[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] House Minority leader Kevin Mccarthy talk to reporters on capitol hill about the federal response to the coronavirus. He also announced a republican led task force to investigate chinas role in the spread of covid19. Rep. Mccarthy thank you all for joining. Today on this national day of prayer, as millions across this country paris, i ask that we lift up those who have lost their lives. We lift up their families, that we pray for this nation, pray for those in the medical community who were going every day from the truck driver to the former to the cashier to the farmer, to the cashier. We lift you up. On monday i put forth a plan to reopen congress. It is the only plan that has been put forth. This is not about opening up the campus. It is about restoring the voice of every american, needs their government to work for them. It is not healthy for a democracy that a select few hold the key to how our country responds. I believe congress is essential. Just like essential workers in our communities, it is time we get back to work. If you go to the other side of the house, the senate is working. If you go two blocks away, you can get a latte, but the democrats on this side of the house will not let us legislate. I think it is time the house gets to work in a very critical manner. This press conference demonstrates we can work and practice our education is yours and be transparent about our work. Voteowed that and our before, that we can walk through. In the plane itself that i laid out, it allows committees to start to work. Working in bigger rooms, so they have social distancing. It allows for the areas of congestion, that you can put the plexiglass up just as you saw in our grocery stores. Donelows the work to be and call everybody else back in the time we have legislation to pass, like the Appropriations Bills and others. Challengehrough this in this country of a virus that came from a faraway land, we have learned one thing about covid. Chinas coverup directly led to this crisis. China ledist party of a Propaganda Campaign blaming the u. S. , used their supplies to exert influence, and continue to refuse International Experts to investigate what happened. One of the most appalling things we have found, while they denied flights from wuhan into beijing and domestically, they now the they allowed the International Flights to go on around the world. The same threatening pattern of behavior we have seen from the Chinese Communist party for years. Something that has long been a bipartisan consensus in washington. For more than a year i have worked with the leadership of the Democratic Party to put together a Bipartisan Committee on china, with an equal number of republicans and an equal number of democrats. We got to the point to actually name the individuals. Has wrotee reporter the story, but did not posted yet before the democrats pulled back a few months ago. Any longer. It the stakes are too high. Which is why, today, i am announcing take republicanled chinese task force. I invite the democrats to join with us. There was one moment in time where we said yes, a few months ago they said no. There is no important time now to join with us together, to work as one nation as we face these challenges. This group will be led by ranking mentor member Michael Mccaul rate it will include liz cheney and anthony gonzalez. Ernesttefanik and junk john curtis, andy barr, jim banks, and chris stewart. Microcosm of our entire conference, taking more others. Committees and they will be looking at a wide range of china related issues, including influence operations targeting the u. S. , including our universities, tanks, and media outlets. Economic threats to our government. Efforts to gain the technological advantage and the origin of covid19. Aey work will lead to comprehensive report with legislative recommendations due by october. A new committee that was announced by the democrats last month was the coronavirus oversight committee, led by one of their most political members. Gone over they existing oversight functions of the house. Every committee has a subcommittee on oversight. Three additional new oversight committees were put in the cares act. It is important to have accountability. These three new committees you have the inspectors general to select someone, you have the president and another committee who will appoint an individual confirmed by the senate, and then you have a bipartisan, Bicameral Committee as well. What was equal from republican and democrat, and house and senate. Every single leader also appointed one, then the speaker and leader mcconnell will decide who the fifth person will be. This will be the only partisan committee out there, waited to an advantage to the democrats, with no senators on as well. This, notrns me about just the redundancy and waste of taxpayer money, is who was selected. Before we knew the mission of this committee, the speaker nominated who would become the chair. Jim clyburn, who is probably one of the most political people on the democratic side, described this pandemic as an opportunity to restructure things to fit their vision. Not an opportunity for the wellbeing of americans, at a political opportunity to restructure in a liberal view, the government of america. Maxine waters, who was also , set in 2017 im going to keep working until he is impeached. And jamie called for the president s impeachment just two days before his inauguration. It was also the individual selected by the democrats. Im not sure what they have when it comes to holding accountability on the cares act. I know what they do politically. That is what has always given me concern about this committee. This tocrats might use take another stab at impeachment. Toublicans remain committed truth and transparency. That is why i have asked Steve Scalise delete this panel. This panel will include jim jordan, it will include the minor, jack jaworski, and mark green. You are