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Hi,
As coronavirus cases are soaring across America to their highest levels ever, Donald Trump is doubling down on his comments from the weekend by cutting off funding for testing in states hardest hit by the pandemic.
At his rally in Tulsa last weekend Trump said he had ordered federal agencies to "slow down the testing."1 He later said he wasn't kidding -- and he just proved it by moving to end federal funding for over a dozen testing sites.2
This is the worst possible moment to defund coronavirus testing. We need Congress to step in right now and insist that these tests continue.
Sign the petition and tell Congress: Stop Trump from closing down coronavirus testing!
According to TPM, one of the hardest hit states by Trump's decision to defund the testing sites will be Texas, which is facing a "massive outbreak" right now as hospitals in Houston and Dallas are inundated with coronavirus patients.3
The pandemic is not over yet. In fact, it's getting worse. If we defund testing now, coronavirus will spread like wildfire across the country again.
After all, that's what happened earlier this year. In the crucial months of January and February, the federal government failed to provide enough testing to track coronavirus cases. The result was a national catastrophe, with more than 100,000 Americans dead so far.
Trump and his family have also been systematically undermining the fight against coronavirus, hoarding crucial supplies and leaving states high and dry when it comes to testing kits and personal protective equipment.4
As coronavirus case numbers soar, we need more testing, not less. We have no time to lose. Can you send an urgent message to Congress right now?
Thanks for taking action,
Robert and the team at Demand Progress
Sources:
1. CBS News, "Trump says he wasn't joking about testing slowdown: 'I don't kid'," June 23, 2020.
2. TPM, "EXCLUSIVE: Feds About To Bail On Supporting COVID Testing Sites In Texas And Other States," June 23, 2020.
3. CBS News, "Texas governor says there is a "massive" coronavirus outbreak across the state after reopening," June 24, 2020.
4. Mother Jones, "Jared Kushner Had One Job: Solve America’s Supply Crisis. He Helped Private Companies Instead.," May 20, 2020.
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