WEBVTT

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received testimony on Defense

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Department's role in the federal

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response to the Cove in 19 crisis

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witnesses are Miss Stacey Cummings ,

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who is performing the duties of the

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undersecretary of defense for

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acquisition and sustainment . Mr

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Roberts . Alexis , who is salis , is ,

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I should say , who is performing the

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duties . The assistant secretary ,

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defense for homeland defense and Global

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security and General uh , Gus partner ,

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who is the chief operating officer of

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the federal covert 19 response . The

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Vaccines and Therapeutics . The

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organization was formerly known as

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Operation Warp Speed . I want to

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welcome our witnesses and thank them

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not only for appearing today , but for

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their tireless work in helping our

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nation address this terrible pandemic .

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America recently passed a grim

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milestone . Over 500,000 recorded

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deaths from Covert 19 . The impact of

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these lawsuits is tragic and

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immeasurable . Yet recent developments

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and trends offer a glimmer of hope .

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The CDC reports that the daily number

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of new cases has declined approximately

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70% from their peak in mid January .

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Positivity rates for testing are down ,

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and the rate of hospitalizations and

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the number of new deaths are decreasing .

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More than 65 million vaccines have been

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administered and the daily that's the

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nation average is now over 1.6 million

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doses . However , more needs to be done .

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The goal remains to accelerate

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vaccination efforts nationwide and

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scale up our ability to get shots , the

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people who need them . This requires

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transparency , clear communication and

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accountability at every level of

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government . The Department of Defense

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is support to civil authorities has

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been critical for delivering help to

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pandemic stricken Americans and their

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communities . The committee is

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interested in hearing about the

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Department of Defense's contributions

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to the whole of government response ,

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the covert 19 crisis and what MAWR the

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department can do to help get this

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pandemic under control and allow

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Americans to return to normalcy . The

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public private partnership , originally

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known as Operation Warp Speed ,

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mobilize the Defense Department's

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extensive contract and capabilities to

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accelerate efforts to develop and

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produce covert 19 vaccines . The

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department's contracting capabilities

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include in depth experience managing

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large dollar contracting with drug

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manufacturers through D . O . D s joint

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program Executive Office for Chemical

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Radiological Biological Nuclear Fence .

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This office is overseeing billions of

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dollars in contracts for various

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aspects of the response , including

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helping to support research activities ,

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conduct clinical trials increased the

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production of test and manufacturer

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hundreds of millions of additional

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vaccine doses . General partner . The

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committee is interested in knowing more

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about this element of your effort and

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what we can do to further aid the

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necessary research on and production of

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covert nine vaccines . The office of

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the Undersecretary for Acquisition

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Sustainment has helped lead efforts by

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the Defense Department's acquisition

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workforce to support the interagency

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covert 19 response efforts . Miss

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Cummings , I would appreciate if you

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could tell us about the Defense

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Department's role in that effort , as

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well as actions by the department to

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support the defense industrial base

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during this economically challenging

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time . We are particularly interested

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in the use , the Defense Production Act

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and other acquisition authorities and

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whether those authorities need to be

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enhanced or adjusted to support this

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important work . The ability to improve

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the rollout of the vaccine across the

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nation will depend critically on the

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government's ability to procure the

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vaccines and the associated equipment

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needed to admit district millions of

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doses . We're depending on the D o D

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acquisition work force to help make

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sure that this is done as quickly as

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possible . The department has also

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responded to requests for support from

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the states and the Federal Emergency

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Management Agency by deploying

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significant military personnel from

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both the National Guard and active duty

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units . Emissions being conducted by

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more than 28,000 National Guard members

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across the country include giving

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vaccinations and providing medical

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treatment . Earlier this week , the

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department announced the deployment of

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a second Army vaccination support team ,

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consisting of approximately 140

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personnel to Texas to support the

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covert 19 response and assistant

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vaccination efforts . An additional

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vaccination support teams are being

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ready , Mr Saleh says . This these

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missions are critically important for

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getting shots in the arms Americans .

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But these deployments must also have an

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impact and readiness , and I'm hoping

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you can give us information on that

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topic . Finally , the committee is

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concerned about the impact of the

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pandemic on the health and safety of

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our Defense Department personnel and

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operations . The department reports

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that it has administered nearly one

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million vaccines the D O . D personnel ,

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including both 1st and 2nd doses . At

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the same time , however , it is

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reported that nearly one third of

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service members are opting not to

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voluntarily received the Kobe 19 fact

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teen Mr Salis sees . I hope you can

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address the department's vaccination

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policies and plans the latest

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transmission rates of the virus among

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military personnel and how the

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department's response is impacting our

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military operations at home and abroad .

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Thank you again to our witnesses for

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repairing this morning , and I look

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forward to your testimony and let me

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recognize the ranking member of

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Saturday and thank you . Well , thank

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thank you , Mr Mr Chairman , I am I . I

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think that we all know this is

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something that's not been precedented

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and we've never experienced before .

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It's the most trying periods in the

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nation's history , and we mourn the

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loss of over 500,000 Americans . We're

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thinking of the thousands of Americans

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who are infected every day , and for

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those who still suffer from the disease

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is long term effects . And speaking of

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long term effects , we are devastated

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by the continued closure of schools and

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shutdowns of businesses . The pandemic

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created unprecedented challenges for

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federal , state and local governments .

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The Defense Department played a vital

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role in the pandemic response from the

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beginning , starting by assisting

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HHS and housing and Americans who had

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been evacuated from China in the

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months that followed , over 47,000

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guardsmen , including hundreds from My

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State of Oklahoma , mobilized staff

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testing centers and delivery food and

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provided medical support . The Army

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Corps of Engineers constructed 38 new

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alternative care of facilities around

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the country , adding over 17,000

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hospital beds to handle the surge of

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patients . D o d partnered with HHS and

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Operation Warp speed , promising to

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deliver a safe and effective vaccine by

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2021 . And they did .

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Many doubted that the vaccine could be

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discovered so quickly . For example ,

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when the previous administration

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announced plans of having the vaccine

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by the end of the year and NBC News

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fact check said it would , he would

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need a miracle to be right , that we're

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talking about the Trump administration .

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You need a miracle to be right . But by

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the end of 2020 the Trump

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administration's effort paid off , and

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we had The miracle simple is that they

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don't know why people aren't talking

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about that right now . We had to save

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and extremely effective vaccines that

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were discovered . We got another one

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that's coming on . It's my

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understanding this thing . This weekend ,

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a za National Institutes of Health ,

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and director Francis Collins , who was

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a an Obama appointee , recently

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remarked , Operation Warp speed quote

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was an effort that many of us were not

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initially convinced was going to be

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necessary . The Trump Administration's

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success in the record time with , in

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his words and this is Francis Collins

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making this statement is that it was

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just breathtaking . So thanks to , um ,

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to you , General Purna and your team ,

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you know , I've watched this happen .

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When do you first announced is back in

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the summertime and we had a hearing

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right after that . You said warp speed .

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I never did understand where warp speed

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came from , but somebody it was my idea .

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It wasn't Jack's idea , but anyway , it

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was . It was a success , a huge success .

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Especially remarkable is how the the

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Operation Warp Suite has revolutionized

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our previous way of doing things under

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your leadership . General Pernet and I

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believe it is your leadership . We're

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seeing the vaccines moved from the

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conveyor belt at this to the supplier

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to the American families in just days .

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This has never happened before . I'm

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heartened by this program that there is

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certainly more work to be done . We

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understand that I hope we will learn in

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this hearing about diodes efforts to

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accelerate vaccine production and

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administration . I want to conclude by

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thanking our three witnesses , each of

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whom overseas a vital part of the

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response effort and the thousands of

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men and women in uniform who have

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served admirably during this

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incredibly difficult period . Let me

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just add one thing . We're probably not

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really jury into this . Uh , but I am .

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We had hearing yesterday , and I heard

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from it was classified , but I'm not at

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all satisfied that we need to have all

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of these . Resource is out there now

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way have all these , uh ,

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individuals that air here , the garden .

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This is not their job . It's not what

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they're trained for . That's not what

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they're capable of doing . And all the

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barbed wire is . I think it's seen this

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day . And so the midges voice as an

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opinion that you may agree or disagree

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with . Thank you , Mr Chair . Thank you ,

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Senator Inhofe in now . Let me

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recognize . The witnesses will begin

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with Mr Solace is on . And that's not

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because you're from Rhode Island . That

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z the proper way to be in . Go ahead ,

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please . Thank you , Senator , Chairman ,

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Chairman , Read Ranking member Inhofe ,

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Distinguished members of the committee .

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Thank you for the opportunity to

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testify before you today on the

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Department of Defense is response to

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the Cove in 19 Pandemic . The Cove in

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19 Pandemic has posed an unprecedented

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challenge on our nation . Since the

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start , D . O . D . Has protected its

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people , supported the national

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response and ensured the readiness of

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the force to meet it's national

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security missions to protect d o D

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personnel from the pandemic . D . O d

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implemented measures to contain and

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mitigate the effects on the force ,

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including force , health protection ,

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guidance , restriction of movement

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orders , social distancing mask wearing

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tele work on an unprecedented scale

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testing and contact tracing D o . D is

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also established a tiered vaccination

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plan following 100 guidance tailored to

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D . O . D s unique requirements . As of

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23 February , D . O . D . Has

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administered over one million doses of

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vaccine D o d . Support to the national

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response to the cove it pandemic has

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evolved over the last 13 months . D o D

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assistance began in late January 2020

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supporting the repatriation of U . S

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citizens in U . S . Persons to the

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United States in support of the State

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Department . US . Transcom facilitated

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the safe return of more than 4500

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Americans and support of HHS US North

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calm and into a pay calm and the

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military departments aided in the

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quarantine of more than 3000

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individuals on 13 d o . D installations .

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As the pandemic spread over the late

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winter early spring of 2020

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hospitalizations increased rapidly and

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state and local demand rose for both

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medical facilities and medical

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providers . HHS and FEMA turned to d o

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d toe help meet this demand North com

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deployed over 15,000 D o D personnel ,

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including 5000 active duty and reserve

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medical professionals , to 10 states in

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multiple locations within those states .

12:38.440 --> 12:41.960
Indo Pak um provided similar support in

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Hawaii , Guam and the Northern Mariana

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Islands . The U S Army Corps of

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Engineers designed and constructed 38

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alternate care facilities , providing

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additional medical bed capacity in

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multiple states up to 16,000 beds .

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Working with FEMA , D O . D also

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authorized National Guard personnel to

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carry out fever . FEMA Cove in 19

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mission assignments entitled 32 status .

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More than 47,000 National Guard

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personnel supported testing , emergency

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medical care , medical sheltering ,

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public health , communications ,

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transportation , logistics and first

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responders support . The National Guard

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is also supporting state vaccine

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efforts in 43 states at over 350

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sites and have administered over a

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million doses of vaccine . D O D also

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played a critical role in strengthening

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the national supply chain for medical

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Resource Is and PP in short supply with

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D o D Assistance . FEMA and HHS

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established the Supply Chain Task Force

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and late March of 2020 to accelerate

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acquisition , expand production by

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generating new capacity and allocate

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key resource is and supplies to

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priority hot spots around the nation .

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In late March of 2020 d d . O . D .

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Also established the Covic Joint

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Acquisition Task Force to service the D .

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O D nexus , supporting federal

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acquisition and logistics needs to

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restock the strategic national

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stockpile and expand the domestic

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industrial base for medical supplies

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and equipment . Building on decades of

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work studying infectious disease in the

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departments such as Ebola and the

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coronavirus is D O D . Experts helped

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genetically sequenced CO vid 19 and

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established the first treatment

14:32.418 --> 14:35.210
protocol for rendez severe in the

14:35.210 --> 14:38.640
spring . Further DARPA funded projects

14:38.650 --> 14:40.920
helped lay the groundwork for rapid

14:40.920 --> 14:43.560
development of our Neykova . 19

14:43.570 --> 14:45.440
vaccines produced by Madonna and

14:45.440 --> 14:49.440
AstraZeneca . The joint D O D

14:49.450 --> 14:52.190
HHS Vaccine Task Force , established in

14:52.190 --> 14:55.460
May of 2020 accelerated the development ,

14:55.470 --> 14:58.660
manufacturing and distribution of

14:58.660 --> 15:01.060
covert vaccine and record time .

15:02.540 --> 15:04.960
As secretary Austin made clear in his

15:04.960 --> 15:07.470
day . One message to the department D .

15:07.470 --> 15:10.450
O D must move further and faster to

15:10.450 --> 15:12.860
help counter the Counter Cove in 19

15:12.860 --> 15:16.300
Pandemic . To that end , D . O . D .

15:16.300 --> 15:18.550
With FEMA have developed plans to

15:18.550 --> 15:21.060
support vaccine centers able to

15:21.070 --> 15:23.860
administer up to 6000 vaccines a day .

15:24.540 --> 15:27.140
DVD is actively supporting California ,

15:27.260 --> 15:29.970
Texas , New York and New Jersey , with

15:29.970 --> 15:32.620
over 1000 personnel at the newly

15:32.620 --> 15:35.950
established vaccine centers . FEMA has

15:35.950 --> 15:38.228
also provided mission assignments to D .

15:38.228 --> 15:40.117
O D to support sites in Florida ,

15:40.117 --> 15:42.172
Pennsylvania , in the U . S . Virgin

15:42.172 --> 15:44.172
Islands , with several other states

15:44.172 --> 15:46.590
making final arrangements for D O D .

15:46.590 --> 15:49.810
Support going forward , D . O . D . Is

15:49.820 --> 15:52.042
actively implementing President Biden's

15:52.042 --> 15:54.320
National Strategy , Executive Orders

15:54.580 --> 15:56.802
and National Security Policy Memorandum

15:56.850 --> 15:58.739
and is committed to executing the

15:58.739 --> 16:00.850
presidents and secretaries . Austin's

16:00.850 --> 16:03.450
direction to defeat Cove in 19 Pandemic

16:03.840 --> 16:06.010
defend the force against Cove in 19

16:06.020 --> 16:08.410
while protecting our nation . Chairman

16:08.410 --> 16:10.920
read Ranking member Inhofe ,

16:10.930 --> 16:13.208
distinguished members of the committee .

16:13.208 --> 16:15.041
Thank you for the opportunity to

16:15.041 --> 16:17.263
testify before you today . I appreciate

16:17.263 --> 16:19.097
the critical role in the support

16:19.097 --> 16:21.041
Congress provides and ensuring the

16:21.041 --> 16:23.097
department is prepared to face every

16:23.097 --> 16:25.208
challenge at home and abroad . Well ,

16:25.208 --> 16:27.041
thank you very much . Let me now

16:27.041 --> 16:29.263
recognize Mr Cummings , Miss Cummings .

16:29.263 --> 16:32.630
Thank you . Mhm Chairman Read ranking

16:32.630 --> 16:35.080
member Inhofe and distinguished members

16:35.090 --> 16:37.368
of the Senate Armed Services Committee .

16:37.440 --> 16:39.273
Thank you for the opportunity to

16:39.273 --> 16:41.470
testify today to showcase the

16:41.470 --> 16:43.280
accomplishments of the Defense

16:43.290 --> 16:46.540
Acquisition and Logistics workforce in

16:46.540 --> 16:48.450
response to the Cove in 19 Global

16:48.450 --> 16:51.720
Pandemic , D . O . D has played a vital

16:51.720 --> 16:54.000
role . Supporting the interagency to

16:54.000 --> 16:57.020
acquire and deliver medical resource is

16:57.030 --> 17:00.130
to include PPE and to establish and

17:00.130 --> 17:02.110
strengthen the domestic medical

17:02.110 --> 17:05.410
industrial base . Leveraging various

17:05.420 --> 17:07.550
acquisition tools to include the

17:07.550 --> 17:09.980
Defense Production Act , The D O D

17:09.990 --> 17:12.290
executed contracts and agreements

17:12.420 --> 17:15.590
valued at over $30 billion in support

17:15.600 --> 17:17.810
of the national response . This

17:17.810 --> 17:21.190
includes over $3 billion indirect

17:21.200 --> 17:23.980
assisted acquisition to procure and

17:23.980 --> 17:27.350
deliver medical items and PPE requested

17:27.350 --> 17:30.600
by FEMA and HHS . Additionally ,

17:30.650 --> 17:34.230
through 34 awards valued at $1.8

17:34.230 --> 17:36.130
billion . We've established and

17:36.130 --> 17:39.190
expanded domestic PPE and medical

17:39.190 --> 17:42.270
supply chains in partnership with HHS .

17:42.640 --> 17:44.696
We also coordinated the shipment and

17:44.696 --> 17:47.470
delivery of CO vid 19 test kits ,

17:47.480 --> 17:50.570
needles and syringes from abroad

17:50.580 --> 17:52.524
through the U . S . Transportation

17:52.524 --> 17:55.820
Command . The Cares Act provided $1

17:55.820 --> 17:58.042
billion in Defense Production Act Title

17:58.042 --> 18:00.760
three funding to prevent , prepare for

18:00.960 --> 18:03.630
and respond to the coronavirus as

18:03.630 --> 18:05.686
documented in the department . Spend

18:05.686 --> 18:09.180
plan We allocated $213 million to

18:09.190 --> 18:11.800
increase production capacity for

18:11.800 --> 18:14.290
critical health Resource is targeting N

18:14.290 --> 18:17.180
95 respirators and co vid 19 testing

18:17.180 --> 18:20.560
capacity . $687 million

18:20.570 --> 18:23.580
was allocated to mitigate financial

18:23.580 --> 18:25.802
impacts to companies within the defense

18:25.802 --> 18:28.460
industrial base to ensure the survival

18:28.470 --> 18:30.530
of national security critical

18:30.530 --> 18:34.050
capabilities and $1 million allocated

18:34.060 --> 18:36.170
to establish a loan program in

18:36.170 --> 18:38.560
partnership with the US International

18:38.570 --> 18:42.210
Development Finance Corporation . The

18:42.210 --> 18:45.130
defense industrial base is the nexus of

18:45.130 --> 18:47.680
national and economic security with

18:47.680 --> 18:49.791
congressional support , The D . O . D

18:49.791 --> 18:51.847
took immediate steps to mitigate the

18:51.847 --> 18:54.360
impact of co vid 19 on the Defense

18:54.360 --> 18:56.310
industrial Base , beginning with

18:56.310 --> 18:58.532
frequent and meaningful engagement with

18:58.532 --> 19:00.290
industry and a Siris of formal

19:00.300 --> 19:02.750
issuances to ensure diode contracting

19:02.750 --> 19:05.510
officers and industry partners had the

19:05.510 --> 19:07.700
information and tools they needed to

19:07.700 --> 19:09.850
sustain mission critical operations .

