Biden on Covid: ‘There Is No Federal Solution’

 

During the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden promised to “shut down” Covid and blasted President Trump for letting governors make the public health decisions best suited to their states. Eleven months into the Biden presidency, the virus is nowhere close to being shut down and the White House has decided governors should handle Covid on a state-by-state basis.

“Look, there is no federal solution,” Biden said to the National Governors Association Monday via video. “This gets solved at the state level.” He was joined by Anthony Fauci, Rochelle Walensky, and White House Response Coordinator Jeff Zients.

After the President’s opening remarks, he asked the governors if they had any questions. Zients broke in, saying, “I think we’re going to clear the press first.”

Following the meeting, Biden was off to another weeklong vacation in Delaware.

The arrival of Omicron, an apparently mild but highly contagious variant, has challenged the “zero Covid” policies favored by the administration and many Democrat governors. In the past week, new cases have surged 55 percent, or more than 205,000 new infections per day, including many vaxxed and boosted Americans. Thousands of flights have been canceled due to positive tests for flight crews, bringing air travel to a crawl.

Two years of mask-lockdown-quarantine hasn’t shut down the virus, yet Fauci, et al., continue doubling down on the failed strategy. After canceling Christmas didn’t work, Fauci now wants to cancel New Year’s Eve.

“When you are talking about a New Year’s Eve party, where you have 30, 40, 50 people celebrating, you do not know the status of the vaccination,” Fauci said, “I would recommend strongly, stay away from that this year.”

He also hinted at vax mandates for air travel. “You know, there’s requirements that you might want to get if you want to get into college, where you want to go to a university or you want to work in certain places,” Fauci said. “When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated. If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered.”

“Anything that could get people more vaccinated would be welcome,” he added.

Americans clinging to quaint notions of civil liberties and constitutional rights shudder at “anything” being welcome. But long ago, the White House decided to blame unruly citizens for the virus instead of China or their own failed policies.

The unending Covid hysteria is taking a heavy toll, especially on young people who are barely threatened by the virus itself. In early December, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory to address a youth mental health crisis.

The national average of weekly emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts among teens jumped nearly 40 percent in February and March this year compared to the same months in 2019. The report attributed the recent decline in mental health to the pandemic’s high death toll, economic instability, isolation from friends and family, and a pervasive sense of fear that marked the turn of the decade.

“It would be a tragedy if we beat back one public health crisis only to allow another to grow in its place,” Murthy wrote in the report….

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg said it has seen a 35 percent increase in referrals to mental health services between March 2020 and now compared to the previous two-year period. Meanwhile, suicide attempts and reported eating disorder symptoms among hospital patients doubled in the same period, said Jennifer Katzenstein, the hospital’s director of psychology, neuropsychology and social work.

The constant state of panic pushed by politicians and the media bear some responsibility for these dire numbers. Two years of Covidmania ran in parallel with hysterical coverage of police brutality, climate change, white supremacy, and Trump.

Panic, by definition, is irrational and thus harms far more than it helps. Since March 2020, a few thoughtful voices have recommended calm, deliberate strategies to fight the virus while also preserving other categories of public health, constitutional rights, and the general welfare. For this, they were repeatedly attacked.

Now that President Biden is following Trump’s federalist approach to Covid, the monomania should subside. But, since Dr. Fauci still has a job, Washington’s self-destructive policies are likely to endure.

Published in Healthcare, Politics
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  1. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Jim McConnell (View Comment):

    I know this isn’t an original thought, outside of Washington, D.C. and other Democrat strongholds, but why not concentrate the Covid-fighting efforts on the vulnerable — the frail and immunocompromised — and let the rest of the nation get on with life?

    We live with colds and flu every winter; why not just take our normal precautions and get on with it.

    (BTW, I’m not some 20-something invulnerable, I’m 84 with long-term heart failure, but am not going to stop living my normal life because of the virus. I have long been convinced that the best contagious-disease-preventative is good hygiene — wash your hands frequently, especially when returning home.)

    Why are you trying to kill the children?!

    • #31
  2. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    I’m glad he admitted it. He also inadvertently admitted his presidency is an utter failure. 

    • #32
  3. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Next you’ll be telling me there aren’t any shovel-ready projects either. 

    • #33
  4. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: “Look, there is no federal solution,” Biden said to the National Governors Association Monday via video. “This gets solved at the state level.”

    Y’know, if this way of thinking and speaking got to be a habit, we could eventually look back on the covid pandemic as a new birth of freedom in our country. I wonder what we could do to help make it a habit.

