Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) chided the White House for blocking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from releasing a guide on how to reopen state and local businesses.
“What do you got to hide?” Lamont asked during an interview with CNN anchor John Berman. “I think it would be very helpful for us.”
The governor emphasized the need for guidance from health officials, including White House task force members Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx.
“Let us hear from the experts. I think we’ll be able to make much better decisions accordingly,” Lamont said. “Don’t politicize this.”
The White House shelved the CDC’s 17-page guide last week and has refused to implement it, which provides detailed recommendations on reopening state economies and institutions, such as restaurants and schools.
A task force official told TPM in an emailed statement that the CDC’s “overly specific instructions” would be too “overly prescriptive and broad” to put in place given that not all states and regions of the country are evenly impacted by the pandemic.
“Also important, CDC leadership did not clear this guidance,” the official added.
Watch Lamont below:
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on White House shelving CDC guide on reopening economy: "What do you got to hide?" pic.twitter.com/RmK2MhVxRo
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) May 7, 2020
