The basic civic illiteracy of this article infuriates me. Katie Porter is not a hero for grilling an CDC director into implementing her preferred policy. She is a member of Congress failing to do her job. You know what Congress has the power to do?
Set taxes.
Create budgets.
Implement policy and spending priorities.
But they stopped doing this in any responsible fashion a few decades ago. Instead Congress -- both parties in full *-- pass broad laws with no detail and then sit back and blame others when they don't get the results they want. As a consequence we end up with the President, bureaucrats (appointed by the President), and judges (also appointed by the President) making policy decisions Congress lacks the courage to make themselves. Which is why every presidential election is an all-or-nothing death match that both sides believe they cannot afford to lose because Congress -- the most representative branch directly answerable to local constituents -- won't do what they are supposed to do and everything ends up in the hands of either the president or people the president appoints.
Congress just passed a $8.3 billion bi-partisan nearly unanimous funding bill directly addressing Corona. Was money for free tests in it? If not why not? Also if not, then that's the fault of Congress -- not the CDC head. If such funding was specified, then the CDC head shouldn't be in a position to make a contrary decision. The idiot cheerleading Rolling Stone reporter does not even think to provide this information or ask the questions that would shed light on it.
* This really is a both sides thing and not recent. In the past 50-70 years we have had periods of both houses controlled by Democrats, both by Republicans, and mixed control. In none of those periods has Congress asserted -- and taken responsibility for -- its full powers as provided in the Constitution. Instead they defer almost all specific decisions to administrators under the control of the Executive Branch, because congressional members realized they can pass these vague laws, then sit back, and point figures, which is easier than actually making specific decisions and taking responsibility.
www.rollingstone.com
