EXCLUSIVE: Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Discusses Wide-Range Of Coronavirus-Related Issues

Joe Holden reports.

LATEST DEVELOPMENT DURINGTONIGHT'S CORONAVIRUS TASKFORCE BRIEFING.PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE ISCLOSE TO A DEAL WITH CONGRESSTO REPLENISH THE SMALLBUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM.IT HAS RUN OUT OF MONEY.WE WANT TO TAKE KAIVRWORKERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.THEY'RE ENGINE OF THISCOUNTRY.WHEN WE OPEN WE TO HAVE SMALLBUSINESSES READY TO GO.WE DON'T WANT THOSE BUSINESSAS BAN DONNED BECAUSE THEYCOULDN'T AFFORD THEIR OWNEMPLOYEES AND TAKE CARE.I WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THOSEEMPLOYEES.THE 450 BILLION IN NEWSTIMULUS MONEY WOULD FUNDSMALL BUSINESSES, HOSPITALSAND COVID-19 TEST.I TALKED WITH ONE OFPENNSYLVANIA SENATORS WHO WILLHAVE TO VOTE ON THIS FT.

DEALIS STRUCK.SENATOR BOB CASEY THANK YOUFOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN USSUNDAY EVENING.FIRST UP SENATOR LET'S GET TOIT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF $450BILLION INFUSION TO BOOSTSMALL LOAN PROGRAMS THATSIMPLY RUN OUT MONEY.SO SENATOR WILL THAT DO THETRICK AND FILLED GAPS.WELL I THINK IT'SCRITICALLY IMPORTANT WE HAVENEW DOLLARS FOR THE SMALLBUSINESS PROGRAM.I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WELLTHE PROGRAM IS REACHING ALLTHOSE IT SHOULD BENEFIT.PARTICULARLY VERY SMALLBUSINESSES AND SMALLBUSINESSES THAT ARE MINORITYCOMMUNITIES THAT MAY NOT HAVEACCESS TO BANKINGRELATIONSHIPS.SO WE WANT TO MAKEIMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROGRAMBUT THE DOLLARS OBVIOUSLYMATTER AND HAVING AGREEMENTTOMORROW DO THAT IS VERYSTRONG STEP FORWARD.SENATOR GIVEN THE STING OFCORONAVIRUS IS STILL VERY MUCHA REALITY WITH PENNSYLVANIANURSING HOMES TAKING A DEEPHIT.PHILADELPHIA CITY LEADERS HAVETAPE THE POSITION OF RESISTINGTELLING THE PUBLIC HOW MANYFIRE, POLICE AND EMS ARE OVERTHE JOB DUE TO VIRUS.COT ARGUMENT BEING THOSEFIGURES ARE PART OF BIGPICTURE IN UNDERSTANDINGGRAVITY OF THIS ILLNESS.WELL I THINK THERE'S NOQUESTION THAT WE NEED TO BEVERY CLEAR ABOUT THE SCOPE OFTHE PROBLEM.THAT'S WHY THE TESTING FAILURETHAT HAS UNFORTUNATELY GONEWAY TOO LONG WHERE ALL ACROSSTHE COUNTRY STATES ARE ASKINGFOR MORE HELP WITH TEST ANDCOMMUNITIES ARE AS WELL.UNTIL YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THESCOPE OF THE PROBLEM YOUREALLY CANNOT TACKLE IT.SO, KNOWING THE FULL SCOPE OFTHE NUMBER OF CASES IN ACOUNTRY OR REGION IS GOING TOBE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.SENATOR, DO YOU THINK THOSEFIGURES SHOULD BE RELEASED BYTHE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA.WELL I THINK TRANSPARENCYWILL BE VERY IMPORTANT HERE.KNOWING FULL SCOPE OF THESPREAD OF THE VIRUS WILL BEESSENTIAL.NOW HOW IS THAT THE DONE ISDETERMINATION OF CITY ANDCOUNTY HAS TO MAKE.THEY HAVE TO MAKEDETERMINATIONS ALL THE TIMEABOUT WHAT THE NATURE OF WHATTHEY'RE RELEASING.WE HAVE TO KNOW ON A REGULARBASIS THE FULL SCOPE OF THISPROBLEM.ON A PERSONAL NOTE IUNDERSTAND YOU'RE A BRAND NEWGRANDFATHER.I AM.AS OF LAST WEEK.AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.GRANDSON, RIGHT?A GRANDSON.WAS LIVING IN CALIFORNIA SO IHAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE HIM.THOSE ARE RESTRICTIONS THATEVEN YOUR OWN FAMILY IS COMINGTO TERMS WITH.WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGETHERE.WELL IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSEWHEN YOU HAVE YOUR FIRSTGRANDCHILD YOU, OF COURSE,WANT TO SEE THEM AND WANT TOSEE THEM UP CLOSE AND NOT FROMA DISTANCE.FORTUNATELY BECAUSE OFPICTURES AND BECAUSE OF VIDEOCAPABILITY WE'RE ABLE TO SEEHIM THAT WAY.BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A WHILEYET BEFORE I SEE MY GRANDSON.BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF REALITYTHAT SO MANY ARE LIVING W ANDSO MANY OTHER FAMILIES ARELIVING WITH THE REALITY OFSOMEONE WITH THE DISEASE ORSOMEONE WHO IS GRAVELY ILL.AND OTHERS WHO ARE WORKING ONTHE FRONT LINES ESPECIALLY INHEALTHCARE.MY SITUATION IS NOT ALL THATGREAT COMPARED TO THOSE THOSEFAMILIES.SENATOR CASEY ALWAYS GOODTO CHAT WITH YOU WE HOPE YOUSTAY WELL AND BEST WISHES TOYOUR NEW GRANDSON AND OFCOURSE YOUR FAMILY.THANKS, JOE.WELL A SPOKESPERSON FORCITY OF PHILADELPHIA WITHINTHE HOUR TOLD ME TONIGHT ITSHARES THE SENATOR'S CONCERNSABOUT TESTING AVAILABILITY ANDTHAT FAR MORE TESTING ISNEEDED AND CITY SAYS IT'S BEEN