(NewsReady.com) – Dr. Anthony Fauci was back on Capitol Hill recently, four years after the global health crisis began. The former head of the National Health Institute’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) led the response to the deadly virus. Fauci faced Republican criticism during the hearing and prior to his testimony, one of his aides took heat from members of both parties.
On June 3, Fauci testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. It was his first time testifying before lawmakers since 2022, when he left his position at the NIAID after almost 40 years. During the hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) declared that he was not a doctor and she would not refer to him as one.
Greene told Fauci that his medical license should be revoked and he should be sent to prison. Democrats pushed back on her. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) pointed to congressional rules of decorum and asked if lawmakers could “deny that a doctor is a doctor just because we don’t want him to be a doctor?”
Other Republicans attacked Fauci for the way he handled the pandemic. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) accused him of affecting “people’s ability to work, travel, educate,” and make choices for themselves. “Shame on you!” he shouted.
Fauci also denied ever using personal email to conduct business and wasn’t aware of his former aide, David Morens, doing so until a congressional investigation uncovered it. Morens reportedly used his personal email to get around public disclosure rules. Members of both parties have raised questions about the aide’s conduct.
Weeks before the Fauci hearing, a bipartisan group of lawmakers blasted Morens for his close relationship with Peter Daszak, the CEO of EcoHealth Alliance. Daszak worked on virus studies at the lab in Wuhan, China, where Republicans believe the virus originated.
Fauci stated that Morens’ behavior was “an aberrancy and an outlier” at the NIAID.
Copyright 2024, NewsReady.com
