Democratic senator says 'it seems completely unclear' what department is in charge of the federal coronavirus response


Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) doesn't know what to make of the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, he told Rolling Stone.
Murphy has made it clear — with some colorful language — that he and his staff are struggling to understand the strategy for the production and distribution of medical supplies during the crisis. He's not even sure who's actually in charge.
The senator told Rolling Stone he asked the White House for a call with the federal agency leading the supply charge, figuring he'd speak to either the Federal Emergency Management Agency or maybe President Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro who was appointed to coordinate the national Defense Production Act policy. He wound up being connected with the Pentagon. Murphy wasn't insinuating the Defense Department was unqualified; he was more struck by the apparent disorganization.
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"I walked away from that conversation scratching my head, like 'Who's in charge?'," he said. "DOD clearly has expertise, but it seems completely unclear whether the White House is in charge, DOD is in charge, FEMA is in charge or [the Department of Health and Human Services] is in charge." Read more at Rolling Stone.
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
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