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The White House blocks Fauci from appearing before Congress.
The White House is preventing Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, from testifying before the House next week, a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee said on Friday.
Top Democrats on the panel had wanted Dr. Fauci to testify as part of an in-person hearing led by Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, who oversees the subcommittee responsible for funding health, labor and education agencies and programs. But when the committee asked for Dr. Fauci to appear, the Trump administration denied the request and the committee was told by an administration official that it was because of the White House, according to Evan Hollander, a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee.
A White House spokesman defended the decision as aimed at keeping the administration focused on its response to the virus. “It is counterproductive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at congressional hearings,” said the spokesman, Judd Deere. “We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time.”
The Washington Post first reported the White House’s decision.
Dr. Fauci, one of the most visible faces of the administration’s fight against the coronavirus, has often quietly contradicted many of Mr. Trump’s statements on how the administration is handling the outbreak and how quickly the country will be able to recover.
But the White House has directed government health officials and scientists to coordinate all statements and public appearances with Vice President Mike Pence’s office, in an effort to streamline the administration’s messaging. Dr. Fauci told associates in February that he had been instructed not to say anything else without clearance, but has become a media fixture as the toll of the pandemic has grown.
Top Democrats on the panel had wanted Dr. Fauci to testify as part of an in-person hearing led by Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, who oversees the subcommittee responsible for funding health, labor and education agencies and programs. But when the committee asked for Dr. Fauci to appear, the Trump administration denied the request and the committee was told by an administration official that it was because of the White House, according to Evan Hollander, a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee.
A White House spokesman defended the decision as aimed at keeping the administration focused on its response to the virus. “It is counterproductive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at congressional hearings,” said the spokesman, Judd Deere. “We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time.”
The Washington Post first reported the White House’s decision.
Dr. Fauci, one of the most visible faces of the administration’s fight against the coronavirus, has often quietly contradicted many of Mr. Trump’s statements on how the administration is handling the outbreak and how quickly the country will be able to recover.
But the White House has directed government health officials and scientists to coordinate all statements and public appearances with Vice President Mike Pence’s office, in an effort to streamline the administration’s messaging. Dr. Fauci told associates in February that he had been instructed not to say anything else without clearance, but has become a media fixture as the toll of the pandemic has grown.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/coronavirus-updates.html?referringSource=articleShare
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