19:10.440 --> 19:12.920
Our resulting implementation approach

19:12.930 --> 19:15.550
was incorporated across 46 policy

19:15.550 --> 19:18.590
documents focusing on three broad areas .

19:18.600 --> 19:21.200
First , allowing companies to continue

19:21.200 --> 19:23.580
to work safely . Second , providing

19:23.580 --> 19:25.580
liquidity to the defense industrial

19:25.580 --> 19:28.300
base and third , implementing

19:28.300 --> 19:31.310
legislation such as Section 36 10 of

19:31.310 --> 19:33.530
the Cares Act to ensure complete

19:33.540 --> 19:36.770
spending transparency . I would also

19:36.770 --> 19:38.992
like to note that like their commercial

19:38.992 --> 19:41.103
counterparts , the organic industrial

19:41.103 --> 19:43.110
base experienced financial and

19:43.110 --> 19:45.221
production challenges that would have

19:45.221 --> 19:47.650
had negative long term impacts to

19:47.650 --> 19:50.190
military readiness . Had Congress and

19:50.190 --> 19:52.320
the department not intervened , the

19:52.320 --> 19:54.590
department undertook actions to restore

19:54.590 --> 19:57.430
production operations to normal levels ,

19:57.440 --> 19:59.290
and the organic industrial base

19:59.290 --> 20:02.570
continues to manage and stabilize depot

20:02.570 --> 20:05.280
level production , due in large part to

20:05.280 --> 20:08.500
a $1.5 billion cash infusion to the

20:08.500 --> 20:12.220
Defense Work Working Capital Fund . I

20:12.220 --> 20:14.442
am incredibly proud of the department's

20:14.442 --> 20:16.910
response to this national emergency and

20:16.910 --> 20:19.021
of the dedicated individuals who have

20:19.021 --> 20:20.990
worked so hard on behalf of the

20:20.990 --> 20:23.380
American people . I'm grateful for the

20:23.380 --> 20:25.860
transparency and dialogue with

20:25.860 --> 20:27.749
professional staff members of the

20:27.749 --> 20:30.250
defense committees and I thank you for

20:30.250 --> 20:32.380
your support and the opportunity to

20:32.380 --> 20:35.060
testify before you today . I look

20:35.060 --> 20:37.171
forward to answering your questions .

20:37.171 --> 20:39.282
Thank you . Thank you very much . And

20:39.282 --> 20:41.338
let me join , uh , Senator Inhofe in

20:41.338 --> 20:43.504
commending you General Corner for your

20:43.504 --> 20:45.616
extraordinary work over many months .

20:45.616 --> 20:47.560
And , uh , you're recognized now .

20:47.560 --> 20:50.980
Thank you . German re record

20:51.220 --> 20:53.276
breaking member in all distinguished

20:53.276 --> 20:55.276
members of the committee Microphone

20:55.276 --> 20:59.260
place . Okay , Chairman . Read Ranking

20:59.260 --> 21:01.371
Member Inhofe , Distinguished members

21:01.371 --> 21:03.427
of the Committee . Thank you for the

21:03.427 --> 21:05.538
opportunity and True honor to testify

21:05.538 --> 21:07.640
before you today on the Vaccines and

21:07.640 --> 21:10.640
Therapeutics operation under Covert 19

21:10.650 --> 21:13.700
response . Over the past nine months ,

21:13.710 --> 21:15.821
I have had the privilege to Kohli the

21:15.821 --> 21:18.910
operation with Dr Moncef Salah we and

21:18.910 --> 21:21.800
now Dr David Kessler . Our mission was

21:21.800 --> 21:23.770
to accelerate development ,

21:23.780 --> 21:26.850
manufacturing and delivery of vaccines

21:26.860 --> 21:29.630
and therapeutics for our nation . I

21:29.630 --> 21:31.950
know you agree with me when I say this

21:31.950 --> 21:35.000
virus attacked our nation , it attacked

21:35.000 --> 21:37.720
our way of life and it impacted every

21:37.730 --> 21:41.100
American . But it became obvious that

21:41.100 --> 21:43.510
our nation had never fought this type

21:43.520 --> 21:46.520
of enemy before and that there was no

21:46.520 --> 21:48.390
single government or private

21:48.400 --> 21:51.050
organization that had the capacity ,

21:51.060 --> 21:54.880
capability or expertise to execute the

21:54.880 --> 21:58.280
mission of defeating this virus . We

21:58.280 --> 22:01.190
also lacked unity of command and effort

22:01.190 --> 22:03.820
to develop , manufacture and distribute

22:03.820 --> 22:06.440
the vaccines to the entire American

22:06.440 --> 22:09.400
population , much less at this scale

22:09.400 --> 22:11.520
and speed required to defeat this

22:11.520 --> 22:14.310
pandemic . Thus the reason for

22:14.310 --> 22:17.630
Operation War speed and our strategy of

22:17.630 --> 22:21.270
Whole of America approach . We approach

22:21.270 --> 22:24.010
this mission with the urgency , resolve

22:24.020 --> 22:26.560
and steadfast determination our nation

22:26.560 --> 22:29.430
deserves . And as we were fighting a

22:29.430 --> 22:31.600
near peer competitors , er in a large

22:31.600 --> 22:34.440
combat operation , we gave it

22:34.450 --> 22:37.010
everything . Every day we

22:37.010 --> 22:38.954
operationalize our efforts through

22:38.954 --> 22:41.400
three key tenets . First , all of our

22:41.400 --> 22:43.620
decisions were rooted in science and

22:43.620 --> 22:47.120
data . We refuse to sacrifice safety

22:47.130 --> 22:50.080
for speed . Second , we are leveraging

22:50.080 --> 22:53.400
all resource is of to scale up domestic

22:53.400 --> 22:55.980
manufacturing and assessing every

22:55.980 --> 22:58.590
contract for use in the with the

22:58.590 --> 23:00.670
Defense Production Act authorities .

23:01.040 --> 23:03.040
Finally , we built our distribution

23:03.040 --> 23:05.600
strategy on existing vaccine

23:05.610 --> 23:08.400
infrastructure , a tested network that

23:08.400 --> 23:10.550
could expand to new requirements

23:10.560 --> 23:13.600
refined by the professionals at the CDC

23:13.610 --> 23:16.570
and almost virtually flawlessly

23:16.570 --> 23:19.880
executed by private industry and

23:19.880 --> 23:22.200
through unprecedented collaboration

23:22.200 --> 23:24.290
from our best public and private

23:24.300 --> 23:26.940
experts in science , logistics ,

23:26.950 --> 23:30.290
manufacturing and security , our nation

23:30.290 --> 23:32.900
rose to the challenge because of our

23:32.900 --> 23:35.080
whole of America approach and the

23:35.080 --> 23:37.310
collective efforts of the federal ,

23:37.320 --> 23:40.030
state and local governments , private

23:40.030 --> 23:42.850
industry and the health care community .

23:42.860 --> 23:45.700
Today I can report that we have

23:45.700 --> 23:47.478
developed to safe and effective

23:47.478 --> 23:50.460
vaccines and three , uh , safe and

23:50.460 --> 23:52.571
effective therapeutics authorized for

23:52.571 --> 23:55.600
use . There will be mawr soon . We

23:55.600 --> 23:57.656
steadily increased our manufacturing

23:57.656 --> 24:00.360
capacity that will result in enough

24:00.370 --> 24:02.700
doses available to all Americans by

24:02.700 --> 24:04.980
this summer . And we have delivered

24:04.980 --> 24:07.810
MAWR than 90 million doses of vaccine

24:07.810 --> 24:10.620
to date , across 50 states and eight

24:10.620 --> 24:13.210
territories to the right locations in

24:13.210 --> 24:15.620
the right conditions in near flawless

24:15.630 --> 24:18.740
execution . Those are our nation's

24:18.740 --> 24:21.210
accomplishments , and all Americans can

24:21.210 --> 24:23.650
be proud of how far we have come in a

24:23.650 --> 24:26.590
short amount of time . More importantly ,

24:26.600 --> 24:29.710
Americans can have hope and optimism

24:29.770 --> 24:32.100
that we're on the offense and we will

24:32.100 --> 24:35.560
defeat this virus . We will win .

24:36.340 --> 24:38.507
We have a lot of work in front of us ,

24:38.507 --> 24:40.530
and we will not rest until every

24:40.530 --> 24:43.460
American has access to vaccines and

24:43.460 --> 24:46.040
therapeutics . We continue to learn ,

24:46.040 --> 24:48.420
and we continue to get better every day ,

24:48.430 --> 24:50.780
constantly improving our processes ,

24:50.790 --> 24:53.190
remaining agile and adaptive to the

24:53.190 --> 24:56.050
challenges and obstacles in front of us

24:56.540 --> 24:59.000
like we do in every combat situation .

24:59.010 --> 25:01.510
We always assess ourselves the

25:01.510 --> 25:03.540
environment and the enemy , and we

25:03.540 --> 25:06.540
adjust accordingly . I am incredibly

25:06.540 --> 25:09.040
proud of the small team of 100 D o D

25:09.040 --> 25:11.280
service members and civilians who have

25:11.280 --> 25:13.970
selflessly served in the background of

25:13.970 --> 25:16.380
this operation for the past nine months

25:16.390 --> 25:18.600
and will continue to do so until the

25:18.600 --> 25:20.650
mission is complete through the

25:20.650 --> 25:23.340
pandemic and changing environment , our

25:23.340 --> 25:26.780
team remains 100% committed and focused

25:26.780 --> 25:29.450
on executing the mission . Asked of us ,

25:29.940 --> 25:32.051
we took an oath to support and defend

25:32.051 --> 25:35.440
our nation . And every single day we

25:35.440 --> 25:38.010
bring intensity and vigor to get this

25:38.010 --> 25:40.640
job done . Your congressional support

25:40.640 --> 25:43.000
and advocacy have been pivotal to

25:43.000 --> 25:45.210
accomplishing this milestones that we

25:45.210 --> 25:47.377
have achieved so far and those that we

25:47.377 --> 25:49.910
will achieve . Thank you for your

25:49.910 --> 25:51.966
support . And I look forward to your

25:51.966 --> 25:54.188
questions . Thank you very much , sir .

25:54.188 --> 25:56.410
Uh , with some senators attending

25:56.410 --> 25:58.466
remotely , I wanna let everyone know

25:58.466 --> 26:01.080
how the hearing will run . Since it

26:01.090 --> 26:03.257
isn't possible . Know exactly when our

26:03.257 --> 26:05.368
colleagues who will be joining by the

26:05.368 --> 26:07.090
computer arrive we will not be

26:07.090 --> 26:08.979
following our standard early bird

26:08.979 --> 26:11.146
timing rule . Instead , we will handle

26:11.146 --> 26:13.146
the order of questions by seniority

26:13.146 --> 26:15.257
alternating sides until we have going

26:15.257 --> 26:17.534
through everyone once we reach the end .

26:17.534 --> 26:19.534
If there was anyone we miss , we'll

26:19.534 --> 26:21.646
start back at the top of the list and

26:21.646 --> 26:23.757
continue until everyone has had their

26:23.757 --> 26:25.646
turn . We'll do the standard five

26:25.646 --> 26:27.368
minute rounds , and I asked my

26:27.368 --> 26:29.479
colleagues on the computers to please

26:29.479 --> 26:31.534
keep an eye on the clock , which you

26:31.534 --> 26:33.590
should see on your screen finally to

26:33.590 --> 26:35.479
allow for everyone who we heard ,

26:35.479 --> 26:37.646
whether in the room or on a computer ,

26:37.646 --> 26:39.757
I asked all colleagues to please mute

26:39.757 --> 26:41.757
your microphone when not speaking ,

26:41.757 --> 26:44.090
Thank you very much . I have a question .

26:44.090 --> 26:46.201
I'd like to address the whole panel ,

26:46.201 --> 26:48.423
beginning with Miss Cummings and then a

26:48.423 --> 26:50.479
final question for general partner .

26:50.479 --> 26:52.800
But basically , Miss Cummings , what do

26:52.800 --> 26:54.911
you think are the greatest challenges

26:54.911 --> 26:57.730
in your area of responsibility and what

26:57.740 --> 27:01.430
resource is or and or policy changes ?

27:01.440 --> 27:04.850
Do you feel you need ? Please ? Thank

27:04.850 --> 27:07.072
you for that question , Chairman read .

27:07.540 --> 27:10.980
So throughout the opportunity for the d .

27:10.980 --> 27:13.700
O . D . To participate in the national

27:13.700 --> 27:16.590
response , we've done so in support of

27:16.600 --> 27:19.950
our colleagues at HHS . We leveraged

27:19.960 --> 27:22.071
many many authorities , including the

27:22.071 --> 27:25.050
Economy Act , which allowed HHS to use

27:25.050 --> 27:27.161
their authority and funding and share

27:27.161 --> 27:29.217
that with the D . O . D . As well as

27:29.217 --> 27:31.383
the Defense Production Act . There are

27:31.383 --> 27:33.550
certainly flexibilities that the cares

27:33.550 --> 27:36.260
act provided to the d . O . D under the

27:36.270 --> 27:38.980
Defense Production Act . Uh , in that

27:38.980 --> 27:41.370
authority for the way that we spent our

27:41.380 --> 27:43.310
title three funding so additional

27:43.310 --> 27:45.532
flexibilities in the Defense Production

27:45.532 --> 27:47.643
Act , we'd be happy to work with your

27:47.643 --> 27:49.754
staff to talk more about how we might

27:49.754 --> 27:51.866
be able to work together to do that .

27:51.866 --> 27:53.866
Thank you very much , Mr Dialysis .

27:57.840 --> 28:01.320
Sorry , Chairman . Um , my view is that

28:01.330 --> 28:03.274
we need to continue our aggressive

28:03.274 --> 28:05.600
mitigation efforts mask wearing social

28:05.600 --> 28:07.822
distance . All of those types of things

28:07.822 --> 28:09.711
continue to increase over testing

28:09.711 --> 28:11.750
capacity and our contact tracing

28:11.750 --> 28:14.560
capabilities . And thirdly , get the

28:14.560 --> 28:17.270
vaccine . Well , thank you very much .

28:17.270 --> 28:19.740
And , general partner , your comments

28:19.740 --> 28:21.851
about the challenges you face and the

28:21.851 --> 28:24.073
resource is or policy changes you would

28:24.073 --> 28:27.300
need Chairman Aziz . You , as I

28:27.300 --> 28:29.356
mentioned , you know , we have never

28:29.356 --> 28:31.522
done this is a nation before . Is your

28:31.522 --> 28:33.800
microphone answer ? I apologize . Sure .

28:33.800 --> 28:37.650
That's okay . Trainable chairman ,

28:37.650 --> 28:39.860
as a zai talked about in my opening

28:39.860 --> 28:41.860
comment , we have never faced these

28:41.860 --> 28:44.910
challenges before . I think the success

28:44.910 --> 28:48.210
that we achieved , um , by , uh ,

28:48.220 --> 28:50.960
coming together at the federal level ,

28:50.970 --> 28:53.770
HHS and Department of Defense

28:54.270 --> 28:57.360
invoking the partnership with industry

28:57.540 --> 29:01.330
academia on , then bringing the states

29:01.340 --> 29:03.700
and local governments into play From

29:03.700 --> 29:06.100
the beginning , right early on ,

29:06.100 --> 29:08.860
planning and then execution and

29:08.860 --> 29:11.240
remaining flexible and adaptable to our

29:11.240 --> 29:13.190
challenges has been our greatest

29:13.190 --> 29:15.790
success to date . Now , clearly , we

29:15.790 --> 29:18.510
could not have done what we've done so

29:18.510 --> 29:21.340
far . Uh , if we did not have the

29:21.340 --> 29:23.720
backbone that was already established ,

29:23.730 --> 29:26.620
uh , in the work by our great scientist

29:26.630 --> 29:30.100
to develop and have the capability thio

29:30.110 --> 29:33.560
bring vaccines rapidly into place on ,

29:33.560 --> 29:35.730
we must continue to sustain that

29:35.730 --> 29:38.360
research and support to that end .

29:38.610 --> 29:42.080
Second , the use of the Deepa has been

29:42.200 --> 29:45.230
immeasurable in our ability Thio

29:45.240 --> 29:48.300
manage supply chain for materials ,

29:48.300 --> 29:51.130
consumables and equipment as well as

29:51.130 --> 29:53.290
production to ensure that we have

29:53.290 --> 29:55.520
capability , uh , to deliver the

29:55.520 --> 29:58.910
vaccines on then the last part and

29:58.910 --> 30:01.077
therapeutics in the last part , I will

30:01.077 --> 30:04.950
say I would be remiss if I did not

30:04.960 --> 30:08.450
thank publicly the heroic work

30:08.460 --> 30:10.810
that currently Pfizer , Madonna ,

30:10.820 --> 30:14.510
McKesson , FedEx and UPS are doing to

30:14.510 --> 30:16.880
distribute the vaccine . It is their

30:16.880 --> 30:19.380
infrastructure , their leadership ,

30:19.390 --> 30:22.690
their workforce on their ability to

30:22.690 --> 30:25.070
handle the vaccine when many people

30:25.070 --> 30:27.070
thought we couldn't manage the cold

30:27.070 --> 30:30.090
chain these leaders and organizations

30:30.090 --> 30:33.060
did so on is leading to our success .

30:33.540 --> 30:35.707
Well , thank you very much , general .

