The fight against coronavirus should be a bipartisan effort and commitment, and it's "disturbing" to see Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi politicizing it, Sen. John Barrasso, who is also a physician, said Thursday.
"My focus is on the health of the American people," the Wyoming Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "It's disturbing to see it politicized as Chuck Schumer has done on the floor of the Senate and how the Democrats did it in South Carolina, trying to play politics in an area we should be focused on public health and safety."
Barrasso said he's been at all of the briefings on the virus, but he hasn't seen Schumer at any of them.
"We need to be focused on public health, not politics like the Democrats are trying to do," said Barrasso.
Schumer on Wednesday slammed President Donald Trump for his administration's response to the outbreak, accusing it of having been caught "flat-footed." Pelosi, meanwhile, has called the response "chaotic."
Barrasso said he agrees with Trump's comments on Wednesday that the United States is the most prepared nation in the world, but Americans do need to be vigilant.
"When you look at a country the size of ours with this population, it is impossible to seal the entire nation," said Barrasso. "The president was right with the early travel restrictions and he may have to do more as more countries are involved."
He added that he thinks it was the right decision for Trump to put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of handling the government's efforts.
"There is more work to do," he said. "We're ever vigilant. It can turn quickly. I think we're in the right position right now to deal with what could be a worldwide threat."
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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