Here’s the headline:
But you should know that the above headline is from a story in the conservative Washington Times—published on June 2, 2021 !
We say “again” in our headline because of recent revelations from the House Hearings, again vindicating Senator Paul. More on that shortly. First, here are a few paragraphs of the June 2021 news story.
QUOTE: Sen. Rand Paul has a message for his critics in the wake of the Dr. Anthony Fauci emails obtained by BuzzFeed News through Freedom of Information Act requests: “I’ve been right all along.”
(Official portrait: Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY)
The Kentucky Republican told supporters Wednesday that thousands of email exchanges with the NIAID director reported by BuzzFeed have vindicated his blunt remarks about Dr. Fauci during Senate hearings.
Mr. Paul has excoriated Dr. Fauci for contradictory rhetoric involving masks, for downplaying the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s possible role in unleashing the COVID-19 virus upon the world, and the creation of “super viruses” via National Institutes of Health funding.
“As you can see, emails that have been released now under Freedom of Information Act show two very important things: FAUCI has been lying. I’ve been right all along,” the senator wrote in an email to supporters.
FOIA emails, for instance, include Dr. Fauci saying masks “are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection.”
Similarly, he explicitly said masks purchased at drugstores are “not really effective” against a virus since COVID-19 is “small enough to pass through material.”
Other email exchanges with the infectious disease expert cover the real possibility that COVID-19 originated inside a lab. END QUOTE
On January 8 and 9, 2024, Dr. Fauci appeared for 14 hours before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, chaired by Brad Wenstrup, R-OH.
(Congressman-Dr. Brad Wenstrup, R-OH)
Wenstrup is a doctor of podiatric medicine, and represents the 2nd Congressional District in Ohio (from the eastern Cincinnati area eastward along the Ohio River to beyond Gallipolis, and from Portsmouth northward to just south of the Columbus metro area—all of which territory I was very familiar with in the late 1970s). All emphases and comments within [brackets] are ours.
Here are portions of the press releases from Wenstrup’s office.
QUOTE: “Dr. Fauci’s testimony today uncovered drastic and systemic failures in America’s public health systems. While leading the nation’s COVID-19 response and influencing public narratives, he simultaneously had no idea what was happening under his own jurisdiction at NIAID.
“Dr. Fauci signed off on all domestic and foreign research grants without reviewing the proposals and admitted that he was unaware if NIAID conducted oversight of the laboratories they fund. [Do you believe the “eminent Dr. Fauci?” We do not.]
“Clearly, the American people and the United States government are operating with completely different expectations about the responsibilities of our public health leaders and the accountability of our public health agencies.
“It is also concerning that the face of our nation’s response to the world’s worst public health crisis ‘does not recall’ key details about COVID-19 origins and pandemic-era policies. Nearly 1.2 million Americans lost their lives to a potentially preventable pandemic.
“I look forward to asking Dr. Fauci further questions about mandates, his role in prompting the ‘Proximal Origin’ publication, and his policy positions related to masks and lockdowns. Tomorrow’s testimony will continue the Select Subcommittee’s effort to deliver the answers Americans demand and deserve.”
Key takeaways from Day 1 of Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview:
Here is the press release from Congressman/Dr. Brad Wenstrup’s office from the second day of hearings.
QUOTE: “After two days of testimony and 14 hours of questioning, many things became evident. During his interview today, Dr. Fauci claimed that the policies and mandates he promoted may unfortunately increase vaccine hesitancy for years to come. [In our view, that’s a good thing; thank you, your Eminence!]
He testified that the lab leak hypothesis — which was often suppressed — was, in fact, not a conspiracy theory. Further, the social distancing recommendations forced on Americans ‘sort of just appeared’ and were likely not based on scientific data.
“Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview revealed systemic failures in our public health system and shed light on serious procedural concerns with our public health authority.
“It is clear that dissenting opinions were often not considered or suppressed completely. Should a future pandemic arise, America’s response must be guided by scientific facts and conclusive data.
“While we remain frustrated with Dr. Fauci’s inability to recollect COVID-19 information that is important for our investigation, others we have spoken to do recall the facts.
“I appreciate Dr. Fauci’s willingness to testify privately in front of the Select Subcommittee and look forward to speaking with him further at a public hearing this year. There are many opportunities to do better in the future.”
Key takeaways from day two of Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview:
Here are links to the above press releases: Day One || Day Two.
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