VP Mike Pence on task force leadership:
“I’m leading the task force, will continue to rely on the Secretary’s role as chairman of the task force and the leader of Health and Human Services, but we’ve known each other for many years, and worked together very closely over the years. And the President has every conference in the secretary as I do. But the President wanted to make it clear to the American people that we’re going to bring a whole of government approach to this. The President wanted to make it clear that what priority this is for him and for our administration. To that end, I also spoke today, and last night, with the Republican and Democrat leadership of the House and Senate. We’re already beginning discussions over an additional supplemental bill. We are leaning on the task force for guidance.
But those were productive conversations, very positive. This is the time when the president’s been clear, we want all hands on deck.
And my role is to help lead this effort with the White House Coronavirus task force but also engage our governors, engage local officials, including mayors around the country, and work with members of Congress on Capitol Hill, to make sure that all the agencies represented here in our state and local partners have the resources they need.”
