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Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Hurdles, New Warning From Fauci, and VA Pandemic Response
In this email:
* Vaccines Open to All Americans
* In the States
* At Hearing, Fauci Warns of a Resurgence


American Oversight’s Covid-19 Oversight Hub ([link removed]) provides news and policy resources to help you keep track of the investigations into the government’s pandemic response. The project brings together a public documents database, an oversight tracker of important ongoing investigations and litigation, regular news updates, and deeper dives into key issues.

Congressional Hearings
* Tues., April 20: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing ([link removed]) about how best to support workers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
* Tues., April 20: The House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing ([link removed]) to discuss the Small Business Administration's pandemic response programs. SBA Inspector General Hannibal Ware and William Shear, the Government Accountability Office’s director of financial markets and community investments will testify.
* Wed., April 21: The House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing ([link removed]) about the Economic Development Administration’s role in the pandemic response.


Vaccines Open to All Americans
As of Monday, all adults in every U.S. state are eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and about half of all adults ([link removed]) have received at least one dose. As the more contagious B117 coronavirus variant continues to spread, medical professionals have noted that more young people ([link removed]) , many of whom are not vaccinated, are being hospitalized. Health experts are urging ([link removed]) all American adults to get their shots, especially in light of this spread.

Obstacles Ahead in the Vaccination Race
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended halting ([link removed]) the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, after reports that rare blood clots had been found in six of the nearly 7 million people who have received it. It remains unclear ([link removed]) whether the vaccine was responsible for these clots. On Wednesday, a CDC advisory committee convened to discuss the pause, and opted to wait ([link removed]) to make a recommendation about the vaccine’s future use until they had more information to assess the vaccine’s risks. Fauci has said he expects ([link removed]) a decision to be made when the committee meets again this week, on April 23.

Other hurdles are ahead. Federal officials are concerned about the appearance of falsified vaccination cards ([link removed]) , which individuals could use to gain access to reopened schools or businesses even if they have not received the vaccine. Currently, there is no national digital system for tracking vaccinations, making it difficult for third parties to determine whether a card is legitimate. States are also reporting vaccine surpluses ([link removed]) , reflecting slowing demand even though notable sections of the population remain unvaccinated. America’s vaccine surpluses have elicited criticism abroad, with a new study showing the U.S. could have up to 300 million extra vaccine doses ([link removed]) by the end of July, even while much of the world
faces long waits.

In the States
* Two cruise lines have announced that they will require passengers to show proof of vaccination when cruises resume in the summer — but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may block this action. Last week, DeSantis’ office doubled down ([link removed]) on his recent executive order that barred businesses from requiring proof of vaccine from customers, saying that the order extends to cruise lines operating in Florida.
* Michigan has marked a record-high number ([link removed]) of coronavirus-related hospitalizations among children as the virus continues to surge in the state, where more than 300 new or ongoing school outbreaks were reported in the last week. While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requested on April 9 that high schools pause indoor education and youth sports for two weeks, there were no requirements to do so.
* A STAT News investigation ([link removed]) revealed that in Massachusetts, multiple incarcerated individuals have received fast-tracked medical parole while on ventilators for Covid-19. The state corrections department’s Covid-19 mortality numbers only include those who died in custody, not those who died while on medical parole, raising questions about why these individuals were being released in their last days, sometimes after they had been denied parole multiple times before.

At Hearing, Fauci Warns of a Resurgence
On April 15, Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. In a heated exchange with Rep. Jim Jordan, Fauci warned that the current level of coronavirus infections remains high, saying ([link removed]) , “Right now, we have about 60,000 infections a day, which is a very large risk for resurge.” He recommended ([link removed]) easing restrictions only when daily infections drop to 10,000, and emphasized that he could not give an exact date for when the country would return to “normal” again.

Hearing witnesses also included CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and David Kessler, the Biden administration’s chief science officer for coronavirus response. Walensky said ([link removed]) that the CDC will be committed to transparency as it investigates any possible risks associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Report: Assessing Initial Vaccine Implementation
In a new report, the GAO reviewed ([link removed]) Covid-19 vaccine availability and initial vaccine administration. Stakeholders interviewed by the GAO said that states faced challenges during initial vaccine implementation and did not always have information critical for local distribution, such as how many doses would be received and when. The report detailed actions the federal government has taken to improve the vaccine rollout, including creating new vaccination sites and helping vaccine companies expand manufacturing capacity.

The Veterans Affairs Department’s Pandemic Response
* Vaccinations of Community Living Center Residents: The VA Inspector General reviewed ([link removed]) the Veterans Health Administration's plans for documenting the distribution of vaccines, and determined that VHA facilities did not consistently document the vaccination status of veterans living in the VA's Community Living Centers. As a result, the VHA could not know at a national level whether a vaccine was offered to some residents or what their vaccination status was. Currently, there is missing information about 23 percent of residents in these facilities that is needed to determine their vaccination status.
* In the Documents: Previous reporting ([link removed]) , as well as documents ([link removed]) published by American Oversight, showed that the VA struggled in the spring and summer of 2020 to obtain adequate amounts of personal protective equipment. Recently, American Oversight obtained more documents ([link removed]) that provide details about the agency’s early pandemic difficulties, including complaints from VA nurses alleging that the agency was not providing adequate PPE.


Where Did the Money Go?
* The Covid Lobbyists: Public Citizen analyzed contracts ([link removed]) the federal government awarded in 2020, finding that of the more than 6,300 companies that received a share of $36 billion to combat the pandemic, only 6 percent (around 400) had reported that they lobbied the federal government that year. Those companies were awarded more than half ($19.4 billion) of the disbursed contract money.
* PPP Fraud: The Department of Justice has brought criminal charges against more than 200 individuals in cases related to Paycheck Protection Program fraud. A new review ([link removed]) by the Project On Government Oversight found that the charged individuals still successfully obtained $246 million in funding — more than half the amount they had sought in PPP loans.

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Thank you again for following our latest news. We are grateful for your support and for helping us hold the administration accountable.

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