>> CHRIS, ANDY AND KRISTEN, HOLD
ON, BECAUSE I DO WANT TO GET
INTO THE GSA AND THE TRANSITION,
THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT BUT I
WANT TO BRING IN DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY PHIL
MURPHY NOW.
HE JOINS US.
WE WANT TO SQUEEZE YOU IN BEFORE
WE HAVE TO GO TO BIDEN AS WELL.
GOVERNOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
THERE ARE MILLIONS OF FOLKS IN
NEW JERSEY WHO RELY ON EITHER
THE OBAMACARE OR THE PROTECTIONS
FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT
THAT LAW PROVIDES.
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO THE STATE
OF NEW JERSEY IF IT IS ROLLED
BACK, IF IT IS OVERTURNED, IF
THE SUPREME COURT DOES NOT RULE
IN FAVOR OF THIS LAW?
>> WELL, IT’S DEVASTATING.
IT’S DEVASTATING IN NEW JERSEY
AS IT WOULD BE IN STATES ACROSS
AMERICA, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE
RECENTLY TAKEN THE DECISION TO
BUILD OUR OWN EXCHANGE, TAKE
MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PRE-EXISTING
CONDITIONS, I THINK, IN NEW
JERSEY IT’S 3 OR 3.5 MILLION
PEOPLE OUT OF OUR 9 MILLION
PERSON POPULATION.
IT’S SENIORS, IT’S ACCESS TO
FAMILY PLANNING DRUGS, IT IS THE
JOBS IT’S CREATED, IT’S -- IT’S
OUR EFFORTS AT THE STATE LEVEL
TO REPLACE THE FEDERAL PREMIUM
WITH A STATE PREMIUM THAT
OVERWHELMINGLY HELPS FOLKS
GET -- AFFORD HEALTH CARE AND
HERETOFORE THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE
TO AFFORD IT.
I MEAN, IT’S A WHOLE RANGE OF
IMPLICATIONS THAT ARE
OVERWHELMING AND DEVASTATING.
>> GOVERNOR, AS YOU KNOW, WE’RE
IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC AND
THOSE WHO CONTRACT COVID-19
MIGHT THEMSELVES HAVE A
PRE-EXISTING CONDITION GOING
FORWARD AS WE DON’T KNOW WHAT
THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS ARE, FOR
THIS DISEASE.
SOME PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING
LONGER TERM EFFECTS THAN OTHERS.
YOUR STATE IS SEEING ANOTHER
SURGE AND YOU’RE SHUTTING DOWN
INDOOR DINING AND BARS OVER THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT YOU’RE
SEEING IN YOUR STATE RIGHT NOW?
>> YEAH, WE ARE DEFINITELY BACK
IN THE SOUP.
ONE OF THE GUYS WHO I HAVE TO
SAY WHO HAS BEEN A GREAT ADVISER
TO US FROM DAY ONE IS ANDY
SLAVITT.
I WANT TO GIVE ANDY A SHOUT OUT.
SO, WHAT WE’RE -- YOU KNOW,
WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF INDOOR
TRANSMISSION, A LOT OF PRIVATE
SETTINGS, BUT WE’RE ALSO SEEING
NOT IN NAME BUT IN SUBSTANCE,
RESTAURANTS TURNING INTO CLUBS
AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON.
SO WE’VE GOT TO FIND -- WE’VE
TAKEN SEVERAL STEPS TO STOP
THAT.
ONE IS ELIMINATING BAR SEATING.
TWO, ASKING PLACES TO CLOSE
THEIR INDOOR ACTIVITIES AT 10:00
P.M.
WE’RE FINE IF YOU’RE OUTDOORS,
WE’RE FINE IF YOU’RE DOING
TAKEOUT, BUT THOSE WHO ARE JUST
BECOMING SPREADING EVENTS.
WE’RE PLEADING WITH PEOPLE TO
FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE PANDEMIC
FATIGUE.
EVERYBODY’S GOT IT.
WHO COULD BLAME YOU?
I’VE GOT IT.
BUT HE WE HAVE TO STAY IN THE
FIGHT HERE.
I JUST SPOKE WITH THE CEO OF
PFIZER.
THIS DEVELOPMENT IS REAL.
THE VACCINE IS REAL.
WE HAVE TO BEAR DOWN UNTIL
THAT’S BROADLY AVAILABLE.
>> THAT’S A GREAT SEGUE TO MY
NEXT QUESTION.
