Dr. Anthony Fauci, the public face of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic response, will be grilled in a series of marathon meetings with lawmakers about the origins of the virus and how to manage future outbreaks.
The former longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is appearing in closed-door conferences with the House Select Committee on COVID-19 on Monday and Tuesday, with both sessions expected to last at least seven hours. has been done.
“This is an after-action review and lessons learned. What did we do right and what did we do wrong? Why were the decisions made? You know, to be honest. , COVID-19 was challenging in terms of the fact that we didn't know how to treat it. “We didn't know where it came from. We didn't know what it was doing to people. “We were learning how things are going,” committee chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) said in an interview on FOX News Digital.
“Dr. Fauci has clearly been the scientific face of the coronavirus during the pandemic and was the spokesperson under both administrations. … He may remain here in Washington, but we will continue to We're going back to the voters who want answers.”
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Dr. Anthony Fauci will appear before the House Select Committee on COVID-19 this week. (Greg Nash Pool/Getty Images)
Wenstrup, an internist for more than 30 years, said he is interested in hearing insights that could ultimately help the committee submit bipartisan recommendations on how to deal with the next pandemic. Stated.
He will also seek answers about pandemic political decisions, including vaccine mandates, which Wenstrup called “terrible.”
“It's like a politician saying, 'If you don't take this vaccine, you're going to be fired from your job.' 'Am I at risk? Why am I at risk? Why should I get the vaccine? What are the side effects of the vaccine?' he said. ” he explained.
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Commissioner Brad Wenstrup spoke to Fox News Digital about what he hopes to learn from Fauci. (Getty Images)
The Ohio Republican also indicated he would question Fauci about the controversy over whether the coronavirus arose naturally or was produced in a lab in Wuhan, China.
“Why was it ignored when people had different views on whether they thought this came from nature or from a lab?” he asked. “You've probably seen people called weirdos and conspiracy theorists.
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“Some people say, 'Forget about the origin, it doesn't matter. Let's just move on.' was doing a lot of the work that they were doing to gain functionality. …That's understandable. But at the same time, you know, the technology exists to create viruses, but where are you doing it? Is it? It’s Wuhan. So why are we ignoring it?”
Mr. Wenstrup's committee has been investigating whether government officials at the time, including Mr. Fauci, sought to cover up questions about whether the pandemic was the result of a lab leak in Wuhan. Republicans accused these officials of promoting the natural origins theory to protect China.
Some of his questions will address the origins of COVID-19. (Héctor Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
Fauci has become a politically polarizing figure during the pandemic. He was vilified by those who opposed lockdowns, mask regulations and mandatory vaccinations, and idolized by those who agreed with the government's actions.
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Wenstrup said the meeting will be like a “roundtable” where lawmakers from both sides will ask questions. He also expressed hope that the commission's final recommendations could be bipartisan.
“At the end of the day, we want to figure out what worked, what didn't work, and what we can do better in the future,” Wenstrup said. “I come from a military background. It's always fair to say there were lessons learned.”