30:35.707 --> 30:37.373
And just since you've been so

30:37.373 --> 30:39.373
instrumental and everything that is

30:39.373 --> 30:41.429
going on and and performed , I would

30:41.429 --> 30:43.890
say heroically and , uh and I thank you

30:43.890 --> 30:47.700
very much . Just looking ahead . What

30:47.710 --> 30:50.880
do you think the way is for the covert

30:50.880 --> 30:53.047
response ? Well , we've looked back at

30:53.047 --> 30:55.760
what we've done . Looking ahead . Give

30:55.760 --> 30:57.704
us an idea of what you think might

30:57.704 --> 31:00.650
happen , Chairman . I would , uh I

31:00.650 --> 31:03.110
would coach us all collectively , uh ,

31:03.120 --> 31:06.590
not to continue in the same thought

31:06.590 --> 31:08.757
process . In other words , we create a

31:08.757 --> 31:10.812
solution for one purpose , and we're

31:10.812 --> 31:13.500
just going to continue to exercise . We

31:13.500 --> 31:16.750
must take a moment on truly understand

31:16.760 --> 31:19.580
what is the potential future

31:19.580 --> 31:22.490
requirements and hence the purpose of

31:22.490 --> 31:24.460
what might need to be done , for

31:24.460 --> 31:27.770
example , on truly a White House

31:27.780 --> 31:30.440
policy decision , but will lead to

31:30.450 --> 31:32.930
everything else you know ? What is the

31:32.930 --> 31:35.030
role gonna be in helping the rest of

31:35.030 --> 31:37.430
the world after we take care of the

31:37.430 --> 31:40.020
United States with vaccines ? What will

31:40.020 --> 31:43.660
be requirement for booster shots if any ,

31:43.670 --> 31:47.120
or shots required for mutation . Uh ,

31:47.130 --> 31:50.630
support on what will be the decision

31:50.630 --> 31:53.560
about how much manufacturing and supply

31:53.560 --> 31:56.800
chain capability do we want inside of

31:56.800 --> 31:59.610
the country . Once we determine and not

31:59.610 --> 32:01.980
limited to those questions , then we

32:01.980 --> 32:05.050
must really understand how we're going

32:05.050 --> 32:06.930
to go about that . What is the

32:06.930 --> 32:09.510
organization that must do that ? Is it

32:09.510 --> 32:11.480
gonna be a specified already

32:11.490 --> 32:13.650
organization in place , or will we

32:13.650 --> 32:16.120
create a organization ? And then what

32:16.120 --> 32:18.650
will we do to resource it ? Man it

32:18.660 --> 32:21.990
Prioritize it on support . It is the

32:21.990 --> 32:23.990
way we need to look at the future .

32:24.040 --> 32:26.207
Thank you very much indeed . Thank you

32:26.207 --> 32:29.050
all for your testimony and your hours

32:29.050 --> 32:31.500
and hours of dedicated service to the

32:31.500 --> 32:34.110
country at a critical moment . Thank

32:34.110 --> 32:36.380
you , Senator , please . Thank you . Mr

32:36.380 --> 32:39.270
Chairman . I think General pernet you

32:39.640 --> 32:41.751
you pretty much clear this up in your

32:41.751 --> 32:43.840
opening statement and yet people are

32:43.840 --> 32:46.520
still I think a lot of in the media are

32:46.520 --> 32:49.490
saying that they claim that there is no

32:49.490 --> 32:52.210
plan for distribution of the after

32:52.220 --> 32:55.020
after it was approved . Now I know this

32:55.030 --> 32:57.310
isn't true , but is there anything that

32:57.310 --> 32:59.254
you didn't cover ? in your opening

32:59.254 --> 33:01.532
statement real briefly to counter this ,

33:01.532 --> 33:03.754
because that's the statement that's got

33:03.754 --> 33:05.810
They got to quit talking like that .

33:05.810 --> 33:08.240
Thank you . So , Senator . Thank you .

33:08.240 --> 33:10.296
And as you and I have discussed many

33:10.296 --> 33:12.490
times , uh , there was talk about what

33:12.490 --> 33:14.590
that plan was first and how that was

33:14.590 --> 33:17.360
changed or has been improved since

33:17.370 --> 33:21.070
December . So initial plans , you know ,

33:21.070 --> 33:23.310
in support of the directive specified

33:23.310 --> 33:25.820
mission developed , manufacturer and

33:25.820 --> 33:28.280
deliver vaccines were very , uh ,

33:28.290 --> 33:31.680
elaborate on well defined as we had to

33:31.680 --> 33:33.730
figure out what were the vaccines ,

33:33.730 --> 33:35.397
what we were gonna pursue for

33:35.397 --> 33:37.563
development the naked , down from many

33:37.563 --> 33:40.320
possibilities . Down to six . We had to

33:40.320 --> 33:43.100
look at the manufacturing capacity in

33:43.100 --> 33:46.050
the country , on and abroad to make

33:46.050 --> 33:47.828
sure that we had capability and

33:47.828 --> 33:51.140
capacity . We did very detailed work

33:51.140 --> 33:54.080
and analysis to ensure that we had both

33:54.090 --> 33:56.160
drug substance development of the

33:56.160 --> 33:59.220
product and drug product , which is the

33:59.220 --> 34:01.400
eventual Phil finish . We had to make

34:01.400 --> 34:03.850
sure that space existed and that we had

34:03.850 --> 34:06.330
priority and we had to execute it in a

34:06.340 --> 34:09.590
very precise manner to that end . And

34:09.590 --> 34:12.960
then we had to manage and plan for the

34:12.970 --> 34:15.930
product coming off of the conveyor belt ,

34:15.940 --> 34:18.940
right . Normal . Usual execution . When

34:18.940 --> 34:21.020
we make influenza vaccine , it's an

34:21.020 --> 34:24.530
order . The country orders vaccine ,

34:24.540 --> 34:27.340
the pharmaceutical companies produce it ,

34:27.350 --> 34:29.683
and then they deliver it . In this case ,

34:29.683 --> 34:32.860
what we did is we were manufacturing it .

34:32.860 --> 34:35.610
We started six months ago so that we

34:35.610 --> 34:37.777
would get through the process and have

34:37.777 --> 34:40.110
vaccines available as early as December .

34:40.110 --> 34:42.670
General , I agree with that , and I and

34:42.670 --> 34:45.070
I think that it was best said as I

34:45.080 --> 34:46.969
mentioned my opening statement by

34:46.969 --> 34:49.480
Francis Collins , who was an Obama

34:49.480 --> 34:51.730
appointee , that it was just

34:51.730 --> 34:54.490
breathtaking the miracle that took

34:54.490 --> 34:56.760
place . And I put it in that category

34:57.250 --> 35:00.220
and I appreciate that response , but

35:00.220 --> 35:02.670
we're running out of time . Geri

35:02.680 --> 35:05.740
Cummings , I wanna ask you something .

35:05.740 --> 35:07.962
I found out and I was surprised to find

35:07.962 --> 35:09.962
this out . And that was something I

35:09.962 --> 35:12.073
believe it came from HHS . The 80% of

35:12.073 --> 35:15.180
our needle and syringe supply has come

35:15.180 --> 35:17.780
from China . Is that correct ? And then

35:17.790 --> 35:19.990
what you gonna do to try Thio ? Get

35:19.990 --> 35:22.930
back on top of this . That is correct .

35:22.930 --> 35:25.930
And And we have assisted HHS with

35:25.940 --> 35:28.162
transportation to get those needles and

35:28.162 --> 35:30.590
syringes , uh , into the United States

35:30.590 --> 35:33.450
to support the delivery of vaccines .

35:33.460 --> 35:36.320
We have an opportunity . Thio leverage

35:36.320 --> 35:38.720
both the authorities of the Defense

35:38.720 --> 35:40.387
Production Act , but also the

35:40.387 --> 35:42.580
authorities of the economy Act to

35:42.580 --> 35:45.320
invest in syringes and needles . We

35:45.320 --> 35:47.042
have actually invested in some

35:47.042 --> 35:48.980
innovative technology for vaccine

35:48.980 --> 35:51.170
delivery to increase the domestic

35:51.170 --> 35:53.780
production here in the United States so

35:53.780 --> 35:55.780
that those capabilities can be made

35:55.780 --> 35:57.724
here . You're aware of this in our

35:57.724 --> 35:59.890
addressing this problem ? It was a It

35:59.890 --> 36:02.400
was a surprise to me to hear this , you

36:02.400 --> 36:04.540
feel you're on the road , uh ,

36:04.550 --> 36:07.290
resolving that problem . We are on the

36:07.290 --> 36:09.910
road to seeking solutions to that

36:09.910 --> 36:12.690
problem . We have made some investments

36:12.690 --> 36:14.746
to date , and I think that there are

36:14.746 --> 36:16.690
more investments to be made in the

36:16.690 --> 36:19.023
future . That's good , good , good work .

36:19.023 --> 36:21.023
The last thing I wanted to bring up

36:21.023 --> 36:23.023
because this is a thing that is , I

36:23.023 --> 36:25.246
have a hard time understanding why it's

36:25.246 --> 36:27.510
true . But there's so many people are

36:27.520 --> 36:31.440
reluctant to use the vaccine the

36:31.450 --> 36:33.450
figure that I would use in a recent

36:33.450 --> 36:35.540
study , one out of three Americans

36:36.290 --> 36:38.420
American adults said that they

36:38.420 --> 36:41.590
definitely or probably won't get the

36:41.590 --> 36:43.610
vaccine when it becomes available .

36:44.330 --> 36:46.663
That's a shocker to me because it's not .

36:46.663 --> 36:48.663
First of all , it's not just them .

36:48.663 --> 36:51.020
It's others that are affected by their

36:51.020 --> 36:53.242
willingness to get the vaccine . So I'd

36:53.242 --> 36:55.940
like to ask you or any of the any of

36:55.950 --> 36:58.480
the witnesses what are we doing right

36:58.480 --> 37:02.350
now to try Thio educate people as

37:02.350 --> 37:04.310
to why it's necessary to have this

37:04.310 --> 37:04.840
vaccine

37:10.730 --> 37:12.841
the center aisle ? I could talk about

37:12.841 --> 37:14.897
what the Defense Department is doing

37:14.897 --> 37:16.841
more broadly . I think some of the

37:16.841 --> 37:18.674
things that we're doing would be

37:18.674 --> 37:18.520
helpful . There's a lot of

37:18.520 --> 37:20.464
misinformation out there about the

37:20.464 --> 37:22.409
vaccine . The vaccine is safe , is

37:22.409 --> 37:24.464
general partner has pointed out . As

37:24.464 --> 37:26.520
many have pointed out , I think that

37:26.520 --> 37:28.576
what we need to do is ensure that we

37:28.576 --> 37:30.687
have the right level of education and

37:30.687 --> 37:32.909
awareness that goes on out there from a

37:32.909 --> 37:34.964
D . O . D perspective . Obviously we

37:34.964 --> 37:37.076
use our military chain of command and

37:37.076 --> 37:39.131
the opportunity to educate and train

37:39.131 --> 37:38.830
people and to clear up those

37:38.830 --> 37:40.997
misconceptions could be very helpful .

37:40.997 --> 37:43.108
We've seen that happen in the Defense

37:43.108 --> 37:45.163
Department . We've only been at this

37:45.163 --> 37:47.163
for about 60 days , but where we've

37:47.163 --> 37:49.274
seen vaccine rates a little bit lower

37:49.274 --> 37:51.163
acceptance rates Thedc Amand Zehr

37:51.163 --> 37:53.219
getting involved providing education

37:53.219 --> 37:55.441
forums , Having the opportunity to have

37:55.441 --> 37:57.497
town halls and those types of things

37:57.497 --> 37:59.441
will provide that insight . Yeah ,

37:59.441 --> 38:01.552
that's good . And last week , I think

38:01.552 --> 38:04.340
it was It was stated that one out of

38:05.020 --> 38:07.131
that one third of the service members

38:07.131 --> 38:09.353
are opting out . And so I'm glad you're

38:09.353 --> 38:11.576
addressing that because it's , uh we're

38:11.576 --> 38:13.742
concerned about the whole public , but

38:13.742 --> 38:15.909
definitely our service members . Thank

38:15.909 --> 38:15.810
you , Mr Chairman . Thank you . Senator

38:15.810 --> 38:17.810
Inhofe . Senator Shaheen , please .

38:17.820 --> 38:19.876
Thank you , Mr Chairman . And let me

38:19.876 --> 38:22.098
echo the chairman and ranking members ,

38:22.098 --> 38:24.320
thanks to each of you . For all of your

38:24.320 --> 38:26.431
effort over the last year , I want to

38:26.431 --> 38:28.487
pick up on Senator Inhofe's question

38:28.487 --> 38:30.320
about syringes , Miss Cummings ,

38:30.320 --> 38:32.320
because I just want to point out we

38:32.320 --> 38:34.487
have a company in New Hampshire Smiths

38:34.487 --> 38:36.264
Medical that has been producing

38:36.264 --> 38:38.431
syringes . They've had a contract with

38:38.431 --> 38:40.487
Barda , which I appreciate is not in

38:40.487 --> 38:42.487
your purview , but , uh , they need

38:42.487 --> 38:44.710
some certainty in orderto address their

38:44.710 --> 38:46.960
supply chain concerns . And right now

38:46.960 --> 38:48.793
they're waiting to hear from the

38:48.793 --> 38:50.960
department about whether they're gonna

38:50.960 --> 38:53.071
have a continued contract . So , um ,

38:53.071 --> 38:55.238
we have a lot of companies out there ,

38:55.238 --> 38:57.293
as you all know so well , who really

38:57.293 --> 38:59.460
want to help in this effort . But they

38:59.460 --> 39:01.682
can't make the expenditures unless they

39:01.682 --> 39:01.630
have some certainty that what they're

39:01.630 --> 39:03.741
producing is going to be needed . And

39:03.741 --> 39:05.710
one of the areas where I think the

39:05.710 --> 39:07.850
deepa has been very helpful has been

39:07.850 --> 39:10.180
with the personal protective equipment .

39:10.190 --> 39:12.310
We again we have to Companies in New

39:12.310 --> 39:14.850
Hampshire lied all which is producing ,

39:14.860 --> 39:18.250
um , in 95 Mask materials and

39:18.620 --> 39:20.731
American Performance polymers , which

39:20.731 --> 39:23.170
is producing non latex rubber gloves .

39:23.180 --> 39:26.260
Again , it's been the contract with D o

39:26.260 --> 39:28.316
D . That has allowed both of them to

39:28.316 --> 39:30.530
expand in a way that is gonna be able

39:30.530 --> 39:33.130
to produce what we need to help with

39:33.140 --> 39:36.750
our P P E supply . So I guess one

39:36.750 --> 39:38.639
question I would have for you , I

39:38.639 --> 39:40.917
assume this is for you , Miss Cummings ,

39:40.917 --> 39:43.400
is , um , to follow up . Is there mawr

39:43.400 --> 39:45.370
that Congress needs to do with the

39:45.370 --> 39:47.370
Defense Production Act to make sure

39:47.370 --> 39:50.520
that you have the capacity you need toe

39:50.530 --> 39:52.697
do the contracts with the companies so

39:52.697 --> 39:54.530
they can produce what we need to

39:54.530 --> 39:57.760
address this pandemic ? So , Senator ,

39:57.760 --> 39:59.950
I agree that a common theme that we

39:59.950 --> 40:02.117
heard throughout the pandemic from the

40:02.117 --> 40:04.117
industrial base the medical and PPE

40:04.117 --> 40:07.250
industrial base is this lack of long

40:07.250 --> 40:09.740
term , consistent demand . And there

40:09.750 --> 40:11.694
are tools available in the Defense

40:11.694 --> 40:14.680
Production Act in order to create

40:14.680 --> 40:17.440
guarantees for future procurement .

40:17.710 --> 40:19.654
Those guarantees need to come with

40:19.654 --> 40:21.877
funding , and so the Defense Production

40:21.877 --> 40:24.043
Act has the authority it needs to have

40:24.043 --> 40:26.099
the associate ID appropriation . And

40:26.099 --> 40:28.321
that is long term in nature . Which the

40:28.321 --> 40:30.620
D . P A . Title three is long term in

40:30.620 --> 40:32.740
nature , so that is a great tool . We

40:32.740 --> 40:34.796
have other tools under The Cares Act

40:34.796 --> 40:37.030
and other appropriations from HHS ,

40:37.210 --> 40:39.321
where we've been able to make similar

40:39.321 --> 40:41.377
type investments as the Deep A Title

40:41.377 --> 40:43.488
three . We've been using an authority

40:43.488 --> 40:45.377
that Congress gave to D . O . D .

40:45.377 --> 40:47.543
Called commercial solutions openings ,

40:47.543 --> 40:49.710
which gives us the opportunity to very

40:49.710 --> 40:51.821
quickly find those unique companies ,

40:51.821 --> 40:53.988
uh , especially commercial companies ,

40:53.988 --> 40:56.099
that we don't usually work within the

40:56.099 --> 40:58.210
department and be able to engage them

40:58.210 --> 41:00.154
to be able to make those strategic

41:00.154 --> 41:02.321
investments . We'd like to continue to

41:02.321 --> 41:04.432
do that in partnership and support of

41:04.432 --> 41:07.220
HHS . Um , well , thank you , I a Zay

41:07.220 --> 41:09.387
said . I think we all know there are a

41:09.387 --> 41:11.220
lot of companies that are really

41:11.220 --> 41:12.998
interested in helping . I had a

41:12.998 --> 41:15.220
conversation , Senator Rounds and I had

41:15.220 --> 41:17.442
a conversation last late last fall with

41:17.442 --> 41:19.331
former Assistant Secretary Jordan

41:19.331 --> 41:22.200
Gillis about De Ellas cash posture .

41:22.210 --> 41:25.670
And , um , one concern was that they

41:25.670 --> 41:27.614
had had a significant reduction in

41:27.614 --> 41:29.670
their obligation authority which was

41:29.670 --> 41:31.781
affecting their ability to contract .

