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Says negotiations on small-business program continue: ‘We’re very close’. Vice President Mike Pence said President Trump is “not happy” with China over its early fumbles in disclosing the coronavirus that erupted in Wuhan but stopped short of outlining consequences Sunday, saying the administration is looking into it. “The president’s made it clear he’s not happy,” …
Says negotiations on small-business program continue: ‘We’re very close’.
Vice President Mike Pence said President Trump is “not happy” with China over its early fumbles in disclosing the coronavirus that erupted in Wuhan but stopped short of outlining consequences Sunday, saying the administration is looking into it.
“The president’s made it clear he’s not happy,” Mr. Pence told “Fox News Sunday.” “We’re going to make proper inquiries into this at the proper time.”
Mr. Trump is highlighting China’s culpability in failing to contain a virus that’s raced around the globe, sickening 2.3 million people and killing 161,400 people, including nearly 40,000 deaths in the U.S.
“If they were knowingly responsible, certainly. If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences,” Mr. Trump said Saturday at the White House. “I haven’t ruled out anything — I want to look at the facts as they come in.”
Mr. Trump’s critics say the White House is highlighting China to deflect attention from his slow start in preparing and testing for the virus.
An early test for the virus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed, and the administration scrambled to loosen rules that allow private labs to test for the pathogen.
Mr. Pence said the U.S. is conducting roughly 150,000 coronavirus tests per day but there’s potential to do more, as some labs idle.
“We think we can double that number by working with governors to activate all of the laboratories in their state,” Mr. Pence said.
The vice president said that should be enough for states to begin re-opening their economies under phase one of new White House guidelines.
The first phase calls on individuals to maintain physical distance from others, when possible, and for vulnerable people to remain home.
It says businesses should reopen in phases, encourage telework when possible and close common areas.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the only way to get to phase one is to have a more comprehensive diagnostics program. The speaker said Mr. Trump “gets an F” on testing.
“We’re way late on that,” Mrs. Pelosi told Fox News.
Pressed on whether she slipped up and downplayed the risks in late February by touring Chinatown in San Francisco, the speaker wouldn’t answer directly.
She said she was trying to prevent discrimination and that Chinatown in San Francisco has been a model for containing and preventing the virus.
“You should not discriminate against Chinese Americans,” Mrs. Pelosi said.
Mr. Pence, meanwhile, avoided directly answering questions about protesters who want their governors to reopen the economy more quickly. Many of them are Trump supporters and failing to maintain proper “social distancing.”
The president appeared to egg them on, tweeting “Liberate Michigan” and similar messages about Minnesota and Virginia.
Mr. Pence told Fox News that Mr. Trump will “encourage governors to safely and responsibly” open their states for American workers.
The speaker and Trump administration are locked in thorny negotiations over additional funding for a small-business program that helps firms retain workers. It’s a key piece of the massive economic relief package Congress passed to stem the fallout from the pandemic.
The White House and GOP are pushing for $250 billion to keep the program moving, though Democrats are insisting on money for hospitals and states.
Mr. Pence said it’s up to Democrats to step forward with an extension for businesses, although talks continue.
“We’re very close,” he said.
“The Paycheck Protection Program has been an incredible success and literally has made it possible for small businesses around America to keep people on the payroll for a two-week period of time while we weather the storm of the coronavirus,” Mr. Pence said.
