TESTING MANDATE FOR CERTAIN
PRIVATE BUSINESSES TO MOVE
FORWARD.
IN "FOCUS" NOW CONGRESSWOMAN
NANCY MACE, SOUTH CAROLINA
REPUBLICAN.
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT
AND VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEES.
LET’S START WITH WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SHOULD BE SAYING THIS
AFTERNOON.
>> WELL FOR STARTERS HE SHOULD
NOT ATTACK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HE NEEDS TO PROVIDE
REASSURANCES TO OUR COUNTRY
THAT WE’LL HAVE TESTING
AVAILABLE.
I AM VERY KEEN ON THE IDEA OF
EXPANDING TESTING AND HAVING
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDE
TESTS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I’M WORRIED ABOUT THE NUMBER
AND AMOUNT WE’RE ALREADY SEEING
IN THE NORTHEAST TESTING SITES
BEING OVERRUN AND PEOPLE
WAITING HOURS JUST TO GET THE
TEST.
BUT THAT’S A GOOD STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION I WOULD SAY.
BUT WE NEED TO PROVIDE
ASSURANCES TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND GOVERNORS AND STATES
THAT ARE DEALING WITH OMICRON
AND WILL IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
AS IT MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH OUR
COUNTRY ON HOW WE’LL HANDLE
THAT.
IT IS EVERYTHING FROM TESTING
TO THE AVAILABILITY OF
VACCINATIONS TO THE
AVAILABILITY OF PPE AND MAKING
SURE THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION AND
RATHER THAN ATTACKING WANT TO
MAKE SURE THERE IS GROWING
TRUST, NOT DISTRUST OF THE
GOVERNMENT.
GROWING TRUST IN THE MEDICAL
COMMUNITY AND DOCTORS RATHER
THAN SEWING SEEDS OF DISTRUST.
I HOPE TO HEAR THAT MESSAGE
THIS AFTERNOON.
>> Harris: QUICKLY AND WE’LL
MOVE TO THE NEXT THING.
YOU ARE WITH YOUR VOTERS IN
SOUTH CAROLINA AND YOU ARE
TALKING AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE.
WHAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT
THIS WHITE HOUSE MISSTEPPED ON
THE MOST WITH REGARD TO COVID.
WE NOW HAVE MORE PEOPLE DYING.
WE HAVE LESS ACCESS TO TESTING.
IN SOME WAYS WE’VE GONE
BACKWARDS.
>> RIGHT.
IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF THE
MISINFORMATION.
SOMETIMES MISLEADING
INFORMATION ALSO THE VAX
MANDATES ENORMOUS PUSHBACK IN
MY COMMUNITY AND STATE OF SOUTH
CAROLINA TO ALLOW FAMILIES AND
BUSINESSES TO MAKE THESE
DECISIONS.
THE DECISIONS SHOULD BE MADE AT
THE STATE, LOCAL AND PERSONAL
LEVEL.
ENORMOUS PUSHBACK ON THE
MANDATES AND THE ATTACKING
PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED OR
NOT VACCINATED.
IT GOES BOTH WAYS.
ATTACKING OTHERS DURING THIS
TIME.
COVID IS NOT SOLELY IN THE
UNITED STATES.
IT IS EVERYWHERE AROUND THE
WORLD.
WE REALLY TRULY HAVE TO WORK
TOGETHER.
IT HAS BEEN POLITICIZED.
WE CONTINUE TO POLITICIZE IT.
THAT’S I THINK MADE THIS
GETTING THROUGH THIS THING EVEN
TOUGHER.
OMICRON IS GOING TO BE MORE
PREVALENT THAN EVER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS LESS DEADLY
>> Harris: AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
>> THERE IS MORE BREAKTHROUGH
CASES AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT
INFORMATION TO MAKE THE BEST
DECISION ELSE FOR THEMSELVES.
>> Harris: YOU JUST MENTIONED
SOMETHING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.
IT IS EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST IN
THE UNITED STATES.
I HAVEN’T HEARD THE PRESIDENT
OR HIS TEAM AT THE WHITE HOUSE
TAKING DOWN THE UNVACCINATED IN
COUNTRIES WHERE THEY DON’T HAVE
ACCESS TO THE VACCINES.
IF YOU WANT AN EVEN PLAYING
FIELD WOULDN’T THEY BE
ACCORDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE
THE ENEMIES, IF YOU WILL, WITH
REGARD TO COVID?
I DO WANT TO GET TO THIS FROM
CONGRESSMAN ANDY BIGGS OF THE
GREAT STATE OF ARIZONA.
WE’RE ON THIS TOPIC.
HERE IS WHAT HE TWEETED IN
TERMS OF HIS RESPONSE.
THIS IS SICK.
