LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer testified in front of a U.S. House subcommittee Tuesday about her response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
You can read Whitmer’s full testimony below.
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The hearing, titled, “On the Front Lines: How Governors are Battling the COVID-19 Pandemic," also included Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
It began at 11:30 a.m. and was monitored via video by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Whitmer was called to testify about her state’s COVID-19 response efforts.
During the hearing Whitmer requested support from the federal government to help the state “ensure and promote” widespread COVID-19 testing as Michigan begins to reopen amid the pandemic.
READ: Michigan Gov. Whitmer calls on federal government to support widespread COVID-19 testing
Whitmer lifted Michigan’s stay-at-home order Monday after extending versions of it from late March through May. She created a six-phase reopening plan and has moved the entire state into phase four, or “Improving.”
Despite pressure and a lawsuit from Republican lawmakers to reopen the state more quickly, Whitmer has maintained her cautious approach. After issuing the original stay-at-home order March 23, she extended it four times -- most recently the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day weekend -- before eventually lifting it.
In total, her stay-at-home order lasted 70 days.
During Monday’s daily briefing, Whitmer again stressed the need for help from the federal government. She has repeated her belief in the need for “robust testing,” and that federal leaders should help the state achieve it.
Here is Whitmer’s prepared testimony:
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