41:31.781 --> 41:33.892
Can you talk about that ? And whether

41:33.892 --> 41:35.837
that's been cleared up and are you

41:35.837 --> 41:37.781
comfortable that d l A has what it

41:37.781 --> 41:40.220
needs ? I am actually watching that

41:40.220 --> 41:43.000
very closely . I get a bi weekly report

41:43.010 --> 41:45.010
on their crash position . We worked

41:45.010 --> 41:47.121
with the controller to make sure they

41:47.121 --> 41:49.121
have everything they need to remain

41:49.121 --> 41:51.343
solvent solvent and have the obligation

41:51.343 --> 41:53.454
authority to support both D O D needs

41:53.454 --> 41:55.454
and the vast amount of HHS and FEMA

41:55.454 --> 41:57.621
needs needs that they're meeting right

41:57.621 --> 42:00.360
now . We are , uh We are good in our

42:00.370 --> 42:02.670
operating position , but I will let you

42:02.670 --> 42:05.010
know if that changes . Thank you . I

42:05.010 --> 42:07.100
think that goes along with the point

42:07.100 --> 42:09.211
you made about appropriations . There

42:09.211 --> 42:11.211
also needs to be some certainty and

42:11.211 --> 42:13.489
appropriations , and I appreciate that .

42:13.489 --> 42:13.460
And I think that's something where this

42:13.460 --> 42:16.390
committee needs toe reinforce the

42:16.390 --> 42:19.560
importance of that . I don't know who

42:19.570 --> 42:21.700
this question is for But I know that

42:21.700 --> 42:23.867
last night , President Biden announced

42:23.867 --> 42:26.100
a new effort to deliver 25 million mass

42:26.100 --> 42:27.878
to the nation's most vulnerable

42:27.878 --> 42:30.670
populations through both d o . D and

42:30.670 --> 42:32.614
the Department of Health and Human

42:32.614 --> 42:34.837
Services , and that the plan is to make

42:34.837 --> 42:37.180
those mass available beginning in March

42:37.190 --> 42:40.430
into May . So have

42:42.000 --> 42:45.190
have has the department , um , met and

42:45.190 --> 42:47.190
talked about how they're gonna deal

42:47.190 --> 42:49.880
with this distribution of the mask and

42:49.890 --> 42:52.550
what we need to do to support that

42:52.550 --> 42:54.772
effort . Senator , normally , something

42:54.772 --> 42:56.772
like that would would be managed by

42:56.772 --> 42:58.939
FEMA . We could be asked , though , to

42:58.939 --> 43:00.939
support that a good organization to

43:00.939 --> 43:02.994
kind of provide that kind of support

43:02.994 --> 43:05.217
would be the National Guard to get that

43:05.217 --> 43:07.328
out . So I imagine that , uh , as the

43:07.328 --> 43:07.290
plan is being developed , we will be

43:07.290 --> 43:09.401
part of that . And we will be working

43:09.401 --> 43:11.623
closely with FEMA , the state and local

43:11.623 --> 43:13.679
authorities to make sure that we can

43:13.679 --> 43:15.901
maximize the distribution of those mass

43:15.901 --> 43:18.123
to those communities . And if there are

43:18.123 --> 43:20.346
companies who would like to help engage

43:20.346 --> 43:22.568
in this effort and fill this need , are

43:22.568 --> 43:24.457
there Is there a contact person ?

43:24.457 --> 43:26.679
Should they go through FEMA should they

43:26.679 --> 43:26.180
go through d o d Should they go through

43:26.180 --> 43:29.530
HHS through the D . O . D . Is working

43:29.530 --> 43:32.260
closely with HHS there . There will be

43:32.270 --> 43:34.280
a request for proposals through the

43:34.280 --> 43:36.210
Defense Logistics Agency Will be

43:36.210 --> 43:38.770
following our normal processes , uh ,

43:38.780 --> 43:41.390
to ensure that the masks are made in

43:41.390 --> 43:43.501
America by Americans and will support

43:43.501 --> 43:45.668
the distribution as well . Thank you .

43:45.668 --> 43:47.890
Great . Thank you all very much . Thank

43:47.890 --> 43:49.946
you . Senator Shaheen . Uh , Senator

43:49.946 --> 43:52.120
Cotton via WebEx , Senator Cotton .

43:53.600 --> 43:55.711
Thank you , Mr Chairman . Thank you .

43:55.711 --> 43:57.767
To all of our witness for carry on a

43:57.767 --> 43:59.989
commend you and the department for your

43:59.989 --> 44:02.322
great efforts over these last 12 months .

44:02.322 --> 44:02.170
I specifically want to come in General

44:02.170 --> 44:04.420
Purna or his leadership of Operation

44:04.420 --> 44:06.770
Warp Speed , which is helped develop

44:06.770 --> 44:08.937
these vaccines in record times . And I

44:08.937 --> 44:10.937
think you're have us on the cusp of

44:10.937 --> 44:14.220
turning the corner on this virus . Um ,

44:14.790 --> 44:16.957
Miss Cummings , The Defense production

44:16.957 --> 44:19.123
Act was originally passed 70 years ago

44:19.123 --> 44:20.790
to ensure the availability of

44:20.790 --> 44:22.846
industrial resource is to me to meet

44:22.846 --> 44:24.957
the department's needs . And Congress

44:24.957 --> 44:27.068
has updated it several times over the

44:27.068 --> 44:29.234
years and way continue to believe it's

44:29.234 --> 44:28.770
an effective tool that could be used to

44:28.770 --> 44:30.826
mitigate risk to the industrial base

44:30.830 --> 44:33.390
based on departments experience , using

44:33.390 --> 44:35.501
those authorities during the pandemic

44:35.501 --> 44:37.501
to address both medical and defense

44:37.501 --> 44:39.668
industrial base issues . Are there any

44:39.668 --> 44:41.779
changes to the legislation that could

44:41.779 --> 44:43.834
help the department or other federal

44:43.834 --> 44:46.057
agencies use it more effectively in the

44:46.057 --> 44:45.470
future that you would like this

44:45.470 --> 44:49.150
committee to consider ? When ? When the

44:49.150 --> 44:51.350
pandemic pandemic began and we were

44:51.350 --> 44:54.550
looking at the opportunity under the

44:54.550 --> 44:56.772
Defense Production Production Act Title

44:56.772 --> 44:59.750
three , we we looked at whether or not

44:59.760 --> 45:02.120
other executive branch agencies via the

45:02.120 --> 45:04.160
Economy Act could actually transfer

45:04.160 --> 45:06.382
funding into our Defense Production Act

45:06.590 --> 45:09.160
Title three account . We learned that

45:09.160 --> 45:12.850
that was not , uh , authorized . And so

45:12.850 --> 45:15.180
that is definitely a flexibility that I

45:15.180 --> 45:17.800
think would be useful to be able to

45:17.800 --> 45:20.810
expand the use of Defense Production

45:20.810 --> 45:23.590
Act to execute the authorities of other

45:23.590 --> 45:26.960
executive branch departments . Um , uh ,

45:26.970 --> 45:29.026
the Defense Production Act , to your

45:29.026 --> 45:31.740
point , is extremely valuable . And the

45:31.740 --> 45:35.190
authorization to be able thio through

45:35.190 --> 45:37.560
contracts across multiple executive

45:37.560 --> 45:41.070
branch agencies prioritize the delivery

45:41.080 --> 45:44.390
off those items rests across not just

45:44.390 --> 45:46.500
the Department of Defense but also

45:46.510 --> 45:48.621
other executive branch agencies . For

45:48.621 --> 45:51.700
example , HHS has the authority to rate

45:51.710 --> 45:54.400
health resource is , whereas in D o d ,

45:54.400 --> 45:56.870
we have the authority to rape contracts

45:56.870 --> 45:59.203
that are related to defense authorities .

45:59.203 --> 46:01.790
Thank you . Thank you all . Another

46:01.790 --> 46:03.457
question . Famous coming from

46:03.457 --> 46:05.679
acquisition sustainment Perspective has

46:05.679 --> 46:08.460
the pandemic broaden the department's

46:08.460 --> 46:10.460
perspective on what it considers as

46:10.460 --> 46:12.810
critical for national security . For

46:12.810 --> 46:15.640
instance , things versus black N 95

46:15.640 --> 46:17.751
masks Now versus where you might have

46:17.751 --> 46:20.450
been a year ago . Um , are there areas

46:20.450 --> 46:23.160
where we're not self sufficient ? Um uh ,

46:23.170 --> 46:25.281
in any new perspective that we should

46:25.281 --> 46:27.740
be . So thank you , Senator . Yes . We

46:27.740 --> 46:30.870
realized early on that our dependence

46:30.870 --> 46:33.020
on a global supply chain he came a

46:33.020 --> 46:35.242
national security risk when those lines

46:35.242 --> 46:37.410
of transportation were cut . I'm

46:37.410 --> 46:39.620
pleased to say that in the department

46:39.630 --> 46:42.390
to meet our departmental needs , we

46:42.390 --> 46:44.446
actually have very good processes in

46:44.446 --> 46:46.334
place to stockpile or to have war

46:46.334 --> 46:48.640
stopper programs so that we did not

46:48.640 --> 46:50.870
find ourselves in a situation where we

46:50.870 --> 46:53.940
weren't prepared to be able to support

46:53.950 --> 46:56.580
our medical community with the the

46:56.580 --> 46:58.800
items that they needed . Now there are

46:58.800 --> 47:01.280
still critical PPE items that we need

47:01.280 --> 47:03.580
to continue to work on on shoring ,

47:03.590 --> 47:05.950
such as night trial gloves . Those air

47:05.960 --> 47:08.800
on Lee made almost exclusively only

47:08.800 --> 47:11.480
made outside of the United States . But

47:11.490 --> 47:14.170
it wasn't just medical supply chains .

47:14.180 --> 47:16.320
Also , our national security supply

47:16.320 --> 47:18.940
chains , the defense industrial base we

47:18.940 --> 47:20.829
have identified in our industrial

47:20.829 --> 47:22.551
Capabilities report , which we

47:22.551 --> 47:25.530
published in January . Other fragile

47:25.530 --> 47:28.070
supply change that we intend to work

47:28.080 --> 47:30.920
with the interagency to ensure that

47:30.920 --> 47:33.290
we're coming up with solutions toe

47:33.300 --> 47:35.900
onshore and support the longshore says

47:35.930 --> 47:39.010
long term sustainability of those

47:39.010 --> 47:41.980
supply chains domestically , Thank you .

47:41.980 --> 47:44.280
I think it's really vital that we look

47:44.280 --> 47:46.447
at it through this new perspective and

47:46.447 --> 47:48.613
that we identified places where supply

47:48.613 --> 47:51.260
chains are entirely offshore and that

47:51.260 --> 47:53.482
we try to get them at least back to the

47:53.482 --> 47:55.316
United States on . But we're not

47:55.316 --> 47:57.940
relying on solar committed source

47:58.120 --> 48:00.990
products out China secondarily out of

48:00.990 --> 48:03.690
Taiwan and third out of any country

48:03.690 --> 48:06.270
within missile range of mainland China .

48:06.280 --> 48:08.336
Finally , general person , I want to

48:08.336 --> 48:10.447
direct this to you since you're still

48:10.447 --> 48:12.391
wearing uniforms . They had a long

48:12.391 --> 48:12.210
career of serving with soldiers and

48:12.210 --> 48:14.432
leading soldiers that there's been some

48:14.432 --> 48:16.488
concerning reports in the news about

48:16.488 --> 48:18.490
vaccine decline rates among service

48:18.490 --> 48:20.657
members . Give us thoughts on why that

48:20.657 --> 48:22.823
is and what we can do to make sure all

48:22.823 --> 48:24.768
of our service members are getting

48:24.768 --> 48:26.990
vaccinated as soon as is the vaccine is

48:26.990 --> 48:29.130
available to them . Senator , I think

48:29.130 --> 48:32.780
that I would just reassure my teammates ,

48:32.790 --> 48:35.170
the soldiers , sailors , Airman ,

48:35.170 --> 48:37.337
Marines and Coast Guardsmen that serve

48:37.337 --> 48:39.503
that we have . The greatest scientists

48:39.503 --> 48:41.392
in the world that worked on these

48:41.392 --> 48:43.503
vaccines are pharmaceutical companies

48:43.503 --> 48:46.540
are the best , uh , in the world on

48:46.540 --> 48:49.920
then r F d A . Is the gold standard for

48:49.920 --> 48:53.170
regulatory oversight in the world . On

48:53.170 --> 48:55.500
that , I have 100% confidence in the

48:55.500 --> 48:58.570
vaccine . Andi , I said so to my own

48:58.570 --> 49:00.730
parents to that end . And I would

49:00.730 --> 49:03.530
encourage all soldiers , sailors ,

49:03.530 --> 49:05.697
airmen , Marines , Coast Guard mint to

49:05.697 --> 49:08.880
include my sons who serve the navy and

49:08.880 --> 49:11.000
their families to get the vaccine .

49:11.770 --> 49:13.881
Good . Thanks , Jim . Well , I had my

49:13.881 --> 49:16.048
voice to that statement . I heard them

49:16.048 --> 49:17.937
all to get the vaccine as soon as

49:17.937 --> 49:20.048
possible . Thank you . Thank you very

49:20.048 --> 49:21.992
much , Senator Cotton . And let me

49:21.992 --> 49:24.270
recognize Senator Gillibrand via WebEx .

49:25.970 --> 49:28.026
Thank you . Thank you both for being

49:28.026 --> 49:30.248
here and thank you , Mr Chairman . Um ,

49:30.248 --> 49:32.414
just to drill down a little bit on the

49:32.414 --> 49:34.581
questions that Senator Cotton asked as

49:34.581 --> 49:37.140
well a Senator Shaheen , um it's been

49:37.140 --> 49:39.307
reported that the Trump administration

49:39.307 --> 49:41.529
did not leave a reserve in the national

49:41.529 --> 49:43.584
vaccine stockpile for when President

49:43.584 --> 49:45.696
Biden took office . So we appeared to

49:45.696 --> 49:47.918
be trying to ramp up production as fast

49:47.918 --> 49:50.084
as possible . But in recent weeks , it

49:50.084 --> 49:49.780
appears the daily administration of

49:49.780 --> 49:52.110
vaccines has been stalled . Where is

49:52.110 --> 49:54.332
the bottleneck in the system ? And what

49:54.332 --> 49:56.410
can the d o d do to to facilitate an

49:56.410 --> 49:58.410
increase distribution of vaccines ?

50:00.960 --> 50:03.182
Senator , this is General Person . I'll

50:03.182 --> 50:06.110
start , if that's okay . Um , initially

50:06.110 --> 50:09.520
when the vaccine came off the conveyor

50:09.520 --> 50:11.742
belts , I apologize for using that term

50:11.742 --> 50:14.680
very delicate process . Uh , we knew

50:14.680 --> 50:16.990
that the volume was gonna be low . It

50:16.990 --> 50:18.823
is the way that the vaccines are

50:18.823 --> 50:21.590
manufactured on the process that they

50:21.590 --> 50:24.720
have to do to ramp up accordingly . We

50:24.720 --> 50:26.970
knew that it would increase , Uh ,

50:26.980 --> 50:29.202
every after every batch that they run ,

50:29.202 --> 50:32.530
they would get better at it . On dso

50:32.540 --> 50:36.110
Aziz , we executed the distribution we

50:36.110 --> 50:39.400
planned accordingly . To that end , we

50:39.400 --> 50:41.990
knew that a zit increased . We needed

50:41.990 --> 50:44.380
to be able to expand the distribution

50:44.560 --> 50:46.510
on . That's why the capability and

50:46.510 --> 50:48.490
capacity of private industry was

50:48.660 --> 50:51.570
utilized to do so . in a pause .

50:52.960 --> 50:56.410
Thank you , Miss Cummings . On April

50:56.410 --> 50:58.600
5th 2020 your predecessor , Missile

50:58.600 --> 51:00.980
Lord issued a memo changed the

51:00.980 --> 51:02.924
delegation of authority for use of

51:02.924 --> 51:04.758
other transactions for prototype

51:04.758 --> 51:06.813
projects in response to Cova Disease

51:06.813 --> 51:09.270
2019 , which is geared basically

51:09.270 --> 51:11.270
towards increasing contracting with

51:11.270 --> 51:13.270
small and medium sized firms rather

51:13.270 --> 51:15.570
than big defense contractors . Other

51:15.570 --> 51:17.792
transaction authority can empower the D

51:17.792 --> 51:19.903
O D to move faster , be more flexible

51:19.903 --> 51:22.014
in acquisitions and develop solutions

51:22.014 --> 51:24.014
by working with non traditional non

51:24.014 --> 51:26.237
defense contractors across the whole of

51:26.237 --> 51:28.348
industry and science . Nevertheless ,

51:28.348 --> 51:30.403
there has been recent criticism that

51:30.403 --> 51:32.626
this authority is not being used to the

51:32.626 --> 51:34.459
fullest extent . Rick Done , the

51:34.459 --> 51:36.459
general counsel of DARPA , recently

51:36.459 --> 51:38.459
wrote . The deficiency of education

51:38.459 --> 51:40.292
understanding on the transaction

51:40.292 --> 51:42.514
authority among D O D lawyers , program

51:42.514 --> 51:42.490
managers , contracting personnel and

51:42.490 --> 51:45.550
financial managers is profound is a

51:45.550 --> 51:48.150
profound handicap that has led to the

51:48.150 --> 51:51.070
slow embrace of this program . Are you

51:51.070 --> 51:53.292
willing to engage with business leaders

51:53.292 --> 51:55.348
in order to cut out the stove piping

51:55.348 --> 51:57.160
and increase the use of other

51:57.160 --> 51:58.827
transaction authorities , and

51:58.827 --> 52:01.240
particularly to increase the number of

52:01.250 --> 52:03.139
minority owned businesses that we

52:03.139 --> 52:07.030
contract with ? Thank you ,

52:07.030 --> 52:09.370
Senator , for this , That question we

52:09.380 --> 52:12.030
absolutely value the contribution of

52:12.030 --> 52:13.697
small business to the defense

52:13.697 --> 52:15.697
industrial base . And what we found

52:15.697 --> 52:18.770
during the contracting actions and

52:18.770 --> 52:21.530
other agreements such as O . T a S is

52:21.530 --> 52:24.730
that we were seeing an expansion in the

52:24.730 --> 52:27.770
participation of small businesses . And

52:27.770 --> 52:31.290
I believe , uh , even more than 40% of

52:31.290 --> 52:33.070
the contracts that we have been

52:33.070 --> 52:35.740
tracking specifically in response to co

52:35.740 --> 52:38.540
vid have gone to small businesses . But

52:38.540 --> 52:40.762
yes , I will commit to working with the

52:40.762 --> 52:42.984
Defense Acquisition Workforce , as well

52:42.984 --> 52:45.096
as the Defense Acquisition University

52:45.096 --> 52:47.700
and the service acquisition executives

52:47.710 --> 52:49.766
toe look to expand the knowledge and

52:49.766 --> 52:51.660
understanding across all of the

52:51.660 --> 52:54.030
different parts of the workforce to

52:54.030 --> 52:56.370
include contracts and legal . Thank you ,

52:57.450 --> 52:59.710
um , and then just toe continue the

52:59.720 --> 53:01.942
line of questioning that Senator Cotton

53:01.942 --> 53:03.890
started , um G a . O previously

53:03.890 --> 53:05.946
reported that D . O . D plans to use

53:05.946 --> 53:08.940
about 687 million of the one billion in

53:08.940 --> 53:10.773
Cares Act Defense Production Act

53:10.773 --> 53:12.718
funding to mitigate covert related

53:12.718 --> 53:15.051
problems in the defense industrial base .