BIDEN AND HIS CREW WANT TO FEAR
MONGER THEIR WAY INTO DICTATING
YOUR PRIVATE HEALTHCARE
DECISIONS.
WE’RE NOT FALLING FOR IT.
YOUR REACTION, CONGRESSWOMAN.
>> I WOULD AGREE.
I THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF
AMERICANS WOULD AGREE, TOO.
THE KIND OF MANDATES SCARING
PEOPLE DURING CHRISTMAS AND NEW
YEAR’S, BULLY THEM INTO THIS IS
NOT THE WAY TO GO.
WE NEED TO NOT ATTACK THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE BUT PROVIDE
REASSURE NSS AND GIVE THEM HOPE
AND INFORMATION TO MAKE GOOD
DECISION ELSE FOR THEMSELVES
AND THEIR COMMUNITIES AND GIVE
STATES THE AVAILABILITY TO
MANAGE THE HOT SPOTS.
IT WILL MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH
THE COUNTRY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE
REASSURANCES TO ALL OF OUR
GOVERNORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL
PROVIDE ACCESS TO TESTING THAT
THEY NEED, PPE, ETC. WHEN THIS
THING HITS THE FAN EVERYWHERE
ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.
THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO BE
HEARING FROM EVERYBODY ACROSS
THE BOARD TODAY.
>> Harris: YOU TALK ABOUT
READINESS.
YOU ARE WAGING READINESS.
LESS FIGHT AMONG EACH OTHER AND
MORE READINESS.
IT TAKES LEADERSHIP.
I WANT TO GET TO THIS.
A LOT OF PARENTS ARE CONCERNED
THEY WILL START PUTTING KIDS
BACK IN VIRTUAL.
WE KNOW THE EDUCATIONAL HARM
AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES THAT
CAN BRING FOR A LOT OF KIDS.
WASHINGTON EXAMNER OP-ED READS
THIS WAY.
ANY STATE, CITY OR SCHOOL
DISTLAIKT IS CLOSING DOWN
SCHOOLS AND FORCING CHILDREN
BACK INTO THE CATASTROPHE THAT
IS REMOTE LEARNING IS IGNORING
22 MONTHS OF DATA.
THEY ARE SACRIFICING CHILDREN’S
EDUCATION ON BEHALF OF THE
PANICKED SEGMENT OF THE
POPULATION THAT IS AFRAID TO GO
OUTSIDE WITHOUT A MASK ON.
NO ONE IS BEING PROTECTED BY
SHUTTING DOWN SCHOOLS AND
MANDATING CHILDREN BE
VACCINATED, MASKED OR
CONSTANTLY TESTED.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> I CAN TELL YOU I HAVE SEEN
IT FIRSTHAND THE STRUGGLES OF
VIRTUAL LEARNING AND HOW AWFUL
IT HAS BEEN FOR OUR FAMILY AND
HOW MY CHILDREN AND OTHER
CHILDREN HAVE STRUGGLED.
I’VE SEEN THE STRUGGLES
FIRSTHAND.
WE DON’T WANT TO SEE THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO BLANKET
LOCKDOWNS OR ANYTHING TO THAT
NATURE.
IT SHOULD BE UP TO PARENTS HOW
THEIR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL, NOT UP
TO ANYBODY ELSE.
I CAN TELL YOU I HAVE HAD A
CONVERSATION WITH MY KIDS
DURING DELTA VARIANT I SENT
THEM TO SCHOOLS IN MASK.
ONE KID WEARING A MASK AND ONE
KID WILL TAKE IT OFF BEHIND MY
BACK.
WHEN IT GETS TO SOUTH CAROLINA
AND HAVE A PREVALENCE OF THE
VARIANT YOU ARE GOING TO SCHOOL
IN MASKS BECAUSE THOSE OFFER
GREATER PROTECTION THAN
SURGICAL OR MEDICAL MASKS SO
THEY CAN BE PROTECTED.
I’M ALREADY HAVING THESE
CONVERSATIONS WITH MY KIDS.
I DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM IN
VIRTUAL LEARNING.
I WANT TO KEEP THEM HEALTHY.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT WASHING
HANDS AGAIN AND DOING ALL THE
THINGS WE DO AND LIMITING BIG
EVENTS AND THOSE SORTS OF
THINGS.
WE’RE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS
AND ABLE TO AS PARENTS.
WE SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO
DO THAT FOR OURSELVES AND OUR
KIDS.
>> Harris: JUST HAVING A CHOICE
TO GET YOUR HOUSEHOLD READY TO
SEND TO SCHOOL RATHER THAN
SOMEBODY SHUTTING IT DOWN AND
FORCING YOU TO BECOME THE
TEACHER AGAIN.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Harris: YOU WOULD BE MUCH
MORE EQUIPPED THAN I.
IT WAS A STRUGGLE THE FIRST
TIME.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.