Nearly two years have passed since Dr. Anthony Fauci retired as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, having served under every president from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden. However, on Monday, he returned to Capitol Hill to face a hostile 118th Congress led by Republicans and Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, where Fauci attempted to give expert testimony to the House’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Ironically, no Republican member acknowledged that Dr. Fauci, under the administration of then-President Donald Trump, spearheaded the Covid-19 task force and steered the nation through the pandemic. His role in “Operation Warp Speed” was instrumental in the creation of a vital vaccine that has saved innumerable lives.
Today, he was present to listen to every outlandish conspiracy theory regarding the origins of Covid-19, the numerous bizarre remedies that led nowhere, and, of course, the favored GOP talking point concerning the necessity of wearing masks. Dr. Fauci made his first appearance on Capitol Hill since 2022, marking the end of his long government service during which he became a key figure in the federal COVID response.
During the questioning, Congresswoman Greene made it evident that she would not extend the due respect to Dr. Fauci, potentially leading the House of Representatives to a new low. She deliberately chose not to acknowledge Fauci’s medical title, referring to him instead as “Mr. Fauci.”
“Do you think that’s appropriate? Do the American people deserve to be abused like that, Mr. Fauci? Because you’re not ‘Dr.,’ you’re ‘Mr. Fauci’ in my few minutes,” Greene said before adding, “No, I don’t need your answer.”
Greene’s behavior escalated to such an extent that the Republican Chairperson of the subcommittee, Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who is also a physician, had to intervene with “The gentlelady will suspend,” directing the Georgia Republican to acknowledge Fauci’s medical title. However, Greene persisted in her verbal onslaught against Dr. Fauci, declaring that he “should be in prison” for “crimes against humanity” during intense questioning. Additionally, she wrongfully accused him of conducting experiments on beagles with disease-causing parasites, which were unrelated to his research.
Dr. Fauci concluded his discussion with Collins by reflecting on the changes he’s observed in Congress throughout the years. “In my over 40 years of testifying before Congress, I’ve seen a multitude of opinions and ideological differences,” he noted. “However, the degree of animosity and vitriol that’s present in the country at large—and which was evident during this hearing—is truly regrettable.”
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