familiar with mark green. He will be the only doctor on this committee. He is a west point graduate. He is an emergency room doctor. Unlike those who think this committee or this virus is designed to restructure government, the individuals we have one goal in mind truth and transparency. Despite the democrats intention, i know these members will serve this committee and making sure this not turn into a partisan pursuit. Having said that, i know what we are working towards. It will be mothers day on sunday. I do want to take out moment of privilege to wish my wife, my mom, and my motherinlaw a very happy mothers day. In a time of crisis, i hope we all take a moment. We may not be able to hug our moms. There are families that will have lost their mothers on this mothers day. There are those who have to waive from afar. We all know how specially mothers. I hope as a nation we take that moment in time to think our mothers and take a moment in time come together as one nation, as we continue to fight this virus. With that, were going to open it up for questions. We have a combination of questions today. Well have questions within the room and we will also take it onto the screen as well for those who could not be in the room because of the seating arrangement. Open for questions. About other not he believe that this virus came from a lab in lake wuhan . What intelligence do you have . [indiscernible] rep. Mccarthy we started working on this task force long before this virus ever came. The stealing of technology that china has done to a number of our companies, from the influence of universities, but now the virus itself, not allowing our scientists in to help. Having International Flights leave will but not allow domestic flights to go within china. Of transparency, the lies that have been propagated through china as well. They will look at the full scope of this. Unfortunately, we did get to an agreement with the democrats. I named the republicans that were going to be on it. An equal number of democrats, an equal number of republicans. The democrats pulled back. The reporter has already written the story. A few months back, they pulled back. I am not sure why. Given what has now transpired with this virus, the lies of what china has done, it is more important now than ever that they join with us. If they will not, we will go alone. You believe the coronavirus originated from a lap wuhan . I know it originally did rep. Mccarthy this is one of the things we will look at. The chinese have not been forthcoming. There are many reports that he could have leaked from this lab. They do have a lab there. It is interesting me, the markets. The wet markets. Why would they have open those backup . There are so many questions and so much intelligence leading towards that it did leak from this laboratory, that had main concerns of how they practiced there. Not in the best instances of other labs, so there are concerns and we want to get to the bottom of it. Last week it was reported that there wasnt enough testing for each United States senator upon their return. Leader mcconnell and Speaker Pelosi said that was ok with them. He spoke out and said you would like to have testing in the capital. Are there enough tests now for the house to return . Are you comfortable with that . What is the Testing Capacity in general in congress, with so many members coming and going . Rep. Mccarthy part of that . Go to the doctor in the house. Testing continues to improve every single day. Tot last week we have gotten 1. 7 million tests in one week. Grow, thereue to that youesting styles can do. The fda is doing an amazing job. The ingenuity of the private sector is coming on with new testing every day. I used that test yesterday, before i met with the president. I believe differently than what the speaker and majority leader said. Congress is essential. But it is always a Public Health issue. Members of congress and senators are coming from every state. They are flying here and flying back. You yourselves are coming. If we are needing another 100 test to open up our committee, it is also protecting the Public Health of all those states and communities we are flying back to. To me, that is important from a Public Health point of view. I do believe that we sit back and look at it in that manner, especially when, if you want committees to come back, they could be tested, they could have that answer in 10 minutes, and it would not just be the members. Just those on the committee. There is a select number of staff coming in. I believe the press should be treated the same. If you spread it to a member and they go back to a community, it is a Public Health issue. Followup . The intel that you have heard, do you think the Antibody Testing could be implemented in to capital similarly testing . It takes a little longer because it involves drawing of blood. Physicals here every year and we draw blood, so i know it is capable of doing. The size and scope, the return on that answer to an Antibody Test takes at least 24 hours. Im sure we are capable of doing it. The medical team here is amazing. They come from the military. So, yes. Do you agree with the administrations decision to prevent dr. Fauci and others from testifying in front of the house . I imagine you dont think their members are bunts of a bunch of trumpeters . Haters . Rep. Mccarthy i talked to the president s chief of staff yesterday, mark meadows. I spoke to him the night the chair of the appropriations call. He had asked me a question too. The only question the white house tasked is, what is the committee, what are you looking to look at . He might not be the best person, if you are looking for ppe. We want to make sure we have the best person to come. They talked three times that night, and the democrats kept coming back, couldnt tell what they wanted to have the hearing about. They said they would send an email later, try to figure it out. I know the congress once to have people perform, and i know the white