Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has agreed to testify in front of the Republican-led House over the response to COVID-19.
The 82-year-old, who served as the main adviser to the White House on the virus between 2020 and 2022, will sit for two days’ worth of transcribed interviews with the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which will take place behind closed doors on Jan. 8 and 9.
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He will also testify before the subcommittee in a public hearing at a later date in 2024.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci will appear before the 118th Congress for the FIRST TIME for a two-day transcribed interview on January 8, 2024 and January 9, 2024.
He has also agreed to testify in front of @COVIDSelect at a public hearing next year. pic.twitter.com/8QiIV3Cjph
— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (@COVIDSelect) November 30, 2023
According to the subcommittee, it first requested Fauci’s transcribed interview in front of its members on Feb. 13. However, it wasn’t until Nov 3. that counsel for the doctor and the subcommittee’s staff came to an agreement on his testimony.
There will be seven hours of testimony per day, which excludes breaks. The transcribed meetings will be attended by two personal counselors for Fauci, as well as two from the government.
“Dr. Fauci was the face of America’s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his testimony will serve as a crucial component of the Select Subcommittee’s investigations into the origin of COVID-19, coercive mandates, gain-of-function type research, scientific censorship, and more,” subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) said in a statement.
“It is time for Dr. Fauci to confront the facts and address the numerous controversies that have arisen during and after the pandemic. Americans deserve trusted public health leaders who prioritize the well-being of our people over any personal or political goals. Thankfully, retirement from public service does not shield one from Congressional oversight nor accountability to the American people. During Dr. Fauci’s upcoming testimonies, honesty is non-negotiable,” he continued.
During the pandemic, Fauci faced increased scrutiny over his advice to the public, which changed drastically over the virus’s spread. His guidance on mask-wearing changed between the discovery of the virus and its wider spread throughout the country. Further, the doctor was criticized over his encouragement of not only mask-wearing but the shutdown of businesses and the distancing from other people, which many Republicans and conservatives took issue with.
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As the effects of actions taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic began to take shape, there were renewed frustrations with the former White House medical adviser.
For example, following the shutdown of many schools due to the virus and the large-scale implementation of virtual learning, significant learning deficits for children have come to light. In the past, Fauci did urge some schools to “think twice” before opening, particularly in areas of higher virus transmission. But he claimed in 2022 that he had “nothing to do” with school closures.