    We also have to keep in mind that some very bad habits have been forming during the pandemic, too.

    We should be quoting Biden constantly.  “Look, there is no Federal solution. . . “

    • #34
  5. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: “Look, there is no federal solution,” Biden said to the National Governors Association Monday via video. “This gets solved at the state level.”

    Y’know, if this way of thinking and speaking got to be a habit, we could eventually look back on the covid pandemic as a new birth of freedom in our country. I wonder what we could do to help make it a habit.

    We also have to keep in mind that some very bad habits have been forming during the pandemic, too.

    We should be quoting Biden constantly. “Look, there is no Federal solution. . . “

    But that was in the deep, dark recesses of yesterday. Today, he said to Republican governors, “Help, or get out of the way”.  Sounds like he might have a federal solution after all.

    • #35
  6. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Judge Mental (View Comment):
    Sounds like he might have a federal solution after all.

    “Solution” was probably not the word you were thinking of.

    • #36
  7. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    Patriciajay (View Comment):

    I expect another nosedive in his polling numbers after this “I give up” speech.

    All this hatred and inconvenience and loss of freedom for “I give up.” SMH.

    This is sounding worse than “malaise”.

    Chauncey bumbles off into the ether, and who he is does not matter.

    Congratulations, America!  Revel in your electoral victory.

    • #37
  8. Patrick McClure Coolidge
    Patrick McClure
    @Patrickb63

    Jon Gabriel, Ed. (View Comment):

    Patrick McClure (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: “Look, there is no federal solution,” Biden said to the National Governors Association Monday via video. “This gets solved at the state level.” He was joined by Anthony Fauci, Rochelle Walensky, and White House Response Coordinator Jeff Zients.

    Another way of saying it would have been, “Trump was right.”

    Jon would rather have a root canal without anesthesia than say those three words.

    But Trump was right.

    Hmmm 4 words.  But I will give credit where due.  I appreciate that you said that.  And as for Biden, He was a liar then, and knew he couldn’t do more than had been done.  Or maybe his speechwriters were the liars and knew that.  I am surprised he admitted it, and unsurprised his leash holders are trying to recall it.

    • #38
  9. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Fritz (View Comment):
    OK, Joe, if as you finally admit, there’s no federal solution, then withdraw the mandates

    Exactly.  A Federal mandate is a Federal solution . . .

    • #39
  10. Vince Guerra Inactive
    Vince Guerra
    @VinceGuerra

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: Now that President Biden is following Trump’s federalist approach to Covid, the monomania should subside. But, since Dr. Fauci still has a job, Washington’s self-destructive policies are likely to endure.

    There is a solution to this too, audit the 2020 election in every state, begin holding the lawbreakers accountable for their crimes, begin writing and publishing on the mountains of confirmed evidence of a stolen election, and get the rightful President back in place. Unless people accept that reality, all of the political posturing and cabinet rosters are meaningless. But that would mean admitting Trump was right about that as well, something that so many people simply refuse to accept. 

    • #40
  11. Vince Guerra Inactive
    Vince Guerra
    @VinceGuerra

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    The only person who spoke in favor of moderation, or even conservatism, in how we go about it was Dr. Fauci.  I don’t know that any of the other people would ever be eligible for a job like his, but keep in mind that if you replace Dr. Fauci you could very easily get someone worse. There are plenty of worse people waiting in the wings.  

    I doubt that. The man lies as his native tongue and has no problem outsourcing animal torture, he’s just managed to play the political game long enough to be protected. 

    • #41
  12. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Vince Guerra (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    The only person who spoke in favor of moderation, or even conservatism, in how we go about it was Dr. Fauci. I don’t know that any of the other people would ever be eligible for a job like his, but keep in mind that if you replace Dr. Fauci you could very easily get someone worse. There are plenty of worse people waiting in the wings.

    I doubt that. The man lies as his native tongue and has no problem outsourcing animal torture, he’s just managed to play the political game long enough to be protected.

    You doubt that it can get worse? How do you propose to make sure that someone better replaces him.  Or do you accept only Bolshevik-style solutions?  

    • #42
  13. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Vince Guerra (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    The only person who spoke in favor of moderation, or even conservatism, in how we go about it was Dr. Fauci. I don’t know that any of the other people would ever be eligible for a job like his, but keep in mind that if you replace Dr. Fauci you could very easily get someone worse. There are plenty of worse people waiting in the wings.

