(RepublicanPress.org) – House Republicans launched the Select Committee on the Pandemic (SCCP) shortly after taking control of the chamber in January 2023. The conservative lawmakers tasked the panel with investigating and overseeing various aspects of the nation’s response to that global health crisis. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) had the opportunity to question Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades.
Dr. Fauci appeared before the members of the SCCP on June 3, the first time he had testified publicly since his retirement from public service at the end of 2022. He previously testified behind closed doors at the beginning of the year.
The exchange between Greene and Fauci was contentious from the beginning. The conservative lawmaker began by holding up a screenshot of Fauci appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” in late 2021. She quoted the former public health expert’s remarks about public concern surrounding the government’s pandemic response.
“It’s easy to criticize,” Fauci told CBS host Margaret Brennan. He also accused detractors of “criticizing science” when they complained about pandemic-related directives and suggested, “because I represent science.”
Greene asked Fauci if he stood by his remarks, “Yes, or no?” They bickered for a bit over whether he could answer her question with a simple “yes” or “no” before Greene moved on to her next question.
The Georgia Republican held up a photograph of a couple of dogs lying on their sides with their heads inside a contraption. Greene ripped into Fauci, accusing him of approving funding for experiments conducted on beagles, a reference to largely debunked claims. Greene continued her attack by telling Fauci the kind of “science” he represented was “abhorrent, and it needs to stop.”
Greene accused Fauci of previously confessing that he “made up the [pandemic] rules,” including the “masking of children” and “six feet social distancing.” Fauci denied the accusation, telling Greene, “I never said I made anything up.”
The pair continued arguing back and forth while Democratic committee members tried to interject — to no avail. Greene wrapped up her allotted time by suggesting that the committee should be “writing a criminal referral” against Fauci for “crimes against humanity.” “You belong in prison, Dr. Fauci,” she concluded.
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