53:15.051 --> 53:17.070
As of January 2021 D . O . D . Has

53:17.070 --> 53:19.190
already awarded 37 projects valued

53:19.190 --> 53:22.260
approximately 663 million . Please

53:22.260 --> 53:24.371
provide some specific examples of the

53:24.371 --> 53:26.538
benefits of the department has already

53:26.538 --> 53:28.760
realized through Defense Production Act

53:28.760 --> 53:30.760
investments and how much additional

53:30.760 --> 53:32.871
defense production funding does d o d

53:32.871 --> 53:34.927
need to mitigate its highest prairie

53:34.927 --> 53:37.093
defense industrial based risk over the

53:37.093 --> 53:39.630
next two years . Sure , thank you . And

53:39.630 --> 53:41.630
I'd be happy to take for the record

53:41.630 --> 53:44.170
some specific outcomes of some of the

53:44.170 --> 53:46.281
awards that I'm about to talk about .

53:46.290 --> 53:47.901
Um , but we made significant

53:47.901 --> 53:50.800
investments under DP A Title three in

53:50.810 --> 53:53.590
industrial capability to sustain

53:53.600 --> 53:55.850
businesses that would otherwise have

53:55.860 --> 53:58.630
been either fragile or have gone out of

53:58.630 --> 54:01.090
business based on the impacts of co vid

54:01.100 --> 54:04.240
in the area of aircraft s O . That

54:04.240 --> 54:06.407
would be materials to support aircraft

54:06.407 --> 54:08.730
production , a swell as aircraft engine

54:08.730 --> 54:12.050
production , shipbuilding space soldier

54:12.050 --> 54:15.400
systems to include textiles , electron ,

54:15.400 --> 54:18.230
ICS and materials and hyper sonics .

54:18.230 --> 54:20.397
But again , I'm happy toe come back to

54:20.397 --> 54:22.619
you or your staff with specifics on the

54:22.619 --> 54:24.341
benefits we've seen from those

54:24.341 --> 54:26.452
investments to date . Thank you , and

54:26.452 --> 54:28.341
I'm out of time , but I'd like to

54:28.341 --> 54:30.063
submit for the record specific

54:30.063 --> 54:32.063
questions about the shortcomings of

54:32.063 --> 54:34.341
childcare for military service members .

54:34.341 --> 54:36.452
We've seen it across the board , um ,

54:36.452 --> 54:38.620
in nonmilitary child care centers as

54:38.620 --> 54:41.530
well . Last I checked , there was one

54:41.530 --> 54:43.641
slot for every eight kids that needed

54:43.641 --> 54:45.697
it . And I think that is also a huge

54:45.697 --> 54:47.586
problem with the military because

54:47.586 --> 54:49.641
they've had to close their childcare

54:49.641 --> 54:48.920
centers , but also met those for the

54:48.920 --> 54:50.864
record . Thank you , Mr Chairman .

54:50.864 --> 54:53.087
Thank you , Senator Dillaman , before I

54:53.087 --> 54:56.420
recognize them around , Uh , by a WebEx

54:56.430 --> 54:59.400
just to clarify point , I believe that

54:59.410 --> 55:02.130
d o . D . Requires 17 immunizations .

55:02.130 --> 55:04.710
They can mandate it , but they cannot

55:04.720 --> 55:06.990
mandate without informed consent and

55:06.990 --> 55:10.560
emergency FDA vaccine , which is the

55:10.640 --> 55:14.090
current status . Once it becomes fully

55:14.100 --> 55:16.600
approved by FDA , then Department of

55:16.600 --> 55:18.656
Defense can mandate the vaccine . Is

55:18.656 --> 55:21.430
that accurate ? General Corner or

55:21.440 --> 55:24.560
whoever is way did research on that ,

55:24.570 --> 55:26.737
uh , chairman . And that's the truth .

55:26.737 --> 55:28.681
Thank you very much . Uh , Senator

55:28.681 --> 55:30.690
Rounds , please . Thank you , Mr

55:30.690 --> 55:34.220
Chairman . Uh , first of all , good

55:34.220 --> 55:36.880
morning to all of you and I wanna take

55:36.880 --> 55:38.991
this time to just thank you very much

55:38.991 --> 55:41.213
for your service to our country and for

55:41.213 --> 55:43.380
providing your expert testimony on the

55:43.380 --> 55:45.547
Department of Defense Is impact to the

55:45.547 --> 55:47.436
nation's Kobe 19 response to this

55:47.436 --> 55:49.436
committee today . I'd like to begin

55:49.436 --> 55:51.769
with a question from Miss Cummings . Uh ,

55:51.769 --> 55:53.602
during the very worst periods of

55:53.602 --> 55:55.602
uncertainty at the beginning of the

55:55.602 --> 55:58.850
cove in 19 crisis , Um , what struggle

55:58.850 --> 56:01.640
mightily to increase the n 95 mask

56:01.640 --> 56:03.696
production ? And it seems to me that

56:03.696 --> 56:06.210
there was high degree of confusion

56:06.290 --> 56:08.630
within D . O d with respect to the D .

56:08.630 --> 56:11.250
P . A framework to include leadership

56:11.250 --> 56:13.620
processes and situational awareness .

56:14.430 --> 56:17.500
Your contributions at that time and

56:17.510 --> 56:19.570
former Undersecretary Lords daily

56:19.570 --> 56:22.420
involvement were absolutely crucial to

56:22.420 --> 56:24.420
overcoming bureaucratic hurdles and

56:24.420 --> 56:26.531
significant delays on I Thank you for

56:26.531 --> 56:29.310
that . I am curious to know what your

56:29.320 --> 56:32.040
lessons learned are from that period

56:32.430 --> 56:34.319
and what you recommend to fix the

56:34.319 --> 56:36.541
process so that when we need to use the

56:36.541 --> 56:39.880
d . P . A , it will be a more effective

56:39.880 --> 56:42.780
tool for rapidly providing capacity

56:42.780 --> 56:44.460
during national emergencies .

56:46.730 --> 56:49.520
Thank you , Senator . Um , yes . I was

56:49.530 --> 56:52.700
myself personally involved in , um ,

56:52.710 --> 56:55.430
the decision and the activities in

56:55.430 --> 56:58.310
coordination with HHS to make strategic

56:58.310 --> 57:02.090
investments in the capacity for making

57:02.090 --> 57:06.020
N 95 respirators here in the US And I

57:06.020 --> 57:08.187
think one of the major lessons learned

57:08.187 --> 57:10.020
that we had in the Department of

57:10.020 --> 57:12.440
Defense was that we didn't have those

57:12.440 --> 57:14.670
strategic relationships within the

57:14.670 --> 57:16.281
acquisition community to the

57:16.281 --> 57:19.090
acquisition community at HHS and FEMA

57:19.100 --> 57:21.322
that would have been valuable a day one

57:21.322 --> 57:23.550
of the pandemic . And so because of

57:23.550 --> 57:25.970
that , we created instead of the task

57:25.970 --> 57:28.026
force , which is what we established

57:28.026 --> 57:29.970
that I led beginning in March , we

57:29.970 --> 57:32.248
transition that toe a permanent office .

57:32.248 --> 57:34.303
That permanent office is part of our

57:34.303 --> 57:36.470
joint rapid acquisition cell . And the

57:36.470 --> 57:38.637
goal of that office and the mission of

57:38.637 --> 57:40.137
that office is to maintain

57:40.137 --> 57:42.081
relationships across the executive

57:42.081 --> 57:43.859
branch so that when there is an

57:43.859 --> 57:45.914
emergency , whether it is a national

57:45.914 --> 57:49.000
regional local emergency , that we have

57:49.000 --> 57:50.889
the relationships and we have the

57:50.889 --> 57:52.944
agreements interagency agreements in

57:52.944 --> 57:54.910
place to quickly respond to that

57:54.910 --> 57:57.060
requirement without having to re

57:57.060 --> 57:59.600
establish or newly establish those

57:59.600 --> 58:01.890
relationships . And frankly , all of

58:01.890 --> 58:04.190
the M O using paperwork associated with

58:04.190 --> 58:06.430
moving money or moving requirements

58:06.430 --> 58:10.370
from one agency to the other . I

58:10.370 --> 58:11.926
just remember that it was a

58:11.926 --> 58:14.140
bureaucratic nightmare and it took

58:14.140 --> 58:16.410
direct intervention in orderto work our

58:16.410 --> 58:18.466
way through it , and I thank you for

58:18.466 --> 58:20.688
that . I would like to continue on with

58:20.688 --> 58:22.910
Miss Cummings . How much money from the

58:22.910 --> 58:25.610
administration's covert 19 package is D

58:25.610 --> 58:27.830
o D . Anticipating to devote to the

58:27.830 --> 58:30.080
Title three program for both domestic

58:30.080 --> 58:32.910
production for the supply chain and for

58:32.910 --> 58:36.320
em products such as PPE , vaccines and

58:36.320 --> 58:39.250
other critical medical products . And

58:39.260 --> 58:40.927
do you think this is gonna be

58:40.927 --> 58:43.149
sufficient to address the most pressing

58:43.149 --> 58:45.093
anticipated requirements that your

58:45.093 --> 58:48.680
office is tracking ? I I think , are Am

58:48.680 --> 58:52.160
I understanding your question to be the

58:52.170 --> 58:54.170
proposal ? The supplemental package

58:54.170 --> 58:57.030
that includes 10 billions $10 billion

58:57.030 --> 58:59.086
in D . P . A Title three funding for

58:59.086 --> 59:01.410
medical resource is I'm curious what

59:01.410 --> 59:04.760
your current status is . Oh , okay .

59:04.770 --> 59:08.520
Eso The current status is as we had in

59:08.520 --> 59:11.400
the Cares act $1 billion in D . P . A

59:11.400 --> 59:15.210
Title three funding we balanced . Uh ,

59:15.220 --> 59:17.560
that account between both medical

59:17.560 --> 59:19.580
resource is re sources , which we

59:19.580 --> 59:21.650
allocated $213 million

59:22.310 --> 59:25.920
$230 million to we dedicated

59:25.920 --> 59:28.450
$100 million towards a loan program .

59:28.820 --> 59:30.764
And so that is in order to support

59:30.764 --> 59:32.987
subsidy so we can make loans . And then

59:32.987 --> 59:36.590
the third was $687

59:36.590 --> 59:39.220
million for the defense industrial base .

59:39.230 --> 59:42.630
We have obligated almost that entire

59:42.630 --> 59:44.741
account with the exception of the 100

59:44.741 --> 59:46.630
million . That is a set aside for

59:46.630 --> 59:50.270
subsidy that stays in our account again

59:50.270 --> 59:53.160
to subsidize a larger loan amount . But

59:53.160 --> 59:55.540
we did balance that between the defense

59:56.120 --> 59:57.898
industrial base and the medical

59:57.898 --> 01:00:00.009
industrial base , but because we were

01:00:00.009 --> 01:00:03.390
able to move , uh , funding from HHS to

01:00:03.390 --> 01:00:06.340
D o D . We have thus far been able to

01:00:06.340 --> 01:00:08.770
meet every requirement given tow us

01:00:08.770 --> 01:00:12.540
from HHS to expand n 95

01:00:12.540 --> 01:00:15.180
respirators , uh , supply chains

01:00:15.180 --> 01:00:18.020
related to ventilators and surgical

01:00:18.020 --> 01:00:20.880
masks , as well as testing capacity to

01:00:20.880 --> 01:00:23.070
include point of care and at home

01:00:23.070 --> 01:00:26.240
testing testing kits . I think the

01:00:26.240 --> 01:00:29.760
point I would make is that the resource

01:00:29.760 --> 01:00:31.593
is that you were provided you've

01:00:31.593 --> 01:00:34.280
basically expended or utilized at this

01:00:34.280 --> 01:00:37.110
time . And so if we want to continue

01:00:37.110 --> 01:00:39.870
with the program , um , it is critical

01:00:39.870 --> 01:00:42.230
that we talk about specific targeted

01:00:42.230 --> 01:00:44.440
needs that would be available for your

01:00:44.440 --> 01:00:47.740
use . Correct . Thank you . Thank you ,

01:00:47.740 --> 01:00:50.073
Mr Chairman . Thank you . Center around .

01:00:50.073 --> 01:00:52.351
So let me recognize Senator Blumenthal .

01:00:52.351 --> 01:00:55.330
Thanks very much , Mr Chairman . Uh ,

01:00:56.010 --> 01:00:58.590
ID like Thio . First of all , thank you

01:00:58.600 --> 01:01:01.940
for your service . Uh , the ranking

01:01:01.940 --> 01:01:04.162
member , Senator Inhofe referred to the

01:01:04.162 --> 01:01:07.050
miracle of our discovery and

01:01:07.050 --> 01:01:10.370
distribution of the vaccine , but as

01:01:10.380 --> 01:01:13.380
one of the great American scientists

01:01:13.390 --> 01:01:15.612
once said , and I can't remember who it

01:01:15.612 --> 01:01:18.520
was . Uh , great . Inventions and

01:01:18.530 --> 01:01:21.750
innovations are 1% inspiration and

01:01:21.750 --> 01:01:25.730
99% perspiration . And so I know a lot

01:01:25.730 --> 01:01:29.550
of your hard work and equally sell the

01:01:29.550 --> 01:01:32.690
hard work at Pfizer and

01:01:32.700 --> 01:01:34.978
Madonna . I know , particularly Pfizer ,

01:01:34.978 --> 01:01:37.030
because I talk thio some of the

01:01:37.030 --> 01:01:40.020
scientists and managers there was

01:01:40.020 --> 01:01:42.370
necessary to bring this vaccine to the

01:01:42.370 --> 01:01:44.530
American people and to people around

01:01:44.530 --> 01:01:47.240
the world . So we owe you a great debt

01:01:47.240 --> 01:01:49.296
of gratitude . I want to thank you ,

01:01:49.296 --> 01:01:51.360
General Purna , for for your work

01:01:51.360 --> 01:01:53.471
particularly and for our conversation

01:01:53.471 --> 01:01:56.190
about the really Herculean

01:01:57.290 --> 01:02:00.620
steps that you are taking , too . Make

01:02:01.000 --> 01:02:04.150
this vaccine available on a mass level

01:02:04.150 --> 01:02:07.610
through many , many more

01:02:08.100 --> 01:02:11.930
outlets and places of

01:02:11.930 --> 01:02:14.580
vaccination around the country , which

01:02:14.580 --> 01:02:17.420
I know is essential to make the vaccine

01:02:17.800 --> 01:02:19.911
riel for people getting it into their

01:02:20.100 --> 01:02:23.790
arms . Uh , and let me focus for the

01:02:23.790 --> 01:02:25.790
moment on the question that Senator

01:02:25.790 --> 01:02:29.700
Reid asked in terms of our military men

01:02:29.700 --> 01:02:33.220
and women , is it a regulation or a

01:02:33.220 --> 01:02:37.150
statute that bars

01:02:37.330 --> 01:02:40.710
the Pentagon from mandating

01:02:41.070 --> 01:02:43.520
vaccines ? I know that it's under

01:02:43.520 --> 01:02:46.730
emergency use authorization right now ,

01:02:47.100 --> 01:02:49.100
and if it was given final proven it

01:02:49.100 --> 01:02:52.250
could be mandated . But that takes 5 10

01:02:52.250 --> 01:02:55.470
years . We don't know how long . So is

01:02:55.470 --> 01:02:59.080
there a specific legal provisions that

01:02:59.080 --> 01:03:02.190
forbids mandatory vaccination when it

01:03:02.190 --> 01:03:04.060
has received Onley emergency you

01:03:04.060 --> 01:03:05.060
thought was a

01:03:09.200 --> 01:03:11.930
senator ? Three . Emergency use of the

01:03:12.010 --> 01:03:15.040
authorization is voluntary . As you

01:03:15.040 --> 01:03:17.151
point out , I believe it is a statute

01:03:17.151 --> 01:03:21.060
or that does not provide for to be

01:03:21.060 --> 01:03:23.840
mandatory . Actually , somebody just

01:03:23.840 --> 01:03:26.062
hand me the statute so I can read it to

01:03:26.062 --> 01:03:28.229
you . If you'd like that number here ,

01:03:28.229 --> 01:03:30.720
sir , Um , it's emergency use

01:03:30.720 --> 01:03:33.780
authorization . It's 11 07 a . That

01:03:33.790 --> 01:03:36.060
talks about the emergency use

01:03:36.060 --> 01:03:38.116
authorization . So it is a statute ,

01:03:38.116 --> 01:03:41.210
and that's why it's voluntary . And let

01:03:41.210 --> 01:03:44.560
me ask you , Are there some groups that

01:03:44.560 --> 01:03:46.616
have been more receptive than others

01:03:46.616 --> 01:03:47.838
within the military ?

