OPINION

Fauci’s Skulduggery Ought to be the Focus of Congressional Oversight, Not January 6th

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

The American people are done hearing from Dr. Anthony Fauci. We do not need another word from him about the “science” of COVID-19, what America “must do” to defeat the pandemic, or anything else that this demonstrated liar and Deep State denizen has to say. That he continues to serve as the oracle of truth for America’s pandemic response, is beyond rational comprehension. 

A popular aphorism reminds us that sometimes “the cure is worse than the disease.” If Fauci is considered the “cure” for the government’s response to COVID-19, that shoe fits perfectly. Fauci has been wrong about virtually every aspect of COVID-19, with dreadful economic, social, and public health consequences, yet he remains in the media throne. 

Conveniently ignored by the Left, is the fact that Fauci was the one who, early on, created massive confusion about facemasks; first by berating Americans for attempting to secure personal protective gear in the pandemic’s early days, and later scolding the public for not wearing them, even if fully vaccinated and safe from serious cases. 

Fauci has been perhaps the single biggest roadblock to moving American society back to normal, with his doomsday pronouncements like needing to cancel Christmas, or constantly warning another “wave” is just around the corner.

The Good Doctor seems to relish striking panic into the hearts of people who just want to know the facts in order to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Fauci is, however, a shrewd operator. He understands perfectly that panic ensures his longevity as a Washington fixture. 

President Donald Trump likely had no clue of the monster he unleashed in January 2020 when he appointed the then-largely unknown bureaucrat-doctor to the White House Coronavirus Task Force. And there he remained -- a parasite feeding from the media spotlight as America’s “top expert,” all the while undermining at every turn both Trump’s and Vice President Pence’s efforts to get a handle on the developing pandemic. 

Fauci’s not-so-subtle efforts undercutting Trump in an election year guaranteed he would land softly and prominently in the Biden Administration.

The truth, regardless of partisan politics, is that Fauci cannot be trusted on public health matters – by anyone. His priorities during COVID have always been not what is best for America, but what is best for building his reputation, and protecting the role he played in developing and furthering relationships with the Communist Chinese government (and military) on “gain of function” studies and other projects that potentially, if not actually, harm America’s national security interests.

Fauci knows the truth about his COVID shenanigans will be his downfall, and he is not about to let that happen. 

The most recent revelations confirming that the National Institutes for Health was actively funding “gain of function” research in China – exactly what Fauci had denied publicly in a heated exchange with Sen. Rand Paul last July – is proof that not only should Fauci be blocked from offering any further input on COVID-19, but should himself be investigated for potential criminal misconduct, the least of which being lying to Congress. 

Were the House of Representatives interested in exercising real oversight, as opposed to the showtime investigation of the January 6th Capitol Hill demonstrations, they would subpoena Fauci and others with knowledge of the role the Department of Health and Human Services and NIH played in the dangerous research with China that very well may have led to the “lab leak” scenario spawning COVID. 

If serious effort were to be expended in this regard, criminal referrals to the Justice Department might very well result, which of course is why no one in this administration or on the Democrat side of the congressional aisles will touch that can of worms. 

So, the status quo will remain, at least until perhaps an unrelated revelation such as the “Puppygate” dog-torturing scandal forces Fauci out, or until the GOP regains a majority in the House of Representatives in next year’s midterm election. 

However, even if the Republicans regain the majority, they might decide not to follow through and seriously investigate Fauci’s skulduggery. Such a GOP cop-out would bring coy smiles to the faces of leaders in Beijing, secure in the knowledge that their Man in Washington again avoided accountability.  

Bob Barr represented Georgia’s Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He served as the United States Attorney in Atlanta from 1986 to 1990 and was an official with the CIA in the 1970s. He now practices law in Atlanta, Georgia and serves as head of Liberty Guard.