    I doubt that. The man lies as his native tongue and has no problem outsourcing animal torture, he’s just managed to play the political game long enough to be protected.

    You doubt that it can get worse? How do you propose to make sure that someone better replaces him. Or do you accept only Bolshevik-style solutions?

    We have seen the “favorable” ratings of Biden and Harris sink dramatically.  Is there any polling on Fauci?  

    • #43
  14. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Vince Guerra (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    The only person who spoke in favor of moderation, or even conservatism, in how we go about it was Dr. Fauci. I don’t know that any of the other people would ever be eligible for a job like his, but keep in mind that if you replace Dr. Fauci you could very easily get someone worse. There are plenty of worse people waiting in the wings.

    I doubt that. The man lies as his native tongue and has no problem outsourcing animal torture, he’s just managed to play the political game long enough to be protected.

    You doubt that it can get worse? How do you propose to make sure that someone better replaces him. Or do you accept only Bolshevik-style solutions?

    We have seen the “favorable” ratings of Biden and Harris sink dramatically. Is there any polling on Fauci?

    What I would like are the ratings on a regulatory system that says activity X is prohibited unless an administrative bureaucrat decides to sign off on it and say it’s OK. 

    • #44
  15. Vince Guerra Inactive
    Vince Guerra
    @VinceGuerra

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    You doubt that it can get worse? How do you propose to make sure that someone better replaces him. 

    Who says he needs replaced at all? A good leader would ignore all of these morons counsel, strip their funding and eliminate their positions, and try them for crimes against humanity. 

    Fauci is every ounce as evil as a mass murderer, he’s just insulated from that characterization by virtue of having survived so long and for escaping all culpability for his crimes. 

    • #45
  16. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Vince Guerra (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    You doubt that it can get worse? How do you propose to make sure that someone better replaces him.

    Who says he needs replaced at all? A good leader would ignore all of these morons counsel, strip their funding and eliminate their positions, and try them for crimes against humanity.

    Fauci is every ounce as evil as a mass murderer, he’s just insulated from that characterization by virtue of having survived so long and for escaping all culpability for his crimes.

    And with the help of comments like this, he will likely continue in his position.  And no reforms will be made. 

    • #46
  17. Vince Guerra Inactive
    Vince Guerra
    @VinceGuerra

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Vince Guerra (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    You doubt that it can get worse? How do you propose to make sure that someone better replaces him.

    Who says he needs replaced at all? A good leader would ignore all of these morons counsel, strip their funding and eliminate their positions, and try them for crimes against humanity.

    Fauci is every ounce as evil as a mass murderer, he’s just insulated from that characterization by virtue of having survived so long and for escaping all culpability for his crimes.

    And with the help of comments like this, he will likely continue in his position. And no reforms will be made.

    *Yawn.*
    If no reforms are made it will be because nobody currently in Washington cares. Even Trump could only do so much against an entire government bureaucracy allied against him (not to mention those in his own party) and didn’t (or couldn’t) manage to fire Fauci. Most of those in leadership hope this will all just go away, ignoring the reality of evil actions and evil intent by evil men so long as it doesn’t affect their little bubbles too dramatically. 

    • #47
  18. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Vince Guerra (View Comment):
    *Yawn.*
    If no reforms are made it will be because nobody currently in Washington cares. Even Trump could only do so much against an entire government bureaucracy allied against him (not to mention those in his own party) and didn’t (or couldn’t) manage to fire Fauci. Most of those in leadership hope this will all just go away, ignoring the reality of evil actions and evil intent by evil men so long as it doesn’t affect their little bubbles too dramatically. 

    It will be because nobody who cares about Fauci or government overreach cares. I have seen a lot of people who call Fauci a mass murderer. Those people can be ignored, because they are ideologues first and protectors of freedom second.  I have seen no suggestions for reform here on Ricochet, other than calls to tear it all down. Those people can be ignored because they are ideologues first, and protectors of freedom second. 

    But get back to your yawning.  Sleep well. Don’t let any of the threats to our freedom disturb you.  

    • #48
  19. Vince Guerra Inactive
    Vince Guerra
    @VinceGuerra

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    Those people can be ignored because they are ideologues first, and protectors of freedom second. 

    Pretty disingenuous from someone lapping up the Covid kool-aid. How exactly are you protecting freedom? Which ones have you spoken about, written about, or acted on? I’m not familiar with your pro-freedom work. I just spent the last 14 hours going toe to toe with medical bureaucracy Karens in three different hospitals. 

    • #49
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