HE WAS THE MAN TO DO IT.
ONE OF HIS MOST TRUSTED ADVISERS
HAD A PERFECT RESUME FOR THE
JOB.
RON CLAIN HAD WORKED IN A
VARIETY OF POSITIONS IN THE
GOVERNMENT, HE WAS THE ONE THAT
OBAMA HAD TAPPED TO BE HIS EBOLA
CZAR.
HE’S NOW THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF
OF STAFF WHOSE CHIEF JOB IS
GETTING THIS PANDEMIC UNDER
CONTROL, AND HE JOINS ME HERE AT
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL TONIGHT.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> I WAS REMINDED IT WAS ONE
YEAR AGO TONIGHT THAT YOU AND I
WERE SITTING ON SET WITH RACHEL
MADDOW AFTER THEN-PRESIDENT
TRUMP GAVE HIS ADDRESS, AND YOU
WERE THERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE YOU HAD EXPERTISE IN
PANDEMIC RESPONSE.
NOW, YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
>> YEAH.
>> DID THE YEAR UNFOLD WORSE OR
BETTER THAN YOU THOUGHT IT
WOULD, WHEN WE WERE SITTING
THERE A YEAR AGO?
>> MUCH WORSE.
I DON’T THINK ANYONE, I DON’T
THINK THE MOST PESSIMISTIC
PERSON COULD HAVE IMAGINED YOU
AND I WOULD BE STANDING HERE A
YEAR LATER WITH THIS EPIDEMIC
STILL RAGING AND MORE THAN
500,000 AMERICANS DEAD.
BUT I DID SAY THAT NIGHT I WAS
VERY FEARFUL AS YOU LISTENED TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP HE WAS GOING TO
WASH HIS HANDS OF THE RESPONSE
AND LEAVE IT IN THE HANDS OF
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO DO
IT.
I SAID THAT NIGHT, THAT WOULD BE
A HORRIBLE MISTAKE.
I THINK THAT WAS BORNE OUT.
I THINK TONIGHT, THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE HEARD FROM A PRESIDENT
WHO IS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY,
WHO IS TAKING CHARGE, WHO LAID
OUT A NEW STRATEGY TO FIGHT
COVID, STARTING ON HIS FIRST
FULL DAY IN OFFICE.
WHO PUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
CENTER AND SQUARE, OWNING THE
RESPONSE FOR BETTER OR WORSE,
AND I THINK SO FAR, IT’S WORKED
OUT A LOT BETTER THAN IT HAS
BEFORE.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU HAD THE
PHRASE, THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERACY RESPONSE.
I REMEMBER, IT STUCK WITH ME.
JOE BIDEN IS ELECTED.
THERE’S AN ANNOUNCEMENT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO
MOVE IN.
AND A TURF BATTLE, GOVERNORS
WROTE A LETTER, THEY SEEMED
PRICKLY ABOUT SOME OF IT.
WE’RE AT 2.2 MILLION VACCINES A
DAY.
WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET
TO 3 MILLION OR 3.5 MILLION.
IS THAT AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL?
>> WE CAN DEFINITELY GO UP FROM
WHERE WE ARE.
THE PRESIDENT SIGNED THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN,
LEGISLATION HE CALLED FOR BEFORE
HE EVEN TOOK OFFICE.
THAT’S GOING TO FUND OUR EFFORTS
TO FURTHER RAMP UP VACCINE
PRODUCTION.
THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED
YESTERDAY, HE BOUGHT 100 MILLION
MORE DOSES OF J&J.
WE NEED MORE VACCINE TO INCREASE
THE PACE.
WE ALSO NEED MORE PEOPLE GIVING
SHOTS.
THE PRESIDENT TONIGHT SAID HE
WOULD ORDER 4,000 ADDITIONAL
TROOPS TO THE FRONT LINES TO
GIVE VACCINES.
WE’RE GOING TO ACTIVATE RETIRED
MEDICAL WORKERS AND OTHER PEOPLE
TO REALLY INCREASE OUR ABILITY
TO VACCINATE THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC.
HIS GOAL, AS HE SAID TONIGHT, IS
TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE
FINISH THESE HIGH PRIORITY
PEOPLE IN THE NEXT SIX OR SEVEN
WEEKS AND WE CAN OPEN UP
VACCINATIONS TO ALL AMERICANS
STARTING MAY 1st.
>> HE ALSO SAID, AND THIS
STRIKES ME AS AN ENORMOUS
LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE.
WITH THIS TARGET, RIGHT NOW,
THERE’S A LOT OF DEMAND, AND THE
SUPPLY CAN’T MEET IT.
FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
HAVE SOME KIND OF CENTRALIZED
MEANS FOR A PERSON WHO SAYS I
WANT TO GET A VACCINE.
IT’S MAY 2nd, AND NOW ALL ADULTS
ARE ELIGIBLE.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A TACIT
PROMISE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD DO
SOME WORK TO MAKE SURE THE
LOGISTICS OF THAT ARE RELATIVELY
SMOOTH.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
WE’RE GOING TO DEVELOP OVER THE
NEXT FEW MONTHS IN ADVANCE OF
MAY 1st, TAWEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE
CAN GO AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THE
VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.
WE’RE GOING TO STRIKE TO BACK IT
UP FOR A CALL CENTER FOR PEOPLE
WHO AREN’T ONLINE.
AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING FRANKLY WE CAN DO IS BRING
THE VACCINE TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, WHEN JOE
BIDEN BECAME PRESIDENT, THERE
WAS NO VACCINE GOING FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COMMUNITY
HEALTH CENTERS.
NONE GOING FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO PHARMACIES.
NOW, WE’RE HITTING 10,000
PHARMACYIES WITH THE VACCINE,
WE’RE GOING TO GET UP TO 1,000
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS.
WE’RE GOING USE MOBILE
VACCINATION CLINICS.
WE’RE GOING TO BRING THE VACCINE
TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
>> THERE’S LOT IN THE RESCUE
PLAN ABOUT THAT.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE SEEN THESE
RACIAL INEQUALITIES,
PARTICULARLY REINSCRIBE
THEMSELVES IN VACCINATION.
AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE CHALKED IT
UP TO HESITANCY, BUT IF YOU LOOK
AT THE DATA, THAT’S NOT REALLY
THE ISSUE.
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF
THAT ISSUE?
>> LOOK, I THINK HESITANCY IS AN
ISSUE WITH ALL AMERICANS OF ALL
RACES, AGES, WHATEVER.
OUR PRINCIPLE PROBLEM, THOUGH,
WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR RIGHT NOW,
IS ACCESS.
WE HAVE LOT OF BLACK AND BROWN
PEOPLE WHO WANT THE VACCINE WHO
CAN’T GET THE VACCINE.
ONE THING WE HAVE DONE IS
RAPIDLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS MAKING
THE VACCINE AVAILABLE.
WE TARGETED THE FIRST 6,000
PHARMACIES TO GET THE VACCINE
WERE LARGELY IN ZIP CODES THAT
SERVE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AS I SAID BEFORE, WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE TO GET VANS, MOBILE VANS
OUT ON THE STREET, WE HAVE TO
GET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
AND WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB
OF INCREASING EQUITABLE ACCESS
TO THE VACCINE.
>> THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN WAS
SIGNED TODAY.
THERE’S A TON IN THAT BILL.
AND IN FACT, TO THE EXTENT
THERE’S BEEN AN ARGUMENT FROM
REPUBLICANS AGAINST IT, OH,
THERE’S MONEY FOR MUSEUMS AND
FOR THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF
THE ARTS OR WHATEVER.
THERE’S CONCERN, SOME PEOPLE ARE
SAYING THIS IS TOO MUCH.
THAT THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO
OVERHEAT.
THERE’S GOING TO BE A CRAZY, YOU
KNOW, MONEY FALLING FROM THE
SKY.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE
PEOPLE WITH THOSE WORDS?
>> CHRIS, WE HAVE 10 MILLION
PEOPLE WHO A YEAR INTO THIS
STILL DON’T HAVE JOBS.
WE HAVE TODAY, THE 52nd
CONSECUTIVE WEEK OF RECORD HIGH
INITIAL UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS.
WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY FOOD
LINES THAT ARE MILES LONG.
IT’S LONG PAST TIME FOR THIS
COUNTRY TO STEP UP AND DO WHAT
WE NEED TO DO TO HELP THOSE
PEOPLE WHO ARE HURTING.
THAT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
THAT’S WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID
HE WOULD DO.
IT’S ALSO GOING TO BE GOOD FOR
OUR ECONOMY.
WE KNOW THIS ECONOMY GROWS WHEN
THE WORKING CLASS, THE MIDDLE
CLASS, HAVE ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES.
AND ONE THING THE AMERICAN
RESCUE PLAN DOES IS PUTS AN END
TO KIND OF THE ECONOMICS FOCUSED
ON THE PEOPLE AT THE VERY TOP,
REALLY INVEST IN THE MIDDLE
CLASS AND WORKING PEOPLE.
THAT’S GOING TO GET OUR ECONOMY
GROWING FOR EVERYBODY.
>> RON KLAIN, WHO I WAS WITH A
YEAR AGO WHEN THE WORLD LOOKED