Pelosi And Schumer Say It’s ‘Alarming’ That Trump Failed To Mention The Lack Of Coronavirus Testing In The U.S. In His National Address!

AOL.com, By Lauren Frias-BUSINESS INSIDER, Posted March 12th 2020

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement it was “alarming” that the president failed to mention the lack of coronavirus testing kits available in the U.S.
• The president spoke in an address from the Oval Office about the novel coronavirus and the measures that he and his administration are taking to curb the spread and help impacted business and workers.
• The U.S. has been struggling to distribute tests as case numbers grow in the country, due in part because of the CDC’s decision to create their own test, which was ini tally faulty.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concern that President Donald Trump failed to mention the lack of coronavirus testing available in the U.S. during his Wednesday night, televised national address.

The president spoke from the Oval Office about the coronavirus and the measures that he and his administration are taking to curb the spread of the virus and offer relief to workers and businesses.

Some measures the president mentioned included suspending travel for 30 days from all countries in Europe except the United Kingdom for non U.S.-citizens and permanent residents, and asking Congress to provide payroll tax relief and waivers for small businesses.

In a joint statement, Pelosi and Schumer said it was “alarming” that the president failed to mention the lack of coronavirus testing kits available in the U.S. as the outbreak continues.

“We have a public health crisis in this country and the best way to help keep the American people safe and ensure their economic security is for the president to focus on fighting the spread of the coronavirus itself,” they said in the statement. “Alarmingly, the president did not say how the administration will address the lack of coronavirus testing kits throughout the United States.”

While Trump did mention that major health insurance companies would waive copays for coronavirus treatment, insurance industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans contradicted the president’s statement and said it would only apply to coronavirus testing, not treatment.

The U.S. has been struggling to distribute tests as case numbers grow in the country, prompting the CDC’s decision to create their own test, which turned out to be faulty. As of Wednesday, there are more than 1,300 confirmed coronavirus cases in the US and 38 deaths.

However, in comparison to other countries completing coronavirus tests like South Korea and Italy, the U.S. is falling far behind in detecting cases.