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  • cases of covert 19 surging to more than 213,000 cases in the U.

  • S.

  • America's federal Front men in this fight is Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the White House Corona Virus Task Force.

  • I spoke with him earlier today and he made clear the worst is still to come.

  • Mr.

  • Vice President, thank you so much for joining us.

  • We know you have limited time and we have lots of questions.

  • So you and the President have now make clear 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die in this pandemic.

  • How do we avoid that?

  • Well, what we've done from the very beginning when the president stood up the White House Corona Virus Task Force in January is Follow the data.

  • Follow the science.

  • We looked at the day to day numbers and states that have been impacted in states across the country and our team.

  • Our team brought that information to the president.

  • The president's brought it to the American people.

  • And it's the reason why today we're asking every American for the next 30 days to continue at a minimum, the president's Corona virus guidelines for America every American can know that the way we bring that number down, the way we save lives is if each and every one of us will do our part to slow the spread and to the point.

  • Mr Vice President, you and your team have talked a lot about the importance of social distancing.

  • So if social distancing is the best tool to combat the pandemic, why not mandated nationally?

  • Well, what we've done from the very beginning is really, really follow the fax and the data and give our very best recommendation to the American public.

  • But we've also been working very closely with governors around the country to make sure that they had the information and the resource is to make the best decision for their communities.

  • And the reality is Byron.

  • Today there are some 19 states where there's been very little outbreak of the Corona virus, and we really do believe that if every American will put into practice the president's Corona virus guidelines, that's wash your hands.

  • That's if you're sick.

  • Stay home.

  • That's if you can work from home work from home.

  • We think that creates a foundation for being able Thio put this behind us by the summertime and and ultimately to save lives as it relates to social distancing, We're still seeing large groups gather across the country in a variety of ways.

  • As you know, this week in Louisiana, people were still going to church.

  • What's your message to folks still heading outside of their home to go to church?

  • Service is well for Karen and I, and I know the president we've been enjoying worship.

  • Service is online.

  • We're so grateful to churches and synagogues and places of worship around America that have that if he did the president's Corona Virus Guidelines for America.

  • We really believe this is a time when people should avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, and and so we continue to urge churches around America to heed to that Vice president Pence bridge this gap for me, if you would.

  • You and the president have insisted that resources are available by the thousands for states who need them.

  • But yet governors, both Republicans and Democrats say they don't have what they need on our air every single night, sir, we have doctors, nurses, foot soldiers on the ground who, with tears in their eyes, say they don't have what they need.

  • How do you explain that discrepancy?

  • We're leaving no stone unturned to make sure that our health care workers on the front lines have the protective equipment to be able to do their job and stay healthy while they do it.

  • We're speaking regularly, particularly with governors in New York and New Jersey, in Washington and California.

  • In areas where there's been significant outbreak, we've been surging.

  • Resource is into those areas of whether it be the end 95 masks that health care workers need to wear or whether it be ventilators or gowns or gloves.

  • And I promise you, we're we're delivering those by the millions.

  • We're ordering them by the millions.

  • You're the distribution center today in Virginia.

  • Our food supply chain may be strong, but our economy is hurting.

  • Today is the first day of the month, and a lot of Americans have bills to pay rent to do what can you tell those people who are more concerned?

  • Press about the unemployment?

  • Then you're about the virus at this point.

  • How can you assure them?

  • Tell them when they make it back to work?

  • Well, it's a great question buyer, and I appreciate that.

  • And I am here it the Wal Mart Distribution Center in Virginia, because one of the one of the great success stories, I think right after our great health care workers in this country is all the men and women that are working to keep our food supply strong and vibrant across the country.

  • We got farmers working in the fields we got.

  • We got 1000 people here, a TTE, this Virginia distribution center.

  • It's really inspiring.

  • But every American I know is concerned about the strength of this economy on.

  • That's the reason why the president work on a bipartisan basis on Capitol Hill to sign the Relief and Recovery Act last week.

  • We're grateful for Democrat and Republican leadership in Congress that put that $2 trillion bill on the table.

  • Every American, a family of four on average, will receive about $3400 in a direct payment.

  • In the weeks ahead on, we're gonna continue to support critical industries around the country so that when we put the Corona virus behind us, which if you looked at if you looked at that modeling last night, we believe we're in a much better place by June, the first if every American will put these guidelines into practice.

  • We really do believe that by Memorial Day weekend or by early summer we can weaken B through the hardest part of this.

  • I want every working family to know that help is on the way that the support we're giving the states in unemployment benefits is there.

  • And is President Trump has said many times we're gonna do whatever it takes to get the American people to get our health care workers to get people afflicted by the Corona virus and to get our economy through this.

  • Mr.

  • Vice President, I have a final question for you.

  • And I asked us not as in a political way.

  • What for you, sir, like some many of us in our nation, you are a person of deep faith.

  • No one doubts that when you talk to God in your moments alone do you find yourself worrying at all that people you represent and care deeply about heaven died and will die who did not need to because of steps the federal government did not take soon enough.

  • Well, thank you for mentioning that we are talking about one American at a time, and I promise you, that's the way President Trump thinks of this since the way I think of it, we wanted the American people to see the numbers so that we understand the challenging days that lie ahead.

  • But I want people to know that our future's in your hands.

  • That if every one of us will do on put into practice the guidelines for America that we can bring those numbers down.

  • I really do believe him.

  • We'll get through this and we'll come out stronger than ever before.

  • Vice President Mike Pence.

  • Thank you, sir.

  • God, Speed to you.

  • Thank you.

  • Bye.

  • Hi, everyone.

  • George Stephanopoulos Here.

  • Thanks for checking on the ABC News YouTube channel.

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cases of covert 19 surging to more than 213,000 cases in the U.

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