WASHINGTON _ Senators questioned Trump administration scientists Tuesday about the availability of coronavirus tests, treatment for those infected and a vaccine, as the number of infections and deaths in the U.S. continues to grow.
Government experts sought to reassure the Health and Education Committee that their agencies are working with the private sector to identify Americans infected and treat the roughly 20% of cases that display severe symptoms. Sen. Patty Murray, the panel's top Democrat, said the administration's response so far has been "unacceptable," with her state of Washington reporting nine deaths this week.
"Containing this is absolutely critical," Murray said. "Can the American people rely on you to be 100% transparent?"
The witnesses from four government agencies promised to speak truthfully with the American people, even if it means contradicting a tweet or statement from President Donald Trump.
Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said health experts are operating in "the area of the unknown" with the novel coronavirus that began in China and has spread to six continents. He said public officials are trying to strike the balance between being prepared and not overreacting.
Fauci also said there will be a different timeline for developing a treatment for those already infected, compared to the time needed to offer a vaccine to the general public. He said developing a vaccine will "take a while."
Even Republicans questioned why the U.S. wasn't more prepared for an outbreak with the most basic things like protective gear for health workers.
"It doesn't seem to be that we were prepared for this," said Richard Burr, a Republican from North Carolina. "How can we have a situation like Washington state?"
Senators pushed Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn on his promise in a Monday press conference to have a million tests ready by the end of the week.
"The companies that we're working with this on, they have the capacity to develop enough tests to send out by the end of the week _ and this is a dynamic process, every day we're hearing from additional manufacturers that they can do this," Hahn said, predicting that 2,500 kits, each with 500 tests, will be ready by the end of the week. "That should give us the capacity in the hands of laboratories, once they validate, to perform up to a million tests."
Congressional leaders, meanwhile, were finalizing a funding bill to provide an extra $7.5 billion to fight the virus's spread.
The House could vote on supplemental funds as soon as Wednesday, according to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he hopes the Senate will also approve the supplemental funds this week.
