>> TRYMAINE, THANK YOU. >>> JOINING US NOW, THE
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF MICHIGAN, GRETCHEN WHITMER.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
IT’S BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY FEW
DAYS.
DAYS. JUST YESTERDAY, YOU DECIDED TO
CLOSE RESTAURANTS, BARS, GYMS,
COFFEE HOUSES, CLUBS AND MOVIE
THEATERS.
THEATERS. WHAT WENT INTO MAKING THAT
DECISION?
DECISION? WHAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT?
>> WELL, LET ME JUST START WITH
THIS.
THIS. ALL OF THESE DECISIONS THAT YOU
SEE GOVERNORS MAKING ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE, FRANKLY, THEY WEIGH
HEAVILY ON US.
KNOWING THAT WHEN WE CLOSE THE
RESTAURANTS TO DINE IN AND WE
CLOSE ALL THE BARS THAT IT IS
GOING TO MEAN THAT PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO LOSE THEIR JOBS AND A
LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE REALLY
GOING TO STRUGGLE.
WE KNOW THIS.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE
HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON
THE BEST SCIENCE, BEST FACTS AND
WHAT’S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF
THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND PLACES OF MASS CONGREGATION
ARE WHERE THIS VIRUS CONTINUES
TO SPREAD.
TO SPREAD. IN ORDER TO FLATTEN THE CURVE,
WE NEED TO BE AGGRESSIVE ON THE
FRONT END.
FRONT END. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID NOT
TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY EARLY ENOUGH
AND NOW IT IS ON US TO MAKE SURE
WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN
BASED ON THE BEST FACTS AND
SCIENCE AVAILABLE AND THAT WE
ARE ALWAYS PUTTING THE HEALTH OF
OUR PEOPLE FRONT AND CENTER.
IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE
BUT WE KNOW THE SPREAD OF THIS
VIRUS IS DEPENDENT ON CLOSE
PROXIMITY.
PROXIMITY. THIS IS ONE OF MANY STEPS WE’RE
TAKING IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
>> WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP, TO
SHELTER IN PLACE, WHAT SAN
FRANCISCO IS DOING?
>> YOU KNOW, WE’RE NOT PREPARED
TO ANNOUNCE ANYTHING LIKE THAT
YET, BUT I WILL SAY THIS.
YESTERDAY I ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER ON EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT
SO THAT WE CAN DRAW DOWN MORE
FEDERAL RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE
WHO ARE REALLY GOING TO STRUGGLE
IN THIS MOMENT.
LAST WEEK I SHUT SCHOOLS VERY
EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS AND I
THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
WONDERING IF THAT WAS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
BUT IN THE DAYS SINCE, WE’VE
SEEN A LOT OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
TEST POSITIVE FOR THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. WE’VE HAD A 5-YEAR-OLD IN
MICHIGAN TEST POSITIVE FOR THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. SO THE FACT THAT ANYONE THINKS
THERE’S A SEGMENT OF OUR
POPULATION THAT IS NOT
VULNERABLE IS WRONG.
EVERY ONE OF US HAS TO PROCEED
AS THOUGH WE ARE CARRYING THE
VIRUS.
VIRUS. AND THAT’S WHY WE ALL NEED TO DO
OUR PART.
OUR PART. NOT CONGREGATING.
NOT CONGREGATING. WASHING OUR HANDS.
NOT GREETING ONE ANOTHER IN THE
TRADITIONAL FASHION OF SHAKING
THE HAND AND KEEPING THAT
SIX-FOOT SOCIAL DISTANCING.
IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF
US, FOR OUR HEALTH, BUT ALSO FOR
OUR ECONOMY.
OUR ECONOMY. >> EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS. WILL THAT BE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF
THOSE RESTAURANT AND BAR WORKERS
THAT WERE BASICALLY PUT OUT OF
WORK YESTERDAY AND WILL THOSE
BENEFITS BE 100%?
NORMALLY UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
ARE JUST A PORTION.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
IN MICHIGAN, UNFORTUNATELY, IN
RECENT YEARS, THE LEADERS, MY
PREDECESSORS TOOK UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS BACK FROM 26 WEEKS TO
20 WEEKS.
20 WEEKS. WE KNOW NRD TO MAXIMIZE THE
BENEFIT FOR MICHIGANDERS I
NEEDED TO EXPAND IT BACK TO 26
WEEKS.
WEEKS. THAT’S WHY I DID IT VIA
EXECUTIVE ORDER.
EXECUTIVE ORDER. WHEN THESE DOLLARS BECOME
AVAILABLE, WE’RE REALLY PULLING
TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE
HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO
STRUGGLE, AND WE’RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD ON ALL
OF THOSE FRONTS.
>> ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? YESTERDAY "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
REPORTED THAT THE PRESIDENT TOLD
A GROUP OF GOVERNORS, DON’T WAIT
FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
GET RESPIRATORS AND VENTILATORS.
GET THEM FOR YOURSELF?
WHAT’S THE REACTION TO THAT?
IT’S MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE
FEDERAL RESPONSE DURING THE
EBOLA.
EBOLA. >> THIS HAS TO BE ALL HANDS ON
DECK.
DECK. CUTTING RED TAPE, MOVING AS
QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AND
BEING AGGRESSIVE AND SMART ABOUT
OUR REACTION.
OUR REACTION. AND SO TO HEAR THE LEADER OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TELL US TO
WORK AROUND THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT’S TOO SLOW
IS JUST -- IT’S KIND OF
MIND-BOGGLING TO BE HONEST.
WE ARE PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS
IN MICHIGAN.
IN MICHIGAN. BUSINESSES HERE IN MICHIGAN THAT
ARE REDOUBLING THEIR EFFORTS TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE ABLE TO
ACCESS ALL OF THE KINDS OF
EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED, BUT WE
NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
WORK.
WORK. WE NEED RESPIRATORS AND
VENTILATORS AND PERSONAL
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT.
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT. WE NEED MORE TEST KITS AND THE
RESOURCES TO PROCESS THOSE TEST
KITS IN A QUICK, EXPEDITED
MANNER.
MANNER. >> CAN YOU GET THEM?
CAN YOU GET THEM WITHOUT FEDERAL
SUPPORT?
SUPPORT? >> NO, NO, WE NEED FEDERAL
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. LIKE I SAID, WE’RE PULLING OUT
ALL THE STOPS AND REACHING OUT
TO OUR PARTNERS IN THE PRIVATE
SECTOR.
SECTOR. WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO SUPPLEMENT.
BUT IT’S NOT TO THE EXCLUSION OF