The top U.S. coronavirus official, Anthony Fauci, said Tuesday that he will cooperate with House Republicans if they eventually launch an investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
«If there are oversight hearings, I will absolutely cooperate fully and I will testify before Congress should they ask me to,» Fauci said during a White House briefing.
«I have testified hundreds of times (…) over the last 40 years. So I have no problem testifying. We can defend, explain and back up everything we have said. I have nothing to hide,» the doctor added in what was his last press conference at the White House before leaving public office at the end of the year.
In this sense, he said he hopes to be remembered for «having given his all» in his work. «I will let other people judge the value or not of my achievements, but I would like people to remember what I have done, every day during all these years I have given everything I have,» said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Republican lawmakers promised in August to open an investigation into the origins of the pandemic, including testimony from Fauci should the GOP win a majority in the House of Representatives in the November 8 midterm elections.
Fauci became the face of the U.S. pandemic response, serving as the top infectious disease expert under the administrations of former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden.
Last Friday, the Republican Party took control of the lower house, reaching the 218-seat threshold, a week after the vote was held, allowing Republicans to hold the nation’s legislative initiative.
In this sense, the victory in the Lower House of the Republican caucus – likely to be led by Congressman Kevin McCarthy – puts an end to the second term of Democrat Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Although the polls predicted a comfortable majority for the Republicans in both chambers in view of the fall in Biden’s popularity and the fact that election night began with a landslide victory for Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida, the Democrats have achieved better results than expected, maintaining control of the Senate and not losing so many seats in the House of Representatives.
