Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf struggled to answer questions about how the United States is preparing for widespread coronavirus outbreaks and instead said his department did not need to know basic information as it plans its response.
Wolf appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Tuesday to talk about the White House’s budget request for his 240,000-employee department, but he was questioned by both Democrats and Republicans on the Trump administration’s coronavirus preparations. In several instances, Wolf refused to answer or contradicted information that was shared by the Department of Health and Human Services in a briefing with lawmakers earlier Tuesday, including the number of domestic coronavirus cases the department anticipates seeing.
“We’re working with HHS to determine that,” said Wolf. “We do anticipate the number will grow. I don’t have an exact figure for you.”
“Do you have an estimate? Is someone modeling that?” Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, asked. “You are head of Homeland Security, and your job is to keep us safe. Do you know today how many the experts are predicting?”
Wolf said he was not sure how widespread the administration expects the virus, which originated in China, to become. “Again, we have task force members that are working on that every day,” said Wolf, referring to a recently organized HHS-led group of government agencies sharing information as they plan for the virus’s spread.
“I’m all for committees and task forces, but you’re the secretary. I think you ought to know that answer,” Kennedy said.
Wolf was then asked how the virus is transmitted and told Kennedy several times that it is shared “human to human,” even as Kennedy asked repeatedly what that specifically entailed. Wolf did not break his explanation down beyond “human to human.” The Republican senator then quizzed Wolf on the death rate, ripping the Trump official for not knowing how deadly it has been in recent days.
Kennedy asked if the U.S. had enough respirators to use on patients who need help breathing. Wolf said he should ask HHS. Kennedy responded that HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the country did not have enough breathing machines.
“You’re the secretary of Homeland Security, and you can’t tell me if we have enough respirators,” said Kennedy. “You don’t know. You don’t know the answer, do you? Do we have enough face masks?”
“For the entire American public? No, I would say probably not,” said Wolf.
“How short are we?” Kennedy asked.
“I don’t have that number off-hand, senator,” Wolf said.
Kennedy then asked how far along the country is from developing a vaccine. Wolf said the U.S. was “several months” from a solution and said that the information had been given to him by HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Well, your numbers aren’t the same as CDC’s,” Kennedy said. “Don’t you think you ought to contact them and find out if you’re right?”
Wolf said the DHS was in contact with the CDC daily, and Kennedy asked why the department was reporting different numbers.
“I would refer you to the CDC on specific questions,” Wolf said.
“You’re supposed to keep us safe, and the American people deserve some straight answers on the coronavirus — and I’m not getting them from you,” said Kennedy.
“I disagree,” said Wolf, whom President Trump appointed temporary DHS head in November.
Following the hearing, Wolf emerged to speak with reporters and insisted he was “absolutely satisfied with the direction we’re going” in the department’s coronavirus response, stating again, “We have all the information,” despite coming up short on answers throughout Kennedy’s long line of questioning.
“Just like I wouldn’t ask HHS to comment on operations at air ports of entry, land ports of entry — what are we doing in the maritime environment? How are we protecting, you know, DHS employees? — I’m going to let HHS, CDC, and the medical professionals talk about their, their responsibilities,” Wolf said. “So he can talk about respirators,” Wolf said of Azar. “He can talk about all of that.”
As of Tuesday, 14 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with coronavirus in addition to up to 30 people who have been repatriated after getting sick while on cruise ships internationally.
