Rep. Nancy Mace on Wednesday demanded to know why President Joe Biden has "taken a year" to look at the supply chain issues.
The congresswoman told Newsmax that Biden should already have been meeting with advisers and industry leaders concerning the problems that have led to empty shelves in the nation's stores and a lack of vital supplies elsewhere.
"When I was in D.C. a few weeks ago, it was the Republicans on the Transportation Infrastructure Committee that had a briefing with the supply chain industry regarding President Biden's vaccine mandates and how much damage that would to the supply chain," Mace, R-S.C., said on Newsmax's "National Report."
"It wasn't Democrats that did that. It was Republicans, because Democrats have refused to have a hearing on these issues … this should have been addressed, I believe, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic."
Biden on Wednesday received a progress report from Cabinet members and private sector CEOs while touting the progress his administration has been making in alleviating supply chain issues, reported CNN.
Meanwhile, Mast said she was happy that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has remained consistent on his stance against the Build Back Better Act.
"One of the reasons I got into this gig is that the lack of consistency with politicians when they get to D.C.," she said. "He and Sen. Krysten Sinema have been very consistent on this issue, and I'm glad to see him standing up.
"I wish more people on both sides of the aisle would do that … it's time that the American people demand honesty and truth and facts when lawmakers are making these kinds of decisions and not buy into what someone might say on Twitter, which would disguise what's going on here. This is going to be a very expensive bill; it will add to our deficit, it will increase inflation."
Biden on Tuesday issued a warning to unvaccinated Americans while giving an updated report on the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid spread of the omicron variant, and Mace said the "last thing" that needs done now is attacking the unvaccinated.
"COVID-19 is a serious illness," Mace said. "A year and a half after having COVID, I was recently diagnosed with asthma. I am not the same as I was before having COVID-19. If you talk to your doctor, and he advises that you or your family get vaccinated, I would encourage you to do that."
However, she said there shouldn't be vaccine mandates because that's "hurtful."
"We need to bring people together and talk about all of the options that are out there, whether that is vitamins and supplements, things we should be doing right now to keep ourselves healthy," she said.
Mace added that she's encouraged by the testing push the Biden administration is making and hopes that tests are made more available in the nation's cities.
"The top of my mind right now is ensuring that every American has the ability to get tested if they have been exposed," Mace said. "That's the biggest issue that we have right now and then treatment, of course, and ensuring that our hospitals have the ability to treat those patients who need it."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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