Their fearmongering on vaccine development and therapeutics undermines public health. It identifies issues with pandemic-related contracting, citing examples in which Trump administration officials awarded contracts without competition to companies that lacked experience in the field or had political connections to the administration. And it isn’t just individuals the administration failed, the report contends, saying the Trump administration mishandled programs designed to help small businesses stay afloat. “The Select Subcommittee’s investigations show that the Trump Administration weakened these programs by prioritizing larger and wealthier businesses over truly struggling small businesses, exacerbating inequity in the economic downturn,” the report says. In addition, it held 15 public hearings and briefings with senior administration officials, experts in public health and economics, and members of the public who have been affected by the pandemic.

Source: Washington Post October 30, 2020 14:00 UTC