Pence: We're Talking About Doing Away With Task Force

His comments follow a 'NYT' report on the coronavirus task force
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted May 5, 2020 2:57 PM CDT
Pence Confirms White House May Do Away With Task Force
Vice President Mike Pence waves as he boards Air Force Two at Grissom Air Reserve Base in Peru, Ind., following a visits to the General Motors/Ventec ventilator production facility in Kokomo, Ind., Thursday, April 30, 2020.   (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The White House is indeed having preliminary discussions about putting an end to the coronavirus task force, Mike Pence told reporters on Tuesday, and he said it could be done within the next month if it happens. "Whatever decision the president makes ... will all be conditions-based," said Pence. "But we are beginning—as states are reopening, we’re seeing progress that we’re making, we’re beginning to have those discussions about winding down the work of the task force." His comments followed a New York Times report from Maggie Haberman that was more definitive, with sources saying the plans are indeed to disband the task force in the coming weeks.

The Times notes that the task force's "gradual demise ... might never be formally announced," and adds that it hasn't been established whether another group would take its place. Pence suggested the government's response could be transitioned to FEMA, per Bloomberg. A line from the AP to that end: "Pence says the administration is beginning to eye the Memorial Day to early June window as the appropriate time to have federal agencies manage the pandemic response in a more traditional way." (More coronavirus stories.)

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