The politics of a health crisis....
Trump claims he has the authority to block Fauci from testifying in front of a House committee but has no objection to Fauci's testimony in front of a Senate committee.
Quote:
After the White House blocked Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the government's coronavirus task force, from testifying before House lawmakers next week, he will appear before the GOP-led Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions on May 12, a spokesperson for for Sen. Lamar Alexander said in a statement.
"Chairman Alexander looks forward to hearing from Dr. Fauci and other administration officials at the Senate health committee’s second hearing back, which will be on Tuesday, May 12," the statement read.
Previously, White House spokesman Judd Deere had said in a statement to ABC News it would be "counter-productive" to the administration's COVID-19 response for Fauci and other top officials to appear before lawmakers to discuss the government's actions in relation to the pandemic.
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His reasoning on this seems clear, to avoid having people he considers his political opponents ask questions of a knowledgeable witness to the government's actions in relation to the pandemic.
The explanation actually given for the double standard is transparently fallacious, that it would be "counter-productive" for Fauci to testify.