ATLANTA — A California congressman is talking about his viral exchange with Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after she refused to call Dr. Anthony Fauci “doctor” in a hearing about the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the origins of the virus.
At Monday’s hearing, Greene lashed out at Fauci and accused him of lying to the American people about the pandemic.
“You confessed that you made up the COVID rules, including six feet social distance and masking of children,” Greene told Fauci.
“I never said I made anything up,” Fauci said.
“You admitted that you made it up,” Greene fired back.
“I didn’t say I made it up,” Fauci said.
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Some Republicans accuse Fauci of funding research that caused the pandemic and trying to sway experts from concluding the virus came from a lab.
“Americans were aggressively bullied, shamed and silenced for merely questioning or debating issues such as social distancing, masks, vaccines or the origins of,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said.
Fauci forcefully pushed back.
“These accusations being circulated that I influenced these scientists to change their minds by bribing them with millions of dollars in grant money is absolutely false and simply preposterous,” Fauci said.
Greene even told Fauci that he should be in jail.
MTG: “We should be recommending you to be prosecuted. We should be writing a criminal referral. You should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. You belong in prison, Dr. Fauci.” pic.twitter.com/TF7FdA46ot
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) June 3, 2024
Garcia fired back in the hearing after reminding the panel that he lost two parents to the pandemic.
“My mom was a healthcare worker during the pandemic. My mom died of COVID. My stepfather died of COVID. I lost both of my parents during the pandemic, so I take this very personally, especially when other members of this body who are tasked to be responsible and actually help the American people, attack medical professionals like you and across the world,” Garcia said. “Your ‘so-called science’ that the gentlewoman is referring to has saved millions of lives in this country and around the world, and I want to thank you for that,” Garcia, 46, told Fauci in the hearing room, adding that it was “completely unacceptable” for Greene to deny the doctor his title. “I also think it’s important to note that, in my opinion, you are an American hero, and your team has done more to save lives than all 435 members of this body on both sides of the aisle.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Republicans spent our whole COVID hearing attacking Dr. Fauci. I lost two parents to the pandemic so this is personal. I had to remind her of her crazy COVID conspiracy theories. pic.twitter.com/WiISn3NWUg
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) June 3, 2024
Garcia told People Magazine that he’s tired of Greene using her position on the committee to undermine the severity of COVID-19 instead of coming up with ways to prevent another pandemic from happening.
“We should have been focused on how we can do better for the next pandemic because there will be a next pandemic,” Garcia said. “That hearing should have focused on questions like: Could we have done school closures in a better way? Could we have opened up businesses faster? Were there better ways of getting the vaccine to people when it was available?”
This is just the latest drama involving Greene to happen inside a Congressional committee hearing.
Last month, another committee hearing erupted into chaos after Greene made a comment about Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s appearance.
“I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading,” Greene told her.
Later in the meeting, Crockett fired back at Green.
“I’m just curious. To better understand your ruling, if someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleached blonde, bad-built, butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?” Crockett said.
Greene refused to apologize, and the Republican committee chair ultimately ruled that Greene did not violate any rules with her insult.
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