Flipping A Switch
The New York Times: Trump Announces His ‘Opening The Country’ Council
President Trump stood in the Rose Garden on Tuesday evening and recited a list of dozens of prominent business and labor leaders who he said would be advising him in deciding when and how to reopen the country’s economy, even as governors made it clear they will make those decisions themselves. The president’s announcement came after days of confusion about the makeup of what Mr. Trump has described as his “Opening the Country” council. Some business leaders were reluctant to have to defend Mr. Trump’s actions and risk damaging their brands, people with knowledge of the process said. (Karni and Haberman, 4/14)
The Associated Press: New Trump Advisory Groups To Consult On Reopening US Economy
The panel of advisers, whom Trump said he will consult by phone, will operate separately from the White House task force that’s leading the administration’s public health strategy to contain and mitigate the pandemic, though there is expected to be some overlap. The panel, which the White House has dubbed the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, includes more than 50 executives and leaders from agricultural, defense and financial service industries, as well as leaders from unions, professional sports, think tanks and more. (Lemire, Freking and Madhani, 4/15)
Politico: Trump Promised A Big Announcement. Then He Read Off A Long List Of Names.
He spent days hyping it up. He built suspense. And he promised a big announcement. When he finally unveiled his much-heralded new White House economic task force focused on reopening the economy, President Donald Trump read off a list of names. Dozens and dozens and dozens of names. With little explanation or context about their ultimate purpose, Trump spent roughly 10 minutes in the White House Rose Garden ticking off names of executives and companies from sectors including technology, agriculture, banking, financial services, defense, energy, transportation, sports and health care. (Cook and Orr, 4/14)
Politico: Economist Who Called Trump A ‘Total Narcissist’ Is Appointed To Coronavirus Council
He called Donald Trump a “total narcissist.” Now he may be advising the president on economic policy in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Larry Lindsey, director of the National Economic Council for President George W. Bush, was named part of President Donald Trump’s cryptic White House economic advisory group on Tuesday to help deal with the fallout of the coronavirus crisis. It was a surprise announcement, considering Lindsey’s past displays of contempt for the president. (Choi, 4/14)
The Washington Post: Trump Wants To Declare Country Open By May 1 — But The Reality Will Be Much Slower
President Trump has all but decided to begin declaring the country ready to get back to business on May 1, two current and two former senior administration officials said, but a scramble is underway inside the White House to determine how to stagger a reopening of the economy amid the novel coronavirus pandemic while also protecting Trump from any political fallout. Impatient with the economic devastation wrought by social distancing and other mitigation measures — and fearful of the potential damage to his reelection chances — Trump has been adamant in private discussions with advisers about reopening the country next month. (Rucker, Costa and Parker, 4/14)
Reuters: Trump Says Close To Plan To Reopen Economy Possibly, In Part, Before May 1
Trump, facing re-election on Nov. 3 and under pressure to get the economy going again after millions have been made jobless by the shutdown, said some states should be able to reopen soon, based on a low rate of infections. “We think that some of the governors will be in really good shape to open up even sooner” than the end of April, Trump said. “Others are going to have to take a longer period of time.” (Mason and Alper, 4/14)
Politico: Why Trump Can’t Flip The Switch On The Economy
President Donald Trump is squabbling with governors and calling on a new council of corporate executives as he tries to reopen the American economy as quickly as possible. But his powers are limited not just by the Constitution but by the fact that he has limited sway over the real economy. Trump can fire off tweets, attempt to bully states into lifting social restrictions and otherwise declare America open for business. But he can’t force companies to reopen or ramp up production until owners and executives believe their workers are ready. (White, 4/15)
Politico: Republicans Press Trump To Restart Economy
While most Republicans say the country should go slow and take a regional approach, there’s an unmistakable demand building in the party for the president to move forward, according to interviews with more than a dozen GOP members of Congress. It’s a message they’re delivering privately in calls with Trump and his senior advisers, as well as in public op-eds and letters to the administration. “The president was very unfairly criticized for just [saying] what is indisputably true: ‘We need to make sure the cure isn’t worse than the disease.’ And I am concerned that the cure is worse than the disease,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). “If you’re a carpenter, every nail you see, the solution’s a hammer. The same may be true for epidemiologists.” (Everett, Zanona and Levine, 4/15)
The Hill: Pelosi: Ignore Trump, Listen To Scientists
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday urged the public to ignore President Trump's glowing assessment of his response to the coronavirus pandemic and tune in to the public health experts instead. In a letter to Democratic lawmakers, Pelosi accused Trump of first undermining the country's ability to battle a global pandemic — by dismantling certain public health offices — and then deceiving the public about the administration's progress in the fight. The result, Pelosi charged, has been "unnecessary deaths and economic disaster." (Lillis, 4/14)
CNN: Rep. Trey Hollingsworth Says Letting More Americans Die Of Coronavirus Is Lesser Of Two Evils Compared To Economy Tanking
An Indiana congressman said Tuesday that letting more Americans die from the novel coronavirus is the "lesser of two evils" compared with the economy cratering due to social distancing measures. Speaking with radio station WIBC in Indiana, Republican Rep. Trey Hollingsworth asserted that, while he appreciated the science behind the virus' spread, "it is always the American government's position to say, in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life, of American lives, we have to always choose the latter." (LeBlanc, 4/14)
