Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents the largest number of federal employees of any member of the House, issued the following statement today on reports that over 130 Secret Service officers are either quarantined or infected with coronavirus:

“The Secret Service officers who put their lives on the line to protect our leaders are courageous professionals, but Donald Trump has shown callous indifference to their health and safety. Trump’s total disregard for the lives of his protectors, supporters, and aides shows how dangerous his extreme selfishness has become.

“With 163,000 new cases, the United States has now reported more new coronavirus cases in November than all but five countries have seen since the pandemic began. The virus is spreading freely across the country, and Donald Trump has only made it worse by holding super-spreader rallies and events like the Election Night party, which appears to have infected several of his closest associates. Trump was warned repeatedly that failure to take precautions could threaten the safety of those around him, but as he makes clear every day, he is only capable of thinking about himself.

“Donald Trump’s refusal to recognize reality, both in the election outcome and in the pandemic, is killing people. The leadership vacuum he has created could not have come at a worse time. Those around him with influence who have any concern for the country or the people who live in it must step in and stop this. We need effective leadership on the pandemic, and it cannot wait any longer.”

Beyer, who led the Obama Administration’s transition at the Department of Commerce in 2008, issued a statement on Tuesday blasting General Service Administration Administrator Emily Murphy’s refusal to ascertain President-elect Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, pointing out that a refusal to initiate a transition would hinder the incoming administration’s efforts to respond to the pandemic and endanger American lives.

A recent Stanford University study found that Donald Trump’s campaign rallies may have caused as many as 30,000 additional coronavirus infections and 700 deaths.