At the federal level, it is essential that congres- sional committees fulfill their oversight responsibilities and inquire into a considerable number of structural and functional problems that have undercut the capacity of the federal government to provide appropriate and timely assistance to the states and thus to the people of the United States. [...] The Federal Response: Key Weaknesses During the first two years of the pandemic, it was not uncommon for critics of government policy to charge that America’s system of fed- eralism—the division of power between the states and the national government—was at the root of the nation’s inability to respond effec- tively to the national emergency. [...] With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain problems became acute including l The failure of federal officials to provide the public with clear and consistent messaging based on the most recent scientific findings, l The failure to develop and deploy an adequate testing program to monitor the coronavirus, l The failure to create a clearinghouse of reliable and timely informa- tion for medical. [...] In a comprehensive after-action review of federal performance, the GAO stated that: In November 2020, we reported that COVID-19 testing guidelines had changed several times over the course of the pandemic with little scientific explanation of the rationale behind the changes, thereby confusing providers and public stakeholder groups implementing the guidelines and risking the erosion of trust in t. [...] Nevertheless, the CDC continues to recommend masking without informing the public of the weakness of the evidence, especially for cloth masks.115 Instead, it urges that people “[w]ear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you.”116 As the authors of the Cato Institute review of published research on the efficacy of masking note, “ethical principles require that the strength of the e.
- Pages
- 81
- Published in
- United States of America
