CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Jackie Speier

Interview

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Joining us now, Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat of California. Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us.

And I first, want to get your reaction to this whistleblower complaint alleging that federal workers were potentially exposed to coronavirus without the proper training, without the proper equipment, all taking place in your State of California. How concerned are you about the administration's ability to respond to this threat with the proper protocols?

REP. JACKIE SPEIER (D-CA): Well, certainly, it would be reckless if, in fact, proper protocols were not being used. I am concerned too that this whistleblower may have been transferred so I think Congress is going to have to look more deeply into the whistleblower's complaint and what actions had been taken and if there had been any repercussions to this person as well.

Now, the American people deserve a government that will respond to this pandemic. It's time for the president to stop tweeting. It's time for him to stop using happy talk. It's time for him to have daily White House briefings to alert the American people and the various states and localities as to what the federal government is going to do.

BLITZER: You just heard in our report that we're following this first known case of what's called community spread of the virus, just north of your district. Did the delay in testing this one patient potentially put other Californians in danger?

SPEIER: It could possibly have done so. I mean, the profile that was being used that prevented that particular individual from being tested had to do with the fact that they were only testing those who had traveled to China or had been on airplanes and this particular individual had not, but we don't know enough yet.

We brought many of these parents to Travis Air Force Base. The patient was located in and around that vicinity. Maybe there was some exposure that way. But meanwhile, we do know that in 80 percent of these cases, people are having a mild reaction to the coronavirus or asymptomatic, which means they are carriers and don't even know it. That's why testing, random testing in hospitals is going to be so very important. Why it's also important for us to make sure that states and localities know that we are going to reimburse them, that we develop a vaccine, that we make sure that the money we're going to set aside for the coronavirus is not going to be cannibalized from other NIH functions.

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One of the efforts was being made by the president to take money away from Ebola, which is still something that is not completely in check.

So we're going to have to be responsible here and it's going to require the president to recognize that the stock market is going to continue to reel from this until there is confidence that we are addressing this.

BLITZER: Your governor, Gavin Newsom, says the number of testing kits in your state has, that your state has on hand right now, is, in his words, simply inadequate. So what do you need right now from the administration?

SPEIER: Well, the administration has to overnight these test kits. They are now changing the protocol so they're simpler test kits. They will then be made available in California. We can then test them in California at the public health testing lab. So as soon as we get those kits, we'll be in a much better position to be able to get a handle on those who are asymptomatic in California.

BLITZER: Congresswoman Jackie Speier, thanks for joining us. Good luck out there.

SPEIER: Thank you, Wolf.

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