house will allow people to come before us. I would say, lets find out what you want. I know the words of dr. Fauci and others are critical. I think there were other people that, in the military could answer those questions. Can answerthers who the questions that congress is looking for. , continue that work and can come at another date. You came in the mask on, your staff, your detail are all wearing masks. Do you think the president should set an example by publicly wearing a mask to mark a mask . Rep. Mccarthy you dont have to wear a mask on the floor. It could be recommended, but the reason you wear a doctor social distancing. I was tested as of yesterday. It is the social distancing. We watched the speaker not wear a mask as well. I do not believe it is a partisan issue. Yesterday you wore a mask. Rep. Mccarthy well, i wore a mask because i was walking near people. I wasnt able to carry the social distance. If there is social distance im not a doctor, so i dont want to state out what is best and not. I would prefer that question to a medical doctor. I know the reasons why i was tested. If i was going to get anywhere in the room with the president. The president is protected from that sense as well. The president has his doctor around him all the time. I know the president takes every avail to make sure what he does is correct. Following up on an earlier question, do you worry based on the president s exclamation explanation that the administration is not going to allow witnesses for the house, but will allow them for the Republicancontrolled Senate . He talked about the importance of oversight and all of these committees. Rep. Mccarthy looked, im not concerned about any of that. I know there will be people here to testify. The interesting part will be, probably one of the only reasons why people are going to the senate the senate is open, the house is not. Starbucks is open. The senate is open, but the only part of the house that is not open the capital that is open, is the house. Im sure people would be with and willing to be sent up, if the house could open up. You wererd last week negotiating about rules of how we are going to come back. In the guidelines you put out monday, nowhere does it have proxy voting or Remote Access hearings, things democrats were hoping to see. Are we to assume that the negotiations between you and the speaker are stalled . Rep. Mccarthy i spoke to the speaker this morning. I invited them to bring people, come back to where we were before about the china task force. We had to agree to make it bipartisan. Just to open up a task force on it. She still declined that. I wanted to make that invitation to her. If Democrat Members want to come to our task force hearing, they are welcome to join us. We believe the nation should Work Together in this. We had another discussion about it. Inside my letter you will see a fourphase of how to open congress. Justice states dont open up at once, i thought what would be most appropriate, lets bring committees back. And only a few committees at a time, so they could use bigger rooms and have social distancing. I would select committees based upon the legislation that is needed at the time. National defense. Armed Services Come back. They could use the auditorium, they could use the chambers. That bill has always been a bipartisan bill, except for last year. I would say, dont play the partisan games and lets get that bill done. Billse 12 appropriation to get done for the funding of government of the United States. Bring those subcommittees back and they can use bigger rooms and do that work so we can meet our deadline. Transportation committee, and it comes to work, i would also bring oversight back. Who,could be looking into into numerous things. There are enough large rooms where they could do their work. Once they are finished with that legislation, you could have a date certain when the members would have to come to vote. In the last vote have, proved we can handle votes on the floor. We would do it differently. Whereas we would have a photo open longer, only so many members on the floor at one time. They would come through certain doors and leave out the others. Areas, iwas congested would put up a plexiglas just as in my grocery store. When it came to hearings, i said, lets crawl, walk, and run. We can have a part of technology in hearings as well. We could have hearings where you could do those remotely. I do not believe you should use remotely when it comes to a markup. The other committees could be doing work remotely while these committees are here, having markups. And you could rotate and stage the other committees to come back. Members would not have to be here the entire time, that they could come on a thursday and friday, once there is something to vote upon. When it came to proxy voting, i have discussed that with the speaker. I have some real concerns. Could one member hold 200 proxies . In the democrat version, the answer is yes. Do you have to concur with the minority . You have 200 years of history of how congress has worked. He would not want to make this partisan. If the minority had the ability to concur, this is something for the future. Meaning, the rest of the congress. If this virus was to come back and congress could not meet, then you could utilize this. I would be open, and i told the speaker for that, as long as the minority concur with that. I do not believe the democrats think they want to. If youre going to do 200 years of history i took it from the point of view that i was the majority leader, i would give the minority the ability to concur. This is the working of the floor, this is not partisanship. This is a long history, and you want to do this together. You dont want to have people doing one side or the other. We have proven almost 400 people came back to vote on the last one. We did it in a manner that the speaker described as fabulous. We proved it can work. Starbucks proves everyday, they can work. The Senate Approves th