Dr. Anthony Fauci might think that his swift retirement has released him from facing any real consequences but Sen Rand Paul and certain members of the GOP have other plans.
The Republican leadership is pursuing inquiries into the “judgment” of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the departing director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), particularly with regard to his involvement in the COVID-19 pandemic’s genesis.
On Thursday, Paul, who has frequently criticized Fauci, appeared on “America Reports” to talk about his continued quest for information and accountability.
“We’re not done with him yet,” Paul said. “I think Dr. Fauci actually made one of the worst judgments in modern medical history by funding for over a decade of dangerous gain-of-function research, which many of us believe leaked from the lab, inadvertently.”
Gain-of-function research frequently entails purposefully modifying viruses to be more harmful or contagious in order to create preventative treatments for fatal diseases. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported research on coronavirus in Wuhan, which Fauci disputes, according to Senate Republicans, could be to blame for an epidemic at the facility that causes a pandemic worldwide.
In 2014, the Obama administration suspended new funding of gain-of-function research to “evaluate the possible dangers and benefits.” However, it was resumed by the NIH in 2017.
Five Republican senators sought a new halt on gain-of-function research in a letter submitted to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy in November, arguing that it is necessary to more thoroughly assess its hazards in light of the pandemic.
“For the past decade, [Fauci’s] been an advocate of gain-of-function research. This debate started around 2010. He came down as a firm advocate for publishing this dangerous research and continuing to fund it,” Paul told co-anchor Sandra Smith.
“And this was a really, really bad mistake in judgment, and it may well have led to the deaths of 6 million people.”
According to government documents obtained by The Intercept, the NIH during Fauci’s tenure at the NIAID funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“It does connect Dr. Fauci to the origins of the pandemic. His support for this type of research without sufficient controls, without sufficient background and vetting of the projects, may well have led to one of the greatest man-made catastrophes in modern history,” Paul said.
“He should apologize to the American people, but he should start telling the truth. He’s been lying from the beginning.”
Being retired does not save Fauci from facing subpoenas. Which is exactly what I expect will happen. Maybe even as soon as January.
