President Trump said the task force has done «a phenomenal job,» and the administration is «looking at other phases.»
Discussions are underway about winding down the work of the Coronavirus Task Force, Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged to reporters Tuesday, even as the number of deaths and new cases continue to mount, generally plateauing but not declining, as states begin to reopen. The administration’s work on testing and bolstering the national stockpile will continue, Pence said, with some of that work being moved back to agencies.
Pence, who leads the task force and was answering questions about a New York Times report about the likely disbanding of the task force, said in the off-camera briefing that «conversations are being had about winding down the work for the task force,» and the White House is looking at a possible Memorial Day «window.»
«I think we’re having conversations about that and about what the proper time is for the task force to complete its work and for the ongoing efforts to take place on an agency-by-agency level,» the vice president told reporters. «And we’ve already begun to talk about a transition plan with FEMA. But it’s — it really is all a reflection of the tremendous progress we’ve made as a country. The president stood up the White House Coronavirus Task Force to marshal — in January — to marshal a national response.
