Published 11:58 IST, April 3rd 2020
Donald Trump warns against ‘partisan’ probe after Pelosi announces oversight panel
US President Donald Trump warned Democrats against “partisan investigations” after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the formation of House Select Committee.
- World News
- 2 min read
US President Donald Trump warned Democrats against “witch hunt” and “partisan investigations” after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the formation of House Select Committee to oversee coronavirus response. At a White House coronavirus taskforce briefing, Trump said the endless partisan investigations have already done extraordinary damage to the country and that it’s not the time for politics.
“It's witch hunt, after witch hunt, after witch hunt. It’s not any time for witch hunts, it's time to get this enemy defeated," said the US President.
While Trump didn’t explicitly mention any particular investigation but it was an apparent remark at Pelosi who announced an oversight panel on April 2. Pelosi had said the purpose of the committee is to ensure that the stimulus package of $2 trillion is spent “wisely and effectively”.
“The committee will be empowered to examine all aspects of the federal response to the coronavirus to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being wisely and efficiently spent to save lives, deliver relief and benefit our economy,” said the Speaker during the weekly press conference.
'Root out fraud'
The select committee will be chaired by Majority Whip Jim Clyburn but the composition of the panel has not been revealed yet. Pelosi assured that the panel will root out waste, fraud, and abuse and will protect against price gouging and profiteering. She added that the committee will press to ensure that the federal response is based on the best possible science and guided by the nation’s best health experts.
"We have no higher priority than making sure the money gets to those working families – struggling to pay rent and put food on the table – who need it most," emphasising that the committee will be bipartisan.
The United States has already reported over 240,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the highest in the world, and over 6000 people have lost their lives to it. The huge spike in cases forced the United States to purchase medical supplies from Russia and cargo plane landed in New York City on April 1.
Updated 11:48 IST, April 3rd 2020