01:03:50.700 --> 01:03:52.756
It's back on . What we're finding is

01:03:52.756 --> 01:03:54.811
we've been at this for about 60 days

01:03:54.811 --> 01:03:56.800
and and we have a vaccine tearing

01:03:56.800 --> 01:03:58.800
system that we're using . So , for

01:03:58.800 --> 01:04:00.800
example , in that first year is our

01:04:00.800 --> 01:04:02.967
health care professionals . And if the

01:04:02.967 --> 01:04:04.744
population for that health care

01:04:04.744 --> 01:04:07.740
professionals is about 300,000 , what

01:04:07.740 --> 01:04:11.270
we're seeing is is over 60% taking the

01:04:11.270 --> 01:04:13.410
vaccine and were able to track who

01:04:13.410 --> 01:04:15.466
takes the vaccine ? The remainder of

01:04:15.466 --> 01:04:17.521
the individuals in that tearing that

01:04:17.521 --> 01:04:19.688
are not taking the vaccine . There may

01:04:19.688 --> 01:04:21.854
be a number of reasons why they're not

01:04:21.854 --> 01:04:21.710
taking the vaccine . They may have

01:04:21.710 --> 01:04:23.877
gotten a shot somewhere else , or they

01:04:23.877 --> 01:04:25.821
may not want to take the vaccine .

01:04:25.821 --> 01:04:28.043
We're working through that collectively

01:04:28.043 --> 01:04:30.210
right now to to make the determination

01:04:30.210 --> 01:04:32.377
of what those numbers accurately are .

01:04:32.377 --> 01:04:34.630
We do track who has taken it . But

01:04:34.790 --> 01:04:36.957
again , those populations that we have

01:04:36.957 --> 01:04:38.901
in the tearing system , That's how

01:04:38.901 --> 01:04:41.123
we're reviewing that the war . Isn't it

01:04:41.123 --> 01:04:44.060
available to the entire force , sir ?

01:04:44.060 --> 01:04:46.320
Everybody who wants it will be served .

01:04:46.320 --> 01:04:48.487
But we start with the tear because the

01:04:48.487 --> 01:04:50.653
way the vaccine is being distributed ,

01:04:50.653 --> 01:04:52.876
you can only get so much supply . So we

01:04:52.876 --> 01:04:54.987
started with our healthcare workers .

01:04:54.987 --> 01:04:54.740
Now we're working through our our

01:04:54.740 --> 01:04:57.130
essential mission responsibilities .

01:04:57.130 --> 01:04:59.352
And then we'll continue to work through

01:04:59.352 --> 01:05:01.519
that process . It will be available to

01:05:01.519 --> 01:05:03.852
everyone in the Defense Department . Uh ,

01:05:03.852 --> 01:05:05.908
that wants to take the back . So are

01:05:05.908 --> 01:05:08.930
are you saying , uh , that so far

01:05:08.940 --> 01:05:12.220
within our United States Armed Services ,

01:05:12.590 --> 01:05:15.080
the vaccine has been made available on

01:05:15.080 --> 01:05:17.340
Lee to healthcare workers ? No , sir .

01:05:17.340 --> 01:05:19.451
That's not what I'm saying ? What I'm

01:05:19.451 --> 01:05:21.451
saying , That was the first year we

01:05:21.451 --> 01:05:23.618
have . It's a tiered system as we work

01:05:23.618 --> 01:05:25.451
through the tears . Then we have

01:05:25.451 --> 01:05:27.673
essential , like strategic forces , our

01:05:27.673 --> 01:05:29.951
military forces , those types of folks .

01:05:29.951 --> 01:05:31.980
Um , we work through the system the

01:05:31.980 --> 01:05:34.520
tiered system to the last year , which

01:05:34.520 --> 01:05:37.510
is our normal , uh , folks

01:05:37.510 --> 01:05:41.500
that are available for the vaccine

01:05:41.500 --> 01:05:43.790
are regular forces . We also look at ,

01:05:43.800 --> 01:05:46.050
uh , in the tearing system of those

01:05:46.050 --> 01:05:48.460
that have health conditions over 65 is

01:05:48.460 --> 01:05:50.349
another condition . So as we work

01:05:50.349 --> 01:05:52.460
through that here we make the vaccine

01:05:52.460 --> 01:05:54.682
available . Well , my time is expired ,

01:05:54.682 --> 01:05:58.010
but I would like to know how

01:05:58.390 --> 01:06:01.910
how many and in what categories

01:06:02.980 --> 01:06:05.860
have received actually received the

01:06:05.860 --> 01:06:09.690
vaccine . And I understand that you are

01:06:10.020 --> 01:06:12.930
working through . I think that was your

01:06:12.930 --> 01:06:15.710
term . The Essential

01:06:16.680 --> 01:06:20.430
Workers forces . I'd like to

01:06:20.430 --> 01:06:23.310
know who that is . How many have

01:06:23.310 --> 01:06:26.510
actually received the vaccine and what

01:06:26.510 --> 01:06:29.040
the next tears are . I would think this

01:06:29.040 --> 01:06:31.880
vaccine should be made available to all

01:06:31.890 --> 01:06:34.330
men and women in uniform . It will be ,

01:06:34.330 --> 01:06:36.219
sir . Well , it will be . But why

01:06:36.219 --> 01:06:38.274
hasn't it been already ? Because the

01:06:38.274 --> 01:06:40.890
vaccine supply is coming . It's coming

01:06:40.890 --> 01:06:43.300
in in different increments and we're

01:06:43.300 --> 01:06:45.300
vaccinating based on the priorities

01:06:45.300 --> 01:06:47.620
we've already written . All of our men

01:06:47.620 --> 01:06:49.800
and women in uniform be a priority .

01:06:49.880 --> 01:06:51.769
They are so and they will get the

01:06:51.769 --> 01:06:54.040
vaccine . Okay , I apologize , Mr

01:06:54.050 --> 01:06:56.820
Chairman . Um , but I'll look forward

01:06:56.820 --> 01:06:58.820
to getting more information , sir .

01:06:58.820 --> 01:07:01.042
Thank you , Senator Blumenthal . Let me

01:07:01.042 --> 01:07:03.890
recognize . Senator Lawrence . Thank

01:07:03.890 --> 01:07:06.001
you , Mr Chair , and thank you to our

01:07:06.001 --> 01:07:07.946
witnesses today . This has been an

01:07:07.946 --> 01:07:10.470
extraordinary effort , and I think you

01:07:10.470 --> 01:07:12.590
can see that all of us are are very

01:07:12.590 --> 01:07:14.750
proud of the accomplishments of the

01:07:14.750 --> 01:07:16.694
serving in the D . O . D . When it

01:07:16.694 --> 01:07:18.639
comes to operation warp speed . So

01:07:18.639 --> 01:07:20.639
thank you , General , very much for

01:07:20.639 --> 01:07:22.806
your leadership in that area . Um , it

01:07:22.806 --> 01:07:25.170
really has been quite a success , and

01:07:25.180 --> 01:07:27.402
we've been able to provide an effective

01:07:27.402 --> 01:07:29.640
vaccine now Thio theme American people

01:07:29.640 --> 01:07:33.560
in less than a year . And all Iowans

01:07:33.560 --> 01:07:35.910
are are very thankful for that . And

01:07:35.910 --> 01:07:38.132
just to go over some of the things that

01:07:38.132 --> 01:07:40.299
the Department of Defense has done and

01:07:40.299 --> 01:07:42.466
undertaken since the beginning of this

01:07:42.466 --> 01:07:44.299
pandemic . A range of actions to

01:07:44.299 --> 01:07:46.410
support the defense industrial base ,

01:07:46.410 --> 01:07:48.410
which includes establishing a joint

01:07:48.410 --> 01:07:50.730
acquisition task force to prioritize

01:07:50.730 --> 01:07:52.970
and increased production capacity of

01:07:52.970 --> 01:07:55.890
needed medical resource is investing in

01:07:55.890 --> 01:07:58.230
industrial base expansion , executing

01:07:58.230 --> 01:08:00.470
The Cares Act and Defense Production

01:08:00.470 --> 01:08:02.810
Act Title three supplemental funding

01:08:02.810 --> 01:08:05.450
and accelerating progress payments to

01:08:05.450 --> 01:08:07.980
contractors . And we could go on and on

01:08:07.980 --> 01:08:10.700
and on of just a next ordinary effort

01:08:10.710 --> 01:08:13.960
across the board . Another part of this .

01:08:13.970 --> 01:08:16.210
The players that I like to recognize

01:08:16.210 --> 01:08:18.377
all the time , or a wonderful National

01:08:18.377 --> 01:08:19.988
Guardsmen that air out there

01:08:19.988 --> 01:08:22.210
participating in efforts to support our

01:08:22.210 --> 01:08:24.266
communities . So we have , ah , over

01:08:24.266 --> 01:08:27.070
28,000 National Guardsmen that have

01:08:27.080 --> 01:08:30.330
been activated or mobilized . They're

01:08:30.330 --> 01:08:32.770
out there in support of FEMA and other

01:08:32.770 --> 01:08:36.100
various partners across , UH , 46 of

01:08:36.100 --> 01:08:39.530
our states and three territories . And

01:08:39.530 --> 01:08:41.308
so what they're doing , they're

01:08:41.308 --> 01:08:43.530
supporting the vaccination missions and

01:08:43.530 --> 01:08:46.120
other medical support missions . So Mr

01:08:46.120 --> 01:08:48.540
Celeste's is at what point does the

01:08:48.540 --> 01:08:50.207
National Guard in the Defense

01:08:50.207 --> 01:08:53.220
Department complete this mission and

01:08:53.220 --> 01:08:56.610
then passed the operation over to civil

01:08:56.610 --> 01:09:00.240
authorities ? Senator , I I don't know

01:09:00.240 --> 01:09:02.129
the exact time frame in which the

01:09:02.129 --> 01:09:04.296
mission will be complete . Obviously ,

01:09:04.296 --> 01:09:06.407
we've got a lot to finish as a nation

01:09:06.407 --> 01:09:08.629
with the great work that you've already

01:09:08.629 --> 01:09:10.740
pointed out , that the guard is doing

01:09:10.740 --> 01:09:12.851
every day around the country . Aziz .

01:09:12.851 --> 01:09:14.851
We also know we had 47,000 National

01:09:14.851 --> 01:09:16.907
Guard members on duty at the peak of

01:09:16.907 --> 01:09:19.018
this . And now with the 28 . 29,000 ,

01:09:19.018 --> 01:09:21.018
they've done extraordinary work . I

01:09:21.018 --> 01:09:23.129
suspect that they will be there until

01:09:23.129 --> 01:09:25.129
we've vaccinated everybody . And we

01:09:25.129 --> 01:09:27.184
provided the support that we need to

01:09:27.184 --> 01:09:29.129
within the communities . Uh , they

01:09:29.129 --> 01:09:31.184
continue to do great work around the

01:09:31.184 --> 01:09:33.240
country , and I think we're going to

01:09:33.240 --> 01:09:35.351
continue to rely on them to do that .

01:09:35.351 --> 01:09:35.260
As you know , the president has

01:09:35.260 --> 01:09:37.371
authorized 100% reimbursement through

01:09:37.371 --> 01:09:39.427
the end of September , which is very

01:09:39.427 --> 01:09:41.316
helpful to the National Guard and

01:09:41.316 --> 01:09:43.482
executing this mission . So I think we

01:09:43.482 --> 01:09:45.538
should plan for at least through the

01:09:45.538 --> 01:09:47.427
end of September . We'll see what

01:09:47.427 --> 01:09:49.593
happens after that . So the Department

01:09:49.593 --> 01:09:51.649
of Defense has started talking about

01:09:51.649 --> 01:09:54.270
kind of the need to transition . Then

01:09:54.270 --> 01:09:56.730
we're just not sure of the date . Uh

01:09:56.730 --> 01:09:58.952
huh . Against senator will be upto what

01:09:58.952 --> 01:10:01.063
to the governors need really with the

01:10:01.063 --> 01:10:03.286
National Guard . So I would look to the

01:10:03.286 --> 01:10:05.341
governors and each of the states and

01:10:05.341 --> 01:10:05.300
how they want to continue to use the

01:10:05.300 --> 01:10:07.467
National Guard in that effort And what

01:10:07.467 --> 01:10:09.411
additional federal requirements of

01:10:09.411 --> 01:10:11.578
federal assistance may be needed . And

01:10:11.578 --> 01:10:13.744
we're gonna work closely with FEMA and

01:10:13.744 --> 01:10:15.967
with the states , the governors and the

01:10:15.967 --> 01:10:18.078
National Guard beer to make sure that

01:10:18.078 --> 01:10:20.244
we're capable of continuing to provide

01:10:20.244 --> 01:10:22.411
the support that is necessary to thank

01:10:22.411 --> 01:10:24.578
you . Sir . I really appreciate that .

01:10:24.578 --> 01:10:26.800
And I have seen our guardsmen out about

01:10:26.800 --> 01:10:29.022
it . Various test Iowa sites and I know

01:10:29.022 --> 01:10:31.189
in many of the states air helping with

01:10:31.189 --> 01:10:33.356
the vaccine distribution , and they're

01:10:33.356 --> 01:10:35.633
just very important players to us . Um ,

01:10:35.633 --> 01:10:37.411
the initial vaccine from Pfizer

01:10:37.411 --> 01:10:39.633
received an emergency use authorization

01:10:39.633 --> 01:10:42.200
on December 11th , 2020 after a

01:10:42.200 --> 01:10:44.144
determination was made that it was

01:10:44.144 --> 01:10:46.600
effective at preventing Cove Cove in 19 .

01:10:46.600 --> 01:10:48.822
And again , this was the most efficient

01:10:48.822 --> 01:10:50.822
and fastest vaccine approval in the

01:10:50.822 --> 01:10:52.880
history of the United States . And

01:10:52.880 --> 01:10:55.270
again , such incredible work . Um ,

01:10:55.280 --> 01:10:57.336
with the vaccinations that have been

01:10:57.336 --> 01:10:59.558
approved , of course , there has been ,

01:10:59.558 --> 01:11:01.990
ah , number of conf confusing

01:11:01.990 --> 01:11:04.970
statements and and issues with the

01:11:04.970 --> 01:11:07.700
vaccine distribution when it comes to

01:11:07.700 --> 01:11:10.130
what is considered a fair allocation .

01:11:10.140 --> 01:11:12.900
Eso I know in the state of Iowa , we've

01:11:12.900 --> 01:11:16.050
had issues understanding that formula .

01:11:16.060 --> 01:11:17.960
Senator Grassley and I had sent a

01:11:17.960 --> 01:11:20.790
letter not long ago asking for clarity

01:11:20.860 --> 01:11:24.090
on what formula was being used to

01:11:24.090 --> 01:11:27.710
determine what allocation our states

01:11:27.710 --> 01:11:31.060
were receiving . Eso General Purna , if

01:11:31.060 --> 01:11:33.290
you could shed some light on that and

01:11:33.290 --> 01:11:36.350
maybe explain what formula is being

01:11:36.350 --> 01:11:39.630
utilized , um , so that we know that

01:11:39.630 --> 01:11:43.230
every state is receiving quote a fair

01:11:43.230 --> 01:11:46.480
allocation of the vaccines . Senator ,

01:11:46.480 --> 01:11:49.330
it is an algorithm . It is based on

01:11:49.340 --> 01:11:52.460
population , uh , fair and equitable to

01:11:52.470 --> 01:11:55.880
all . The population is total

01:11:55.880 --> 01:11:59.620
population based on the census from 18 .

01:11:59.630 --> 01:12:02.360
Uh , it's reduced by the number of

01:12:02.360 --> 01:12:05.730
adolescence in the state . So 18 above

01:12:05.740 --> 01:12:08.018
is the total number that we go against .

01:12:08.250 --> 01:12:10.028
And then the percentage of that

01:12:10.028 --> 01:12:11.806
population to the percentage of

01:12:11.806 --> 01:12:13.970
available vaccine being distributed

01:12:13.970 --> 01:12:16.580
that week is the algorithm that runs it

01:12:16.580 --> 01:12:19.230
is strictly a mathematical problem .

01:12:19.320 --> 01:12:21.750
Okay , so just to make it clear for

01:12:21.750 --> 01:12:25.220
everyone , it is , um it is based on

01:12:25.220 --> 01:12:28.210
that algorithm . There aren't other

01:12:28.210 --> 01:12:32.050
considerations outside influences that

01:12:32.050 --> 01:12:34.400
determine the allocation correctly .

01:12:34.410 --> 01:12:36.850
You're correct . 100% . Okay . Thank

01:12:36.850 --> 01:12:39.180
you very much to our witnesses today

01:12:39.180 --> 01:12:41.180
And your extraordinary efforts . We

01:12:41.180 --> 01:12:43.291
really do appreciate it . Thank you .

01:12:43.291 --> 01:12:45.236
Thank you , Mr Chair . Thank you ,

01:12:45.236 --> 01:12:47.347
Senator . Arts . Let me recognize via

01:12:47.347 --> 01:12:49.850
WebEx and a Cherono . Thank you . Mr

01:12:49.850 --> 01:12:52.370
Chairman . thank you all for being here .

01:12:52.750 --> 01:12:56.360
General partner , Operation Warp speed

01:12:56.370 --> 01:12:58.880
up goal or mission was Thio

01:13:00.350 --> 01:13:03.790
develop manufacturer and distribute the

01:13:03.790 --> 01:13:06.480
vaccine . And yes , it was

01:13:06.480 --> 01:13:08.647
extraordinary the development of these

01:13:08.647 --> 01:13:10.980
vaccines . It's a short period of time .

