As our country continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, I am reminded of the American resilience that has guided us for the past year. Nevertheless, we must reflect on lessons learned during the pandemic and seek answers to those questions that remain unanswered.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) became a well-known government official as a member of the Trump administration’s Coronavirus Task Force. During the Task Force’s weekly press briefings, Americans across the country paused to listen whenever Dr. Fauci offered his opinion on the pandemic and our country’s response to it. Dr. Fauci became incredibly powerful in his position during this time, and the American public originally was confident in his ability to lead our nation through the pandemic.
Unfortunately, Dr. Fauci’s statements became incredibly confusing and contradictory over time. The American public, as well as our nation’s financial system, have been directly impacted by each of Dr. Fauci’s statements. Despite all of this, President Biden mistakenly appointed Dr. Fauci as his chief medical advisor and even retained him as director of the NIAID.
On June 1, 2021, more than 3,000 of Dr. Fauci’s emails were released to the public because of a Freedom of Information Act request. The contents of his emails have disturbed me greatly, and I think the American people deserve answers to some of Dr. Fauci’s statements and actions for the past year and a half. Many of my colleagues and I have urged the Democrats to thoroughly investigate the origins of COVID-19, but it is now time for Congress to expand its investigation by looking into Dr. Fauci’s emails and public statements.
Too often, public officials betray the public’s trust, and Dr. Fauci’s emails have already indicated he prefers being in the spotlight instead of honestly and faithfully carrying out his duties. As your congressman, I have a sworn duty to ensure officials in the executive branch are held accountable for their actions.
This week, I’m sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi urging her to direct Congress to investigate the contradictions between Dr. Fauci’s emails and his public statements so we can determine if Dr. Fauci financially benefitted from any part of this pandemic. As one of the highest-paid government employees, Dr. Fauci’s actions directly affect Americans, and the American people have every right to know the answers to these questions.
I will continue fighting to ensure Dr. Fauci, and any other government bureaucrat, is held accountable to the American people, and I hope Speaker Pelosi will take immediate action.
Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.
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