US House Republicans question Dr. Anthony Fauci on COVID-19 origins and response

June 3 (UPI) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of federal handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, appeared before a U.S. House committee on Monday, during which he received intense criticism from Republicans , notably from a member who refused to call him a doctor.

Fauci led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases until 2022, after serving starting in 1984, including under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. He was also their main medical advisor.

During the hearing on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccine development as well as mandates and the origins of the virus, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., declined to address Fauci as a doctor when asked about COVID. -era rules and how much he earned from pharmaceutical companies.

“Do you think this is appropriate? Do the American people deserve to be mistreated like this, Mr. Fauci?” Greene asked Fauci. “Because you’re not a doctor, you’re Mr. Fauci in my few minutes.”

As he was about to respond, Greene said, “I don’t need your answer.

Democratic members of the subcommittee issued “points of order” based on Greene’s statements.

Greene said Fauci “doesn’t deserve to have a license.”

And she said, “You know what this committee should do? We should recommend that you be prosecuted. We should write a criminal referral because you should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. You belong in prison, Dr. Fauci “

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic, chastised Greene for refusing to recognize Fauci as a doctor.

Fauci faced further criticism from Republicans as Democrats defended his work as a scientist. During the hearing, House members mostly made statements and did not provide many opportunities for Fauci to testify.

In January, Fauci appeared for 14 hours behind closed doors. The transcripts were released Monday.

On Monday, the House panel revealed emails that some Republicans say were written by an NIH staffer regarding circumvention of public records laws, including not discussing controversial issues in emails from the government.

In his opening remarks, Fauci said, “To the best of my knowledge, I have never conducted official business through my personal email.”

A U.S. intelligence analysis says there is not enough evidence to prove the virus emerged at a wildlife market in Wuhan, China, or in a laboratory.

Fauci maintained he was open to both positions.

“I have stated on several occasions that I am completely open to either possibility and that if definitive evidence becomes available to validate or refute either theory, I would gladly accept it.” , he said in an opening statement.

representative Jim JordanR-Ohio, asked about the NIAID grant awarded to a Chinese lab.

“Does this have anything to do with this downplaying of the lab leak theory?” » said Jordan.

“No, nothing,” Fauci said.

“Do you agree that there has been pressure to downplay the lab leak theory?” Jordan replied.

“Not from me,” Fauci said.

“Really?” asked Rep. Jordan. “I think most of the country would find that incredible.”

Fauci said the United States needs to better prepare for another pandemic. “I’m always disappointed” with the plans, he said.

Democratic Representative from Florida. Jared Moskowitzwho served as director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management at the start of the pandemic, said states were unprepared.

Fauci agreed.

“I think one of the things that was really problematic with the response was the amount of division we had in the country over the lack of a coherent response where we were receiving people, for reasons that had nothing to do with it. do with public health or science, refusing to adhere to public health intervention measures,” Fauci said.

Moskowitz then described the divisions.

“Dr. Fauci, you explained that, you know, we live in partisan times, with a lot of misinformation. And you know, colleagues at this agency have said, you know, you should be charged and convicted. Of course, The only one this happened to is your former boss,” Moskowitz said. “But, you know, the question I have is when you saw a lot of this misinformation, if it was, you know, we can use a disinfectant to do, like a cleaning or to shine a light in the body or, you know, China is working very hard President Xi was able to contain all these things that were being broadcast You know, what was your feeling at that time working in the administration, seeing this come out. from the podium?

Fauci responded: “Well, I was very frustrated by that. It was very clear that I was put in a very difficult position and I didn’t like having to publicly contradict the President of the United States. I didn’t I didn’t enjoy it much, but I felt it was my responsibility to tell the truth.

Fauci said he received threats.

“Everything from harassing emails, text messages, letters from myself, from my wife, from my three daughters,” Fauci said. “There have been credible death threats that have led to the arrest of two individuals – and credible death threats mean someone who was clearly about to kill me. And that requires me to receive legal services. protection almost all the time.”

“It was my responsibility to tell the truth.”

Ranking Member Raul Ruiz, Democrat of California, thanked Fauci for his testimony and for his decades of service to the nation in fighting epidemics and pandemics.

“Over the past four years, you have been personally targeted by extreme narratives about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. government’s response to it,” Ruiz said. “These extreme accounts were the basis of this investigation by Republican subcommittees and were undermined by what was uncovered in interviews and by thousands of documents that were reviewed.”

Wenstrup, the chairman of the committee, talked about moving forward.

“I think what concerns me most as we move forward as a country and from our agencies is that we can be trusted and be better in our messaging and in our discussions about clarity,” Wenstrup said.