01:13:11.350 --> 01:13:12.906
We're still involved in the

01:13:12.906 --> 01:13:14.739
distribution and of course , the

01:13:14.739 --> 01:13:17.240
manufacturer of it . So under the Biden

01:13:17.250 --> 01:13:19.660
administration , general partner has

01:13:19.660 --> 01:13:21.550
the D . O . D s involvement .

01:13:21.550 --> 01:13:24.970
Engagement , uh , increased with regard

01:13:24.970 --> 01:13:26.803
Thio getting this pandemic under

01:13:26.803 --> 01:13:28.748
control . And if so , can you just

01:13:28.748 --> 01:13:31.660
briefly describe what additional things

01:13:31.660 --> 01:13:32.670
you are doing ,

01:13:35.450 --> 01:13:37.700
Senator , if I If I may address what

01:13:37.700 --> 01:13:39.420
they've done with the actual

01:13:39.420 --> 01:13:41.230
distribution of the vaccine and

01:13:41.240 --> 01:13:43.184
supportive administration and then

01:13:43.184 --> 01:13:45.073
passed to my colleagues with your

01:13:45.073 --> 01:13:47.340
permission , Uh , D o d s been as

01:13:47.340 --> 01:13:49.910
stated earlier . Secretary Austin was

01:13:49.910 --> 01:13:52.021
clear in his guidance , uh , that the

01:13:52.021 --> 01:13:54.077
Department of Defense was gonna be a

01:13:54.077 --> 01:13:56.330
part of the solution , not only to what

01:13:56.330 --> 01:13:58.386
they contributed to operational warp

01:13:58.386 --> 01:14:01.790
speed , but now down in support of the

01:14:01.790 --> 01:14:05.460
governor's on local local

01:14:05.840 --> 01:14:09.060
authorities . So fema , they're working

01:14:09.060 --> 01:14:11.610
with FEMA on mass vaccination sites .

01:14:11.620 --> 01:14:14.300
Uh , D o d s assisting with soldiers .

01:14:14.310 --> 01:14:16.366
They're also supporting down through

01:14:16.366 --> 01:14:18.421
the federal qualified health centers

01:14:18.421 --> 01:14:20.740
and community vaccination Senators

01:14:20.750 --> 01:14:23.900
centers with support on with that , I'd

01:14:23.900 --> 01:14:26.067
have to pass to my colleague Senator .

01:14:27.140 --> 01:14:29.680
Thank you . So obviously your role Jodi

01:14:29.680 --> 01:14:32.870
s role is definitely more increased

01:14:33.540 --> 01:14:35.250
under the violence of fine

01:14:35.250 --> 01:14:37.472
administration . That's what I hear you

01:14:37.472 --> 01:14:39.583
say so that somebody else want Thio .

01:14:39.583 --> 01:14:42.880
Give me a short response . Can you hear

01:14:42.880 --> 01:14:44.860
me ? Yes . Center . Uh , it has

01:14:44.860 --> 01:14:46.860
increased . Obviously , the federal

01:14:46.860 --> 01:14:48.916
vaccine centers that general partner

01:14:48.916 --> 01:14:51.138
just alluded to . We've established one

01:14:51.138 --> 01:14:54.490
in California , Texas , and getting

01:14:54.490 --> 01:14:56.323
ready to establish other ones in

01:14:56.323 --> 01:14:58.434
Florida and Pennsylvania . Thes air .

01:14:58.434 --> 01:15:00.434
What we call type one centers there

01:15:00.434 --> 01:15:02.550
ableto provide 6000 shots a day .

01:15:02.740 --> 01:15:04.907
Secretary Austin was out in California

01:15:04.907 --> 01:15:07.073
yesterday at our first site in L . A .

01:15:07.073 --> 01:15:09.407
Where they're providing that 6000 sites .

01:15:09.407 --> 01:15:11.540
We've got 4000 military personnel

01:15:11.550 --> 01:15:14.220
prepared thio support these sites and

01:15:14.220 --> 01:15:16.387
will be working very closely with FEMA

01:15:16.387 --> 01:15:18.609
and the state's going forward and where

01:15:18.609 --> 01:15:20.870
those sites will be established . Thank

01:15:20.870 --> 01:15:23.092
you . I think that's very much going to

01:15:23.092 --> 01:15:25.203
be necessary because if we're looking

01:15:25.203 --> 01:15:27.740
at vaccinating a population of some 325

01:15:27.740 --> 01:15:30.000
million that includes 18 million

01:15:30.000 --> 01:15:33.140
veterans and over one million active

01:15:33.140 --> 01:15:35.610
and d o d is going to require all hands

01:15:35.610 --> 01:15:39.170
on deck , I'd say , by the way , as the

01:15:39.240 --> 01:15:42.910
just listen and Johnson vaccine becomes

01:15:42.920 --> 01:15:45.142
available . Is there going to be a push

01:15:45.142 --> 01:15:48.160
Thio to distribute those one Does

01:15:48.160 --> 01:15:51.090
vaccines mawr than the fighter and the

01:15:51.090 --> 01:15:53.312
Moderna vaccines ? Is there anybody who

01:15:53.312 --> 01:15:56.230
can respond to that question , Senator ?

01:15:56.230 --> 01:15:59.860
It will be the same pro rata

01:15:59.870 --> 01:16:02.990
approach based on the White House

01:16:03.000 --> 01:16:05.780
priorities . Uh , I've been given

01:16:05.780 --> 01:16:08.970
guidance to distribute to jurisdictions

01:16:08.980 --> 01:16:12.870
to federal pharmacy programs as well as

01:16:12.870 --> 01:16:16.040
to FEMA and the federally qualified

01:16:16.040 --> 01:16:18.880
health centers . So I think Excuse me ,

01:16:18.880 --> 01:16:21.102
I'm sorry . Generally , time is running

01:16:21.102 --> 01:16:23.380
up my question . Really ? Probably not .

01:16:23.380 --> 01:16:25.491
Clearly stated it was Is that it ? Is

01:16:25.491 --> 01:16:27.547
there going to be Mawr , Johnson and

01:16:27.547 --> 01:16:29.436
Johnson vaccines made available ?

01:16:29.436 --> 01:16:31.658
Because those are just one dose that do

01:16:31.658 --> 01:16:33.824
not require they kind of refrigeration

01:16:33.824 --> 01:16:36.440
that the adviser vaccine needs . So you

01:16:36.440 --> 01:16:39.570
would think that of having mawr of a

01:16:39.570 --> 01:16:41.626
one dose vaccine is a more efficient

01:16:41.626 --> 01:16:44.300
way of vaccinating a za many people as

01:16:44.300 --> 01:16:46.620
we can . Is that going to happen ?

01:16:46.630 --> 01:16:48.852
Absolutely . We've already contract for

01:16:48.852 --> 01:16:51.130
and we will see 100 million doses , uh ,

01:16:51.130 --> 01:16:53.760
through the month of June on . We are

01:16:53.760 --> 01:16:56.390
working with the company for What does

01:16:56.390 --> 01:16:58.390
the future look like for additional

01:16:58.390 --> 01:17:01.140
doses over . Okay , question for Miss

01:17:01.140 --> 01:17:03.480
Common Cummings under the American

01:17:03.480 --> 01:17:06.870
rescue plan , if passed , that includes

01:17:06.880 --> 01:17:10.310
$10 billion in Defense Production Act

01:17:10.320 --> 01:17:13.100
funding , which the D . O . D will need

01:17:13.100 --> 01:17:16.540
to manage . My question is , what would

01:17:16.540 --> 01:17:19.750
this funding go for , Miss Cummings ?

01:17:20.430 --> 01:17:22.541
10 billion . That's Ah , that's a lot

01:17:22.541 --> 01:17:24.910
more than the 1.4 billion or so are the

01:17:24.910 --> 01:17:27.030
three billion that D o . D has

01:17:27.030 --> 01:17:30.520
administered it . It is indeed in my

01:17:30.520 --> 01:17:34.520
understanding , um , is that , uh ,

01:17:34.530 --> 01:17:36.970
that would be specifically for medical

01:17:36.970 --> 01:17:39.820
resource is to include expanding

01:17:39.830 --> 01:17:41.719
production capacity in the United

01:17:41.719 --> 01:17:44.420
States for vaccines , vaccine delivery ,

01:17:44.430 --> 01:17:47.740
test capacity , PPE We would take our

01:17:47.740 --> 01:17:50.550
lead from HHS and be in a supporting

01:17:50.550 --> 01:17:52.800
role . And so we would look to HHS in

01:17:52.800 --> 01:17:54.744
the White House to provide us with

01:17:54.744 --> 01:17:56.578
specific requirements . We would

01:17:56.578 --> 01:17:58.689
provide through our executive agent ,

01:17:58.830 --> 01:18:00.810
which is the Air Force as well a

01:18:00.810 --> 01:18:02.810
supplemental contracting assistance

01:18:02.810 --> 01:18:04.921
throughout the department in order to

01:18:04.921 --> 01:18:07.032
meet those requirements . But again ,

01:18:07.032 --> 01:18:09.199
we would take our lead from HHS as the

01:18:09.199 --> 01:18:11.950
require er off health resource is on

01:18:11.950 --> 01:18:13.894
about is how we would execute that

01:18:13.894 --> 01:18:16.228
should appropriations be made available .

01:18:16.820 --> 01:18:19.550
Thank you , I think . Okay , So have 25

01:18:19.550 --> 01:18:23.340
seconds left . Offered general

01:18:23.340 --> 01:18:25.870
partner from a due to weather

01:18:25.870 --> 01:18:27.870
conditions . The number of vaccines

01:18:27.870 --> 01:18:31.190
that Hawaii was expecting to get , uh ,

01:18:31.200 --> 01:18:33.422
that they did not receive it . So close

01:18:33.422 --> 01:18:35.700
to 40,000 vaccine doses were supposed

01:18:35.700 --> 01:18:37.867
to come to Hawaii . But due to weather

01:18:37.867 --> 01:18:40.089
conditions on the mainland , only about

01:18:40.089 --> 01:18:42.089
10,000 of those doses game . So are

01:18:42.089 --> 01:18:44.200
there things that you're doing ? Thio

01:18:44.200 --> 01:18:47.280
ensure that there is as little delay as

01:18:47.280 --> 01:18:50.320
possible due to weather conditions in

01:18:50.320 --> 01:18:52.670
distributing the vaccine . Thio Places

01:18:52.980 --> 01:18:56.470
such as Hawaii and Alaska . Senator .

01:18:56.480 --> 01:18:59.970
Absolutely . We delivered . We

01:18:59.970 --> 01:19:02.260
completed delivery of all backlog last

01:19:02.260 --> 01:19:04.371
night , uh , throughout the country ,

01:19:04.371 --> 01:19:06.910
and we will finish the final delivery

01:19:06.910 --> 01:19:10.710
of this week's vaccines by Friday . So

01:19:10.710 --> 01:19:12.840
we're caught up to that end

01:19:14.420 --> 01:19:17.110
on . Is it that there's all you can do

01:19:17.110 --> 01:19:19.054
is to catch up quickly as possible

01:19:19.054 --> 01:19:21.277
because you don't have control over the

01:19:21.277 --> 01:19:23.166
weather . And by the way , I hope

01:19:23.166 --> 01:19:25.277
you're getting enough doses to Guam .

01:19:25.277 --> 01:19:29.240
Uh huh . We we are treating them

01:19:29.240 --> 01:19:30.962
fair and equal . Be . And I am

01:19:30.962 --> 01:19:33.073
personally watching the territories ,

01:19:33.073 --> 01:19:36.550
uh , to ensure that e Okay .

01:19:37.620 --> 01:19:39.731
Thank you , Senator . Aurora , let me

01:19:39.731 --> 01:19:41.953
now recognize Senator Tillis , please .

01:19:41.953 --> 01:19:44.009
Thank you , Mr Chair . And thank you

01:19:44.009 --> 01:19:46.231
all for being here . Uh , Mr Celeste is

01:19:46.231 --> 01:19:48.231
I think I'll start with you just to

01:19:48.231 --> 01:19:50.009
follow on . Thio . Ah , line of

01:19:50.009 --> 01:19:52.231
questions that Senator Blumenthal had .

01:19:52.231 --> 01:19:54.342
It's your goal to vaccinate everybody

01:19:54.342 --> 01:19:56.740
in the d o d . Correct . And the only

01:19:56.740 --> 01:19:58.962
reason you're not doing it today is you

01:19:58.962 --> 01:20:01.184
don't have a vaccine for every arm that

01:20:01.184 --> 01:20:03.351
needs it . Is that correct ? Over what

01:20:03.351 --> 01:20:05.518
period of time do you think ? Based on

01:20:05.518 --> 01:20:07.629
the current production capability and

01:20:07.629 --> 01:20:07.220
maybe some assumptions you could make

01:20:07.220 --> 01:20:09.830
about the Johnson and Johnson vaccine

01:20:09.840 --> 01:20:11.951
over what period of time do you think

01:20:11.951 --> 01:20:13.784
that you could have provided the

01:20:13.784 --> 01:20:16.007
vaccine to everybody who was willing to

01:20:16.007 --> 01:20:18.229
take it ? E . It would be late summer ,

01:20:18.229 --> 01:20:20.396
Senator . Late summer . S I the reason

01:20:20.396 --> 01:20:22.451
I was asking that question . I think

01:20:22.451 --> 01:20:22.120
it's fair to say that there are more

01:20:22.120 --> 01:20:24.550
people willing to take the vaccine than

01:20:24.550 --> 01:20:26.780
there are vaccines to give . That's the

01:20:26.790 --> 01:20:28.957
one thing that I wanna make sure of is

01:20:28.957 --> 01:20:31.630
we don't start focusing attention on

01:20:31.630 --> 01:20:34.500
vaccine hesitancy until we reach a

01:20:34.500 --> 01:20:36.570
point where we have a supply where

01:20:36.570 --> 01:20:38.681
there is no demand , cannot provide a

01:20:38.681 --> 01:20:40.681
clarifying comments center . If you

01:20:40.681 --> 01:20:42.903
don't mind , Aziz General Purna pointed

01:20:42.903 --> 01:20:44.792
out . With the 50 states and four

01:20:44.792 --> 01:20:46.959
territories , there's actually 64 what

01:20:46.959 --> 01:20:48.959
we call micro plants . One of those

01:20:48.959 --> 01:20:51.290
plans is D o D . One is v . A . We all

01:20:51.290 --> 01:20:53.234
fit into that plan . So we get our

01:20:53.234 --> 01:20:55.346
portion of the vaccine distribution .

01:20:55.346 --> 01:20:57.512
That's how it works . And then we just

01:20:57.512 --> 01:20:59.734
wanted to make it very clear that there

01:20:59.734 --> 01:21:01.734
is no reduction and priority . It's

01:21:01.734 --> 01:21:03.679
more a matter of supply and demand

01:21:03.679 --> 01:21:05.623
right now and that have confidence

01:21:05.623 --> 01:21:07.623
you're working on a general Purna ,

01:21:07.623 --> 01:21:09.790
Thank you so much . I think you should

01:21:09.790 --> 01:21:11.734
be very proud of the the work that

01:21:11.734 --> 01:21:13.623
you've led . I am kind of curious

01:21:13.623 --> 01:21:16.760
because we rightfully with once in the

01:21:16.760 --> 01:21:19.130
last century , pandemic of this nature

01:21:19.510 --> 01:21:22.280
have shifted attention over made sure

01:21:22.280 --> 01:21:24.169
that manufacturing priorities and

01:21:24.169 --> 01:21:26.113
everything was in place to get the

01:21:26.113 --> 01:21:28.336
plumbing and get the vaccine out . Uh ,

01:21:28.336 --> 01:21:31.410
have you all been tracking any other

01:21:31.420 --> 01:21:34.420
therapeutics like flu vaccines or other

01:21:34.430 --> 01:21:36.770
therapies that were dependent upon the

01:21:36.770 --> 01:21:38.460
same supply chain based on

01:21:38.460 --> 01:21:40.404
manufacturing base ? To understand

01:21:40.404 --> 01:21:42.460
vulnerabilities there And how are we

01:21:42.460 --> 01:21:44.682
working to mitigate that . Is that ah ,

01:21:44.682 --> 01:21:46.682
part of the problem we're trying to

01:21:46.682 --> 01:21:46.640
solve , or is that another problem that

01:21:46.640 --> 01:21:48.870
we have to focus on ? So , Senator ,

01:21:48.870 --> 01:21:50.870
the way we've been looking at it is

01:21:50.870 --> 01:21:53.220
that Aziz , we apply deepa and

01:21:53.410 --> 01:21:55.521
prioritization for everything we were

01:21:55.521 --> 01:21:57.577
doing for the covert vaccine . A Zai

01:21:57.577 --> 01:21:59.799
tell us as I tell the team , we have to

01:21:59.799 --> 01:22:01.910
be offensive and defensive because we

01:22:01.910 --> 01:22:04.330
do not want to distract from any of the

01:22:04.330 --> 01:22:07.130
other life saving , uh , drugs that are

01:22:07.130 --> 01:22:09.352
necessary for , you know , the American

01:22:09.352 --> 01:22:11.297
citizens . So we manage it on both

01:22:11.297 --> 01:22:13.920
sides , and and that's how I'm able to

01:22:13.920 --> 01:22:15.920
do it to ensure that covert vaccine

01:22:15.920 --> 01:22:17.976
continues to be produced in a timely

01:22:17.976 --> 01:22:20.150
manner , but yet does not disrupt any

01:22:20.150 --> 01:22:22.410
other life cycle are life saving

01:22:22.420 --> 01:22:24.700
materials . So what ? We don't think

01:22:24.700 --> 01:22:26.922
that any of the other , uh , any of the

01:22:26.922 --> 01:22:29.240
other courses of medications or

01:22:29.240 --> 01:22:31.500
suffering any critical shortages at

01:22:31.500 --> 01:22:34.000
this point ? Not at this time . But ,

01:22:34.010 --> 01:22:36.232
you know , it depends on how long we're

01:22:36.232 --> 01:22:38.343
gonna keep going , of course , in the

01:22:38.343 --> 01:22:40.580
impact and would be both for materials

01:22:40.600 --> 01:22:44.080
to produce , as well as the actual

01:22:44.090 --> 01:22:47.550
materials that are needed to produce

01:22:47.560 --> 01:22:50.120
right , s so it's a combination of both ,

01:22:50.600 --> 01:22:52.822
Thank you very much . This could be for

01:22:52.822 --> 01:22:55.220
Mr Celeste's is or Miss Cummings . I'm

01:22:56.200 --> 01:22:58.422
I think that we made the right decision

01:22:58.422 --> 01:23:00.700
in a crisis toe . Really Look to the d .

