A PANDEMIC-ERA Q&A WITH TOP HEALTH OFFICIALS
By Emily Knapp (@emilyroseknapp), Senior Digital Politics Editor, and Erica R. Hendry (@ericarhendry), Managing Editor for Digital

In a mark of our strange times, four top public health officials conferenced in remotely for a hearing with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (whose chairman, Sen. Lamar Alexander, led the hearing remotely, too). The topic at hand: How exactly are we going to reopen safely? 

It was also a rare opportunity for senators to question health officials with close ties to the White House and its pandemic response.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, and CDC director Robert Redfield touched on a broad range of topics, from recommendations for reopening schools and businesses to their working relationships with the president, who had previously blocked Fauci from testifying before a House panel investigating the administration’s pandemic response in April. 

Lawmakers, including former 2020 presidential contenders Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took the opportunity to both criticize and defend President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. For their part, Fauci, Redfield and others cautioned that while the U.S. has seen notable improvements in COVID-19 infection rates, there’s still a lot they don’t know about the virus. They urged states to exercise caution as they consider relaxing social distancing measures. 

Here are some key moments from the hearing.

When will we have a vaccine, and who will get it?

There were a few variations on this million dollar question. Fauci told Sen. Mitt Romney that it’s “more likely than not” that the U.S. will have a vaccine in one to two years, but that it would not be ready for students returning to school in the fall. Pressed by Sanders on who exactly would get that vaccine, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir.said it should be available to all Americans, regardless of income. But the challenge lies not just in the vaccine itself, but also how it’s distributed. Giroir called out a campaign he called “Operation Warp Speed,” which has brought his department together with Fauci and the Department of Defense, among others, to troubleshoot supply chain issues.  

Pushback on virus messaging

Sen. Christopher Murphy was one of several Democrats who criticized how Trump has handled or communicated about the virus. In particular he called out federal guidance on when to reopen that he called “criminally vague.” He pointed to reporting suggesting that more specific guidance from the CDC was shelved by the administration (which has said the documents are under review).  “States are opening right now and we need the additional guidance to make these decisions,” Murphy said. 

Warren asked Fauci whether the U.S. had coronavirus “contained,” a term the president has used to describe where the country stands on the outbreak. “I think we’re going in the right direction. But the right direction does not mean we have, by any means, total control of this outbreak,” Fauci said.

There’s room for improvement on testing 

In response to questions about how the U.S. acted in the early weeks of the outbreak, Food and Drug Administration commissioner Stephen Hahn said “this is an opportunity for us to take a look to determine how we can do things better.” He said that while test development began in late January, one of the issues they encountered was availability of supplies to complete development “in a timely fashion.” 

Hahn said he’s been trying to strike the right balance between regulatory flexibility and making sure the right standards are in place. “We will implement the changes that are necessary to make sure we can act in a more nimble way but still protect the safety and efficacy of medical products,” he said.

For more key moments from the Senate hearing, read our recap.  

We're also watching: another House panel on reopening on Wednesday. And on Thursday, a hearing with a whistleblower who claims he was reassigned because his recommendations on handling the pandemic conflicted with the president's. 


FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Alex D’Elia, @AlexDEliaNews
Politics production assistant

U.S. hits back at China with new Visa restrictions on journalists -- May 9. The Department of Homeland Security has limited Chinese journalists working for non-American news outlets to 90-day work visas, after the Chinese government expelled some American journalists from China in March. Why it matters: The retaliatory moves between the U.S. and China are another example of the fraying relationship between the countries. -- The New York Times

The Health 202: Coronavirus could worsen the opioid abuse epidemic -- May 11. A technicality prevented opioid treatment providers from qualifying for aid approved as part of the Cares Act in March. Why it matters: The kind of isolation brought on by the global pandemic can exacerbate substance abuse, and not having access to the funding adds to broader issues funding opioid prevention and treatment before the pandemic began.   -- The Washington Post

Bipartisan senators seek funding for pork producers forced to euthanize livestock -- May 11. Senators from both sides of the aisle want the Department of Agriculture to aid farmers who are forced to dispose of some 400,000 animals per week due to market closures. Why it matters: The pain felt by pork producers during this pandemic  is echoed broadly across the food industry -- from farmers to restaurant owners.  -- The Hill 

SF has shelled out more than $30,000 a day for empty hotel rooms -- May 9. Hotel rooms intended for frontline health care workers have been less occupied than anticipated. Why it matters:  The situation underscores how quickly needs are changing and how cities are trying to remain nimble as the crisis continues. -- San Francisco Chronicle

Coronavirus: All California voters may vote by mail in November -- May 8. Gov. Gavin Newsom took a big step in how the state will handle November elections.  Why it matters: California is now the first state to say every registered voter can vote by mail, as other states wrestle with how to handle the upcoming presidential election. -- The Mercury News


#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Kate Grumke, @KGrumke
Politics producer

On this day in 2002, a U.S. president became the first to visit Cuba since President Calvin Coolidge made the journey to Havana in 1928. 

Our question: Which U.S. president visited Cuba in 2002 (and met with Cuba’s president, Fidel Castro)?

Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: On this day in 1987, televised congressional hearings began regarding a major political scandal. What was that scandal? 

The answer: Iran-Contra.

Congratulations to our winner: Dennis Sheehan!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your Inbox next week.