President Biden’s nominee for health and human services Xavier Becerra
Xavier BecerraSunday preview: All eyes on Biden administration to tackle coronavirus Senate chaos threatens to slow down Biden’s agenda ENERGY OVERNIGHT: Court rejects Trump coal plant rule | Green groups sue after Trump administration eliminates bird protection | Trump administration rushes to close Arctic oil leases last day in office MORE said Sunday that the country is facing an uncontrolled spread of the virus.
“The plane got in the nose. And we have to pull it up,” Becerra told CNN Dana Bash
Dana BashTapper fights GOP lawmakers for criticism of Afghan veterinarian CNN’s Electoral College vote extending Jake Tapper’s show to two hours, shortening Wolf Blitzer’s Fauci show: mutant coronavirus strain must be taken “very seriously” MORE. “And you won’t do that overnight. But we’re going to pull it up. We have to pull it up. Failure is not an option.”
Becerra said federal leadership is needed to ensure the vaccine launch and the state’s efforts to control the virus have been effective and smoothly managed.
“But first you have to save the people, you have to save the economy,” he said, adding: “President Biden has made it clear: it will not happen overnight.”
“We can’t just tell the states, here are some PPE, some masks, here are some vaccines, now go do it,” the HHS candidate added.
His comments came in response to questions about Biden’s comments, suggesting he could do nothing in the United States to block the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months.
“There is nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next few months,” Biden said Friday.
The Biden administration has promised a more practical approach to fighting the spread of COVID-19, as opposed to the Trump administration’s largely state-centered approach to distributing vaccines.
In his first week in office, Biden signed a series of executive orders, including orders addressing the pandemic, such as one requiring passengers to wear masks at airports.