President Biden’s campaign criticized former President Trump after he stated his intention to eliminate the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR).
The OPPR was created in 2022 due to government failures in responding to the COVID pandemic. Trump mentioned in a TIME interview that he doesn’t believe the office is necessary, calling it “a way of giving out pork.” He expressed doubts about its effectiveness, saying it’s an expensive solution that won’t work.
Biden’s campaign strongly opposed Trump’s idea, citing his handling of the COVID pandemic in 2020 as inadequate and lacking a clear plan. Campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz emphasized the devastating impact of Trump’s response, including economic turmoil, school closures, and unnecessary loss of lives.
Munoz, who previously served as a White House spokesman on COVID, stressed that returning to Trump’s approach is not an option.
Trump’s decision to disband the OPPR follows the elimination of a similar pandemic preparedness task force in 2018. The National Security Council’s Global Health Security and Biodefense unit was dissolved during a reorganization, leading to staff departures or absorption into other units.
Established after the Ebola outbreak in 2015, the unit aimed to develop response plans and logistical preparations for domestic health crises. Biden’s successor office, the OPPR, has already been involved in addressing a bird flu outbreak among American livestock this year.
