During his first congressional hearing in nearly two years, former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci picked up where he left off: trading barbs with Republicans over the administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. .
Fauci’s public testimony before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic was long-awaited and preceded by two days of closed-door interviews in January.
More recent hearings focused on Fauci’s former subordinates have raised new questions about whether he was aware of and complicit in misconduct with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the agency he ran for decades before retiring at the end of 2022.
The former government scientist made no effort to hide his dismay when asked about various conspiracy theories or unsubstantiated claims about his actions regarding COVID-19. And the hearing was marked by some chaotic moments, involving both lawmakers and Fauci’s critics in the audience.
Here are some takeaways from the hearing.
Condemns actions of former advisor
Fauci faced several questions about former NIAID senior adviser David Morens, who worked with Fauci for several decades.
Congressional investigators found that Morens appeared to have attempted to avoid FOIA requests by using his personal email account to communicate with outside entities such as EcoHealth President Peter Daszak.
“I can send things to Tony on his private Gmail or deliver them to his work or home. He is too intelligent to allow colleagues to send him things that might cause problems,” Morens once wrote to Daszak.
Morens also claimed to Daszak that Fauci was trying to protect EcoHealth from losing a donation.
Fauci on Monday emphatically denied the allegations and implications in the emails. He further stated that he was not sure whether Morens reported directly to him, as Morens had claimed.
“Regarding his recent testimony before this subcommittee, I knew nothing about Dr. Morens’ actions regarding Dr. Daszak, EcoHealth, or his emails. It is important to emphasize that, despite his title, and although he was useful to me in writing scientific articles, Dr. Morens was not my advisor in [NIAID] policy or other substantive issues,” Fauci said in his opening remarks.
He further refuted Morens’ claims that he conducted any official business on his personal email, although he acknowledged that it was “conceivable” that he communicated with Morens on a private email for the purpose of writing “medical scientific chapters” together. .
Distancing From COVID Guidance, Lab Leak Debate
In addition to distancing himself from Morens, Fauci also downplayed his personal influence on pandemic guidance that emerged early in the outbreak.
One specific issue that was frequently revisited during the hearing was the guidance to maintain a distance of two meters to reduce transmission of the virus. During his closed-door interview, Fauci said the six-foot guidance “kind of just appeared” — a comment that drew ire from members of the Republican Party.
“Actually, it came from [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. The CDC was responsible for this type of guidance for schools, not me,” Fauci said. “It had little to do with me, as I did not make the recommendation. And the fact that I say there was no science behind it means there have been no clinical trials to prove it. That’s just one of the things that got a little skewed.”
He also refuted accusations that he tried to cover up or downplay a potential laboratory leak theory about the origins of the pandemic.
“Two participants testified before this subcommittee that I did not attempt to steer the discussion in any direction,” Fauci said.
He called allegations that he tried to influence or bribe scientists investigating COVID “simply absurd,” adding that he “made no contribution” in a published paper exploring the potential origins of COVID that he learned toward a theory of natural origins.
He read old emails in which he discussed with colleagues the need for further investigation.
“It is inconceivable that anyone reading this email could conclude that I was trying to cover up the possibility of a lab leak. I always kept an open mind to different possibilities,” he said.
However, Fauci said he continued to believe that natural origin was a more likely theory.
Greene’s questioning
Fauci’s questioning by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) marked the most controversial moment of the hearing. Democrats were quick to call a point of order as she explicitly refused to recognize Fauci as a doctor.
“Mr. Fauci, because you’re not a doctor, you’re Mr. Fauci in my few minutes,” Greene said, refusing to allow Fauci to respond. That joke prompted Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) to ask a point of order. Greene, in turn, called Raskin “Mr.
“Just in terms of rules of decorum, can we deny that a doctor is a doctor just because we don’t want him to be a doctor?” Raskin asked subcommittee chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio).
“Yes, because in my time that man didn’t deserve to have a license. In fact, it should be revoked and he belongs in prison,” Greene responded.
Wenstrup, who is also a doctor, repeatedly and loudly ordered Greene to suspend her line of questioning and stated that she “should recognize the doctor as a doctor.”
“Mr. President. Is this what we have become? Is this what we have evolved into?” Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) asked.
After catching up, Greene showed a photo of Fauci at a 2020 Washington Nationals baseball game without wearing a mask. She criticized Fauci for his apparent hypocrisy as children in schools and the general public have been advised to wear masks.
“We should recommend that you be prosecuted,” Greene said, accusing Fauci of “crimes against humanity.” “You belong in prison, Dr. Fauci,” she added.
Turns out the anti-Fauci contingent
Greene’s controversial questioning of Fauci was met with applause from some in attendance who appeared to have come to the hearing to speak out against Fauci.
Several members of the public who were in the audience were seen wearing t-shirts that said “Is there ivermectin?” an apparent reference to the anti-parasitic drug that former President Trump touted as an effective treatment for COVID-19.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has continually stated that no evidence has been discovered to suggest that ivermectin is effective in treating SARS-CoV-2.
Some complaints were heard from audience participants during the hearing. One person loudly said “calm down” at one point after Fauci answered a question. Two questioners were removed from the room by Capitol Police officers.
The first case occurred when a young woman who appeared to claim to be a doctor tried to interrupt Fauci. Wenstrup escorted her out before she could finish what she was saying.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said “You can take your Starbucks with you” to the woman as she was led out.
Later in the hearing, a man was removed from the room after standing up and saying, “Fauci, you belong in prison.”
This observation seemed to catch Fauci’s attention, who stopped to say, “What is that? Do we need to hear this?
After the hearing ended, several public participants who appeared to be against Fauci gathered behind him, although he did not recognize them before quickly exiting the hearing room through the back.
Democrats say they learned nothing new
Immediately after the hearing, committee Democrats told reporters they did not believe anything new had been learned from Fauci’s testimony.
“No, not a single thing, just that they wanted to continue to promote their false claims and continue to confuse the American people and Dr. Fauci’s word, even though he explained in context and under oath what he meant by everything that said,” ranking member Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) said.
“He absolutely responded under oath in a way that refuted all of the Republicans’ false accusations,” Ruiz added. “Now, whether or not that is clear to them and whether or not they will drop their senseless and unfounded accusations, I don’t know.”
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) accused committee Republicans of conducting “a lot of witch hunting” during the hearing, adding that she believed his testimony aligned with testimony he gave earlier this year.
“The effort to defame and defame Dr. Fauci parallels your effort to defame and impeach Joe Biden. Both were complete failures because there is no evidence behind any of it, but it reflects his new style of political character assassination,” Raskin said.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
