Although I didn’t enter public service until well into my 50s, I’ve always felt strongly that public servants should be held to a higher standard. This includes everyone from our mayors and city councilors, all the way up to the president of the United States. I think it’s probably safe to assume you agree with me on this.
As your congressman, I hold myself to a high standard because I am in Washington representing you and your interests. I have to be open and transparent about everything from my finances to why I vote the way I do, and it is for good reason. This accountability ensures that I’m doing the job you elected me to do, and if you don’t like the way I represent you, you have the ability to fire me and replace me with someone else.
Unfortunately, folks across the country do not get the same accountability and transparency with bureaucrats who hold so much power but are not answerable to any constituents. I wrote about this issue earlier this year after the public was given definitive proof Dr. Fauci’s public statements and private correspondence contradicted each other frequently. He knowingly lied to the American people, and we really had no way of holding him accountable.
By the time we found this out, I had already written a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking her to allow Congress to examine Dr. Fauci’s finances to see if he had personally benefitted from the pandemic. She did not take any action. Dr. Fauci’s lies, deceit, and harmful guidance since March 2020 caused many businesses to be closed, jobs to be lost, and forced masks on millions of Americans. He should be held accountable for knowingly misleading us.
That’s why I also introduced a bill that would strip him of his pension for lying under oath to Congress. Dr. Fauci is the HIGHEST paid employee in the federal government (making nearly $425,000 a year) and is set to earn a $350,000 pension when he retires soon. As a fellow public servant, it infuriates me that we the taxpayers are forced to pay for Dr. Fauci’s lavish lifestyle when we know he lied to us for months and months.
The American people are tired of bureaucrats who work for themselves instead of working for the people. Now, more than ever, we need good, honest public servants at all levels and in all branches of government. After all, the government works for us – not the other way around.
Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.
