Schiff proposes coronavirus commission to probe pandemic response
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff proposes the establishment of a bipartisan commission to investigate the response to the coronavirus pandemic by the Trump administration.
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In a bid to make political hay out of the coronavirus pandemic, congressional Democrats want to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the federal government’s response. Although Rep. Adam Schiff insists the idea is “not a political exercise to cast blame,” it’s impossible to imagine that he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t use a commission to do exactly that.
After all, they tried and failed to drive President Trump from office with Russia, Russia, Russia and then Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine. Both times they concocted their own narrative by turning assertions into facts, and shouldn’t be trusted with a third chance.
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Yet it is beyond dispute that America was not ready for this or any other pandemic. We were caught flat-footed, with neither Washington nor the most populous states having sufficient plans, people and equipment to combat an invisible enemy.
Already the impact of the virus recalls other great shocks to our nation, from the JFK assassination to the financial crash of 2008. Along with 9/11, each was followed by extensive examinations of what went wrong and how a repeat could be prevented.
A prime requirement of such probes is that they be viewed as impartial. But equally important is timing — and now is not the time to play the blame game, especially one loaded with partisan agendas.
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The war against the virus is far from over. The body count continues to rise, some 16 million Americans have lost their jobs, the federal guidelines remain in place and nearly all states continue to impose harsh restrictions on commerce and social interactions.
Thus, a finger-pointing exercise would only harden our political polarization. Most important, it would sap attention and energy from the all-hands-on-deck emergency America still faces.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING MICHAEL GOODWIN'S COLUMN IN THE NEW YORK POST