I WANT TO PLAY A SHORT SOUND
BITE FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES SECRETARY ALEX AZAR ON
CBS.
LET’S LISTEN.
>> SO WE’RE WORKING IN
COLLABORATION WITH THE GOVERNORS
TO DO THIS.
THEY WILL ACTUALLY MAKE THE
DETERMINATIONS OF WHO SHOULD GET
THE VACCINE WITHIN THEIR STATE.
WE’LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED
ON THE PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT OF
THE CDC.
BUT THE GOVERNORS WILL BE IN THE
DRIVER’S SEAT.
>> SO, THE GOVERNORS WILL BE IN
THE DRIVER’S SEAT.
HE SAID THIS MORNING IT WILL BE
UP TO YOU TO DECIDE WHO GETS
THIS VACCINE FIRST, WHO’S MOST
IN NEED.
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN IN NEW JERSEY
TO MAKE SURE THE MOST VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS ARE AT THE FRONT OF
THE LINE?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, THEY ARE
PRIORITIZED, KATY.
THEY’VE BEEN THAT WAY FOR
TESTING.
THEY’VE BEEN THAT WAY WHEN WE
SURGE.
ANY SORT OF RESOURCES, CONTACT
TRACING, THE VULNERABLE
COMMUNITIES, THE FRONT-LINE
HEALTH CARE AND OTHER ESSENTIAL
WORKERS HAVE BEEN AT THE HEAD OF
THE LINE AND THEY WILL BE FOR A
VACCINE AS WELL.
SECRETARY AZAR HAS BEEN A GOOD
PARTNER FOR US.
GENERAL GUS PERNA WAS ON
YESTERDAY GOING THROUGH OUR
DISTRIBUTION PLAN WITH THE
COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND IT IS A PLAN THAT
IS CONSISTENT WITH CDC GUIDANCE
BUT ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE
UNIQUENESS OF OUR STATE, AS ANY
STATE WOULD.
I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT OUR
PLAN WILL ADDRESS THE INEQUITIES
THAT WE -- THAT THIS VIRUS HAS
UNEARTHED.
MAY NOT HAVE CREATED THEM BUT
HAS LAID THEM BARE, AND THE
FOLKS WHO NEED THEM MOST,
ESPECIALLY OUR VULNERABLE
COMMUNITIES, WILL GET IT AT THE
HEAD OF THE LINE.
>> ONE MORE QUESTION ON THAT.
IT’S GOING TO BE PRETTY
DIFFICULT -- THIS VACCINE NEEDS
TWO DOSES, IT NEEDS TO BE STORED
IN ULTRACOLD STORAGE.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
NEED IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT YOU HAVE
ALL THE RESOURCES IN PLACE, THAT
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ALL
THE RESOURCES AND LOGISTICS IN
PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THE VACCINE
ITSELF SURVIVES THE TRANSPORT
FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,
FROM THE CDC AND THE FDA TO THE
INDIVIDUAL STATES AND TO THE
INDIVIDUAL DOCTORS’ OFFICES
WHERE THIS VACCINE WILL BE
DISTRIBUTED?
>> YEAH.
IT’S EXCEEDINGLY COMPLEX.
GENERAL PERNA, THAT’S HIS
OVERSIGHT.
BY THE WAY, HE’S A JERSEY GUY.
YOU RAISE ALL THE RIGHT
QUESTIONS.
WE NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
WITH US.
IT MAY BE UP TO US AS GOVERNORS
TO HAVE A DISTRIBUTION PLAN, AND
OBVIOUSLY BE AT THE POINT OF
ATTACK, BUT WE NEED THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IN A BIG WAY.
AS I SAY, GENERAL IS OVERSEEING
THAT.
THERE’S MONEY, THERE’S
LOGISTICS, THE WHOLE FOOD CHAIN
AND DISTRIBUTION PROCESS, AS YOU
QUITE RIGHTFULLY POINT OUT, IT’S
TWO JABS.
IT HAS TO BE STORED AT MINUS 80
DEGREES CELSIUS, ET CETERA.
IT’S A VERY COMPLEX PROCESS.
WE NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
AS ROBUST PARTNERS EVERY STEP OF
THE WAY.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT EXIT HE’S
FROM?
>> OH, I SHOULD HAVE -- I
BELIEVE HE’S FROM MORRIS COUNTY
SO HE’S A LITTLE OFF THE BEATEN
PATH OF BOTH THE TURNPIKE AND
THE PARKWAY.
I’LL GET THAT FOR YOU NEXT TIME.