01:23:00.700 --> 01:23:02.700
O . D . To lead versus the whole of

01:23:02.700 --> 01:23:04.700
government approach that could have

01:23:04.700 --> 01:23:06.811
taken us a year to figure out how for

01:23:06.811 --> 01:23:08.978
everybody to operate efficiently . But

01:23:08.978 --> 01:23:11.144
the question that I have is , uh , now

01:23:11.144 --> 01:23:13.240
that we we've created a real life

01:23:13.240 --> 01:23:15.560
scenario with this pandemic response .

01:23:15.570 --> 01:23:18.130
What work in the future will we do to

01:23:18.130 --> 01:23:21.140
potentially vertically integrate the

01:23:21.140 --> 01:23:23.140
whole of government so that when we

01:23:23.140 --> 01:23:25.196
execute the next time , maybe it's a

01:23:25.196 --> 01:23:27.362
little bit less of a demand on the d .

01:23:27.362 --> 01:23:29.529
O . D . And a better execution for the

01:23:29.529 --> 01:23:31.640
whole of government and either of you

01:23:31.640 --> 01:23:31.370
or general partner ? If you have

01:23:31.370 --> 01:23:35.200
comments , I'll

01:23:35.200 --> 01:23:37.533
start and turn it over to my colleagues .

01:23:37.533 --> 01:23:39.144
Um , the department has done

01:23:39.144 --> 01:23:41.311
extraordinary things . You pointed out

01:23:41.311 --> 01:23:41.280
supporting the other federal

01:23:41.280 --> 01:23:43.558
departments and agencies and , in turn ,

01:23:43.558 --> 01:23:45.558
state local authorities . We have a

01:23:45.558 --> 01:23:47.391
mission to do that . The defense

01:23:47.391 --> 01:23:49.558
support of civil authorities mission .

01:23:49.558 --> 01:23:51.669
It went beyond the scope of providing

01:23:51.669 --> 01:23:53.891
military supporters as you well know to

01:23:53.891 --> 01:23:56.058
where we work the acquisition piece in

01:23:56.058 --> 01:23:58.113
different areas . We provided supply

01:23:58.113 --> 01:24:00.224
chain support all of that . I think ,

01:24:00.224 --> 01:24:02.113
as we go forward , the department

01:24:02.113 --> 01:24:04.280
recognizes that will be called upon in

01:24:04.280 --> 01:24:06.391
these types of events to assist . But

01:24:06.391 --> 01:24:08.502
part of that will be also potentially

01:24:08.502 --> 01:24:07.710
increasing the capacity and

01:24:07.710 --> 01:24:10.250
capabilities of our federal partners ,

01:24:10.260 --> 01:24:12.660
whether it's HHS or FEMA and

01:24:12.660 --> 01:24:14.890
contracting has a big role and how we

01:24:14.890 --> 01:24:16.890
deal with many of these emergencies

01:24:16.890 --> 01:24:18.946
around the nation . So as we look to

01:24:18.946 --> 01:24:21.168
that in the future , having the ability

01:24:21.168 --> 01:24:23.334
to leverage the private sector through

01:24:23.334 --> 01:24:25.501
our contract and capability , whatever

01:24:25.501 --> 01:24:27.668
federal Department or agency that is ,

01:24:27.668 --> 01:24:29.557
and harnessing the ability of the

01:24:29.557 --> 01:24:31.557
private sector to deal with some of

01:24:31.557 --> 01:24:33.723
these crises that we go through in the

01:24:33.723 --> 01:24:35.946
nation would be very helpful . Yeah , I

01:24:35.946 --> 01:24:38.120
think that that an after action , I

01:24:38.120 --> 01:24:40.176
wanna make sure you're getting shots

01:24:40.176 --> 01:24:42.064
and arms and , uh , and beat this

01:24:42.064 --> 01:24:44.231
pandemic . But I think an after action

01:24:44.231 --> 01:24:46.342
on how we have a contemporary example

01:24:46.342 --> 01:24:48.453
of a pandemic response of this kind ,

01:24:48.453 --> 01:24:50.509
that there's something to learn from

01:24:50.509 --> 01:24:52.676
that . It may be instructive to things

01:24:52.676 --> 01:24:52.410
that we should consider in the N D A .

01:24:52.590 --> 01:24:54.812
I'm not gonna take any more time except

01:24:54.812 --> 01:24:56.590
to say I'm going to submit some

01:24:56.590 --> 01:24:58.812
questions for the record , uh , related

01:24:58.812 --> 01:25:00.868
to reimbursement of civil from civil

01:25:00.868 --> 01:25:03.670
authorities and some general questions

01:25:03.670 --> 01:25:05.948
on the impact on readiness as we focus ,

01:25:05.948 --> 01:25:08.290
So many resource is on , uh , the

01:25:08.300 --> 01:25:10.522
covert response . Thank you all for the

01:25:10.522 --> 01:25:12.856
great work . Thank you , Senator Tillis .

01:25:12.856 --> 01:25:15.022
Let me recognize Senator Kaine . Thank

01:25:15.022 --> 01:25:16.911
you , Mr Chair and ranking member

01:25:16.911 --> 01:25:19.210
Inhofe and to our witnesses . Um , I'm

01:25:19.210 --> 01:25:21.210
very much about giving credit where

01:25:21.210 --> 01:25:23.266
credit is due , and I'm gonna get to

01:25:23.266 --> 01:25:23.250
that in a minute . But I think any

01:25:23.250 --> 01:25:25.306
hearing about Cove , it has to start

01:25:25.306 --> 01:25:27.417
with this . It's been a catastrophe .

01:25:27.417 --> 01:25:29.528
It's been an absolute catastrophe for

01:25:29.528 --> 01:25:32.940
this country . I think the covert

01:25:32.940 --> 01:25:34.829
response . The United States will

01:25:34.829 --> 01:25:36.940
probably go down as the worst failure

01:25:36.940 --> 01:25:39.051
of domestic governance in the history

01:25:39.051 --> 01:25:41.273
of United States . There have been some

01:25:41.273 --> 01:25:43.496
failures on the foreign policy national

01:25:43.496 --> 01:25:45.440
security side . This is a domestic

01:25:45.440 --> 01:25:47.607
governance failure . Death toll now in

01:25:47.607 --> 01:25:51.580
excess of 500,000 . Um , the Onley to

01:25:51.580 --> 01:25:53.580
sort of singular events with higher

01:25:53.580 --> 01:25:55.691
death tolls in the history the United

01:25:55.691 --> 01:25:57.840
States were the civil war at 620,000

01:25:57.840 --> 01:26:01.190
Spanish blue at about 675,000 more

01:26:01.190 --> 01:26:03.260
Americans have died in the last year

01:26:03.260 --> 01:26:05.371
than in the entire World War Two , or

01:26:05.371 --> 01:26:09.120
Vietnam War or Korean War . Dr . Fauci

01:26:09.120 --> 01:26:11.064
said the other day that the US has

01:26:11.064 --> 01:26:13.231
handled this worse than just about any

01:26:13.231 --> 01:26:15.453
other nation . There's no reason that a

01:26:15.453 --> 01:26:18.170
nation with the technical expertise

01:26:18.370 --> 01:26:20.850
resource is research institutions ,

01:26:20.860 --> 01:26:22.749
healthcare professionals that the

01:26:22.749 --> 01:26:24.916
United States has should have suffered

01:26:24.916 --> 01:26:25.916
this way .

01:26:28.880 --> 01:26:31.213
The scale of suffering has been intense .

01:26:31.213 --> 01:26:33.158
Everyone in this room knows people

01:26:33.158 --> 01:26:35.269
who've been sick of covert or died of

01:26:35.269 --> 01:26:35.180
covert . I don't nine people who died

01:26:35.180 --> 01:26:37.236
of Cove in last time . I checked the

01:26:37.236 --> 01:26:39.820
entire nation of Taiwan . The entire

01:26:39.820 --> 01:26:42.098
nation of Taiwan , very close to China ,

01:26:42.098 --> 01:26:45.920
only had nine covert deaths . This has

01:26:45.920 --> 01:26:49.850
been an atrocity not only in the

01:26:49.850 --> 01:26:52.017
scale of American history , one of the

01:26:52.017 --> 01:26:53.850
deadliest events in the scale of

01:26:53.850 --> 01:26:55.794
American history , but compared to

01:26:55.794 --> 01:26:57.906
other nations . And let's not compare

01:26:57.906 --> 01:27:00.017
toe communist nations or nations that

01:27:00.017 --> 01:27:02.294
can tell their citizens to get in line .

01:27:02.294 --> 01:27:04.461
And they will . Let's just compared to

01:27:04.461 --> 01:27:06.628
other industrialized democracies . The

01:27:06.628 --> 01:27:08.850
excess deaths experienced by the United

01:27:08.850 --> 01:27:10.850
States compared to other comparable

01:27:10.850 --> 01:27:14.780
nations is shameful is

01:27:14.790 --> 01:27:18.770
absolutely shameful . It began with

01:27:18.770 --> 01:27:21.620
the perpetration of a big lie by a

01:27:21.620 --> 01:27:23.731
president with the biggest microphone

01:27:23.731 --> 01:27:25.731
on the planet . This will go away .

01:27:25.731 --> 01:27:27.620
It's not a problem . Anti science

01:27:27.620 --> 01:27:30.190
messaging . And if we've ever learned

01:27:30.190 --> 01:27:33.450
how powerful a leader can be , those

01:27:33.460 --> 01:27:35.516
lies perpetrated at the beginning of

01:27:35.516 --> 01:27:37.682
this pandemic demonstrate the power of

01:27:37.682 --> 01:27:39.349
leadership and the power of a

01:27:39.349 --> 01:27:41.404
microphone that the President United

01:27:41.404 --> 01:27:43.710
States has . There has been spectacular

01:27:43.710 --> 01:27:45.710
work , General Pirner , you and the

01:27:45.710 --> 01:27:47.766
warp speed team that I will give the

01:27:47.766 --> 01:27:49.932
Trump administration huge credit for ,

01:27:49.932 --> 01:27:52.210
and I'm gonna come back to in a second .

01:27:52.210 --> 01:27:54.321
The development of vaccine has really

01:27:54.321 --> 01:27:54.240
been remarkable . The work of our

01:27:54.240 --> 01:27:56.462
healthcare professionals , the scale of

01:27:56.462 --> 01:27:58.840
death and illness that they have seen

01:27:58.840 --> 01:28:01.180
and had to deal with day in and day out ,

01:28:01.670 --> 01:28:03.781
everywhere from big city hospitals to

01:28:03.781 --> 01:28:05.726
tiny rural health clinics has been

01:28:05.726 --> 01:28:07.920
brutal . And I I think we need do

01:28:07.920 --> 01:28:10.031
everything we can to keep our healers

01:28:10.770 --> 01:28:12.937
healthy . Our guardsmen and women I've

01:28:12.937 --> 01:28:15.410
seen guardsmen and women at testing

01:28:15.410 --> 01:28:18.860
sites and then it food banks and now it

01:28:18.860 --> 01:28:21.190
vaccination sites doing some amazing

01:28:21.190 --> 01:28:24.190
work . And so we have toe . Thank and

01:28:24.190 --> 01:28:27.670
celebrate Cem tremendous heroism during

01:28:27.670 --> 01:28:29.837
this time , but I think any discussion

01:28:29.837 --> 01:28:32.810
of Koven has to begin with a

01:28:32.810 --> 01:28:35.130
recognition that this has been an

01:28:35.140 --> 01:28:37.530
absolutely disastrous moment in the

01:28:37.530 --> 01:28:39.910
history of this country , Johns Hopkins

01:28:39.910 --> 01:28:41.688
said . This nation was the best

01:28:41.688 --> 01:28:43.743
prepared nation in the world to deal

01:28:43.743 --> 01:28:46.077
with the pandemic , and they were right ,

01:28:47.570 --> 01:28:50.350
but from lies perpetrated to the C . D .

01:28:50.350 --> 01:28:52.517
C . Missed aches in the development of

01:28:52.517 --> 01:28:54.683
a testing protocol , rejecting the W H

01:28:54.683 --> 01:28:56.906
O test protocol and then developing one

01:28:56.906 --> 01:29:00.570
that was faulty . We have to get a hold

01:29:00.570 --> 01:29:02.681
of this . And if we're not willing to

01:29:02.681 --> 01:29:04.903
begin with that sense of humility about

01:29:04.903 --> 01:29:07.014
our failures , then we won't be ready

01:29:07.014 --> 01:29:09.070
for the next one . I have colleagues

01:29:09.070 --> 01:29:11.292
now , Mr Chair , who are asking about a

01:29:11.292 --> 01:29:13.348
9 11 style commission to analyze the

01:29:13.348 --> 01:29:15.910
events On January 6th , we need a 9 11

01:29:15.910 --> 01:29:18.077
commissioner . Look at why the US fell

01:29:18.077 --> 01:29:21.820
down on the job . That's what we need

01:29:21.820 --> 01:29:23.876
the commission about , because there

01:29:23.876 --> 01:29:27.350
will be another pandemic and we have to

01:29:27.350 --> 01:29:29.550
be willing to look ourselves in the

01:29:29.550 --> 01:29:31.772
mirror and ask what went wrong and then

01:29:31.772 --> 01:29:33.883
make a commitment to what needs to go

01:29:33.883 --> 01:29:36.050
better . And I believe the D . O . D .

01:29:36.050 --> 01:29:38.383
Has some significant expertise to offer .

01:29:38.383 --> 01:29:40.606
General partner . Just one question for

01:29:40.606 --> 01:29:42.828
you . Um , President Eisenhower used to

01:29:42.828 --> 01:29:44.939
say a lot of battles get lost because

01:29:44.939 --> 01:29:47.050
of logistics . You might have all the

01:29:47.050 --> 01:29:46.500
capacity in the world , but if you

01:29:46.500 --> 01:29:48.880
can't get the last tactical mile , then

01:29:48.890 --> 01:29:51.220
you lose a lot of battles . I think

01:29:51.220 --> 01:29:53.442
some of the distribution challenges the

01:29:53.442 --> 01:29:55.609
development of vaccine . I mean , it's

01:29:55.609 --> 01:29:57.609
really been miraculously as ranking

01:29:57.609 --> 01:29:59.831
member , Enough said , but I think some

01:29:59.831 --> 01:30:01.776
of the distribution and logistical

01:30:01.776 --> 01:30:03.609
challenges will have significant

01:30:03.609 --> 01:30:05.609
lessons for us . One of the reasons

01:30:05.609 --> 01:30:05.600
that you are put in the spot urine is

01:30:05.600 --> 01:30:08.170
because your logistics expert can you

01:30:08.170 --> 01:30:10.226
just share some kind of , you know ,

01:30:10.226 --> 01:30:12.448
thinking for us down the road about the

01:30:12.448 --> 01:30:14.670
logistical challenges and things you've

01:30:14.670 --> 01:30:16.781
learned along the way that can inform

01:30:16.781 --> 01:30:18.726
us if we do a commission to try to

01:30:18.726 --> 01:30:20.948
figure out how to better deal with this

01:30:20.948 --> 01:30:23.059
in the future . Thank you , Senator .

01:30:23.059 --> 01:30:25.520
Quickly . Uh , yes , on . I appreciate

01:30:25.520 --> 01:30:27.576
the opportunity to be a part of that

01:30:27.576 --> 01:30:29.909
because of the expertise that I brought ,

01:30:29.909 --> 01:30:32.450
uh , it was clear that industrial base

01:30:32.450 --> 01:30:35.840
was capable of delivering the

01:30:35.850 --> 01:30:38.070
vaccine from factory down to the

01:30:38.070 --> 01:30:40.700
jurisdictions . Quite frankly , really ,

01:30:40.700 --> 01:30:43.600
remarkably proud . Went to all 64

01:30:43.600 --> 01:30:46.670
jurisdictions simultaneously . We did

01:30:46.670 --> 01:30:49.300
have to ramp up exponentially , uh ,

01:30:49.310 --> 01:30:51.630
the ability to distribute to the total

01:30:51.630 --> 01:30:54.280
number of locations we went from a

01:30:54.280 --> 01:30:57.050
registration of roughly 7000 places

01:30:57.050 --> 01:30:59.020
that deliver the vaccine toe over

01:30:59.020 --> 01:31:02.310
130,000 . Then we had to match what was

01:31:02.310 --> 01:31:05.590
available to the priority of execution .

01:31:05.590 --> 01:31:07.479
Initially , long term health care

01:31:07.479 --> 01:31:10.090
facilities on first line frontline

01:31:10.090 --> 01:31:12.380
medical . So we were precision in

01:31:12.380 --> 01:31:14.950
delivery . And now , as vaccine becomes

01:31:14.950 --> 01:31:17.360
available , it's about expanding it to

01:31:17.360 --> 01:31:19.527
the breath and the depth . Bring it in

01:31:19.527 --> 01:31:22.150
the mass vaccination sites on . Then

01:31:22.160 --> 01:31:25.010
the local pharmacies over 40,000 of

01:31:25.010 --> 01:31:27.330
them registered we can deliver to their

01:31:27.330 --> 01:31:29.660
front doors on That's what will bring

01:31:29.660 --> 01:31:32.640
us success . A za vaccine increases in

01:31:32.640 --> 01:31:36.460
volume in March , April and May . We'll

01:31:36.460 --> 01:31:38.293
keep relying on that expertise .

01:31:38.293 --> 01:31:40.627
General partner . Thank you . Thank you .

01:31:40.627 --> 01:31:42.571
Thank you . Senator Kaine . Let me

01:31:42.571 --> 01:31:42.080
recognize Senator Kramer .