The fight against a coronavirus epidemic hitting the United States is "not a partisan issue," and government officials must make sure that the resources are available to keep the country safe, Rep. Debbie Dingell said Wednesday.
"There are times when you have a crisis or an emergency and you've got to do what you've got to do," the Michigan Democrat said on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria." "This could have devastating consequences...I do think we have to talk about balancing budgets down the road, but you can't play political games with the coronavirus. I won't take shots at anybody and I will work with everybody to keep our nation safe."
Lawmakers on Wednesday agreed on a $7.8 billion emergency spending bill to fund the response to the coronavirus outbreak, with a bipartisan measure that provides far more than the $1.25 billion in new funds and permission to tap another $1.25 billion from social and health programs President Donald Trump sought last week.
Dingell also on Wednesday said she backs "Medicare for all" healthcare coverage, as the U.S. is the "only industrialized nation in the world that does not guarantee healthcare."
"You will save a lot of money when you eliminate the bureaucracy," she said. "My father-in-law (John Dingell Sr.) was the author of Social Security. Most people don't realize that. He first introduced universal health care in the early '40s."
Dingell Wednesday also discussed the outcome of the Super Tuesday primaries and said she is not going to be endorsing a candidate.
"I remember what it was like four years ago, the tension and hate," she said. "I want to be a person that pulls everybody together. I have friends across the board, but I'm paying very close attention because November matters to me."
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