Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) announced that Dr. Anthony Fauci will testify publicly for the first time since retiring from public service at a hearing before the Select Subcommittee on June 3, 2024. Earlier this year, Dr. Fauci appeared in front of the Select Subcommittee for a closed-door, two-day, 14-hour transcribed interview. Chairman Wenstrup issued the following statement today:

“Retirement from public service does not excuse Dr. Fauci from accountability to the American people. On June 3, Americans will have an opportunity to hear directly from Dr. Fauci about his role in overseeing our nation’s pandemic response, shaping pandemic-era polices, and promoting singular questionable narratives about the origins of COVID-19.

“During Dr. Fauci’s closed-door interview in January, he testified to serious systemic failures in our public health system that deserve further investigation, including his testimony that the ‘6 feet apart’ social distancing guidance — which was used to shut down small businesses and schools across America — 'sort of just appeared.' This raises significant concerns about public health officials and the validity of their policy recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also learned that he believes the lab leak hypothesis he publicly downplayed should not be dismissed as a conspiracy theory. As the face of America’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, these statements raise serious questions that warrant public scrutiny.

“The Select Subcommittee will also hold a public hearing with EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak on May 1, 2024, that will serve as a crucial component of our investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and provide essential background ahead of Dr. Fauci’s public hearing. We look forward to both Dr. Fauci’s and Dr. Daszak’s forthcoming and honest testimonies, and appreciate their willingness to voluntarily appear before the Select Subcommittee for public hearings.”

Key takeaways from Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview:

• Dr. Fauci claimed that the “6 feet apart” social distancing recommendation promoted by federal health officials was likely not based on scientific data. He testified that the guidance “sort of just appeared” out of nowhere.
• Dr. Fauci “did not recall” COVID-19 information and conversations relevant to the Select Subcommittee’s investigations more than 100 times.
• Dr. Fauci testified that he signed off on every foreign and domestic NIAID grant without personally reviewing the proposals.
• Dr. Fauci acknowledged that the lab leak hypothesis is not a conspiracy theory. This comes nearly four years after he “prompted” the publication of the now infamous “Proximal Origin” paper that attempted to “disprove” the lab leak hypothesis.
• Dr. Fauci admitted that America’s vaccine mandates — which he promoted from his position of power at the White House — could increase vaccine hesitancy in the future.

Read more about Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview here and here. The transcript of this interview will be released prior to the public hearing.

Read the Select Subcommittee’s letter to Dr. Fauci memorializing his public hearing date here.

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