Marjorie Taylor Greene says Fauci should be jailed and rails against ‘evil science’ at Covid hearing
Dr Fauci, the former head of the NIAID, is facing questions from the GOP-led subcommittee investigating the US’s Covid-19 response and the virus’s origins
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Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci is facing questions from the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday — marking his first Congressional testimony as a non-government official since stepping down in 2022.
Dr Fauci led the US’s response the Covid-19 pandemic, a role that earned him both praise and scrutiny alike. He is expected to face grilling from Congressional Republicans over the origins of the virus as well as transparency around government agency communications and records.
The former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is sitting for his first congressional testimony in almost two years.
The GOP-led subcommittee has requested access to Dr Fauci’s personal email and phone records after obtaining information, which, they say, calls into question whether he may have attempted to conceal some records.
Dr Fauci is appearing voluntarily on Monday. He has said that he has “nothing to hide.”
The divide between the Democrats and Republicans approach to the hearing is striking. One Democrat called this effort a “waste of time” while Republicans have pressed Fauci about conspiracies that have cropped up about the origins of Covid, including the lab leak theory and Fauci’s alleged ‘cover up’.
‘Six-foot distance’ cleared up
Rep Castor said that these subcommittees are meant to bring “light” to certain matters but unfortuantely in this circumstance, this subcommittee has “brought more heat than light.”
For five months, Republicans sat on Dr Fauci’s interview with the subcommittee from January.
Although they had an opportunity to release it before then, but decided to release the transcript this past week. “Republicans contorted and mischaracterized Dr Fauci’s words to gin up conspiracies about NIH’s role and the lead-up to the pandemic.” She gave Fauci an opportunity to clear up any parts of his 14-hour transcript that has been “cherry-picked,” as she put it.
He said the “issue of the six-foot distance” came from the CDC.
The transcript, released on May 31 despite the interview taking place months earlier, shows Dr Fauci explaining the six-foot distance recommendation saying, “You know, I don’t recall. It sort of just appeared. I don’t recall, like, a discussion of whether it should be 5 or 6 or whatever. It was just that 6 foot is—”
On Monday, he clarified, “What I meant by ‘no science behind it’ was that there was no controlled trial” comparing three feet versus 10 feet to six feet. “It had little to do with me...’no science behind it’ means there was no clinical trial.”
Fauci confirms that after decades as an infectious disease expert, he has never been accused of ‘starting’ a virus
‘Credible death threats'
Rep Debbie Dingell asked about the threats Dr Fauci has received since the start of the pandemic.
“Everything from harassment by emails, texts, letters of myself, my wife, my three daughters. There have been credible death threats leading to the arrest of two individuals...it has required my having protective services all the time,” Fauci said.
“It is very troublesome to me because they involve my wife and my three daughters,” he added, seemingly choking up.
He said he still gets death threats today.
“You deserve better....I’m afraid that the treatment you have received will have far-reaching consequences for the future of science, particularly when done for the public good,” Rep Dingell said.
“I think this is a powerful disincentive for young people to want to go into public health and maybe even science and medicine in the public arena,” Fauci said. He added that his colleagues who are less “visible” have also received threats.
‘Well, you don’t’ have emails
Fauci pushed back on the idea that he tried to “suppress” the “lab leak theory” in an article.
Republican Rep Lesko asked if he was asked to suppress the lab leak theory. He rejected that idea, adding “you said four or five things that were untrue.”
“We have emails to prove it,” she said.
Fauci said, “Well, you don’t.”
Democratic Rep Mfume then said “No, we don’t have it.”
Rep Mfume blasts GOP colleague
Maryland Rep Mfume called out Rep Malliotakis about asking Fauci about the “cruel animal tests”.
Fauci said that he wasn’t sure what that had to do with Covid. She called the experiments “not very humane.”
“If I might on a point of personal privilege to the gentlewoman from New York who wanted to argue that we should be worrying about testing human medicines on animals. If this committee really wants to do something, let’s talk about the most infamous biomedical research study in the United States: The Tuskegee study.”
The vaccine
Democratic Rep Deborah Ross asked Dr Fauci about the vaccine — one of the most contested aspects of the pandemic response.
Fauci said “the difference is profound” in the number of hospitalizations and deaths for those who were vaccinated compared to those who were not.
The vaccine “clearly saved many many lives,” Fauci said.
Rep Ross asked about addressing misinformation. “That’s difficult when you have a very energetic group of poeople spreaking mis and disinformation about vaccines,” Fauci replied.
The six-foot rule comes up again
The GOP has repeatedly pressed Fauci about the six-foot distance recommendation imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier on Monday, Fauci explained that the six-foot rule came from the CDC.
Rep Joyce asked, “what was your relationship with the CDC when you saw a regulation that was not based in the current science?”
Fauci clarified that there wasn’t a clinical trial that concluded that six feet was more effective than three or 10 feet.
The Congressman asked, “This six-foot rule crippled businesses, it allowed children to stay at home and not learn...Did you not feel an obligation for something that ‘just sort of appeared’?”
It was a CDC decision, Fauci said.
Joyce asked whether he publicly challenged the CDC? Fauci said it’s “not appropriate” to publicly challenge the CDC.
MTG refuses to call Dr Fauci a doctor
GOP Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene began her fiery testimony by holding up posters with dogs being tested on.
She called experiments on animals were “disgusting and evil” and accused Fauci of “signing off” on these allegeed experiments on dogs.
“What do dogs have to do with anything we are here for today?” Fauci asked.
Greene then asked him a question ending him as “Mister Fauci.” She added, “You’re not Doctor. You’re Mister Fauci in these few minutes.”
She then called for his license to be revoked and that he should “be in prison!”
Chair Wenstrup enforced rules of decorum after Greene’s outburst.
She then took issue with the notion that GOP members “worship” Trump, but was interrupted by Chair Wenstrup yelling, “Gentlelady will suspend!”
Democrat apologizes for Rep Greene’s remarks
Democratic Rep Garcia immediately apologized for Ms Greene’s comments.
“You are an American hero,” he added.
In photos: Fauci voluntarily testifies
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