(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will question Dr. Anthony Fauci Wednesday on his role during the COVID-19 pandemic and prior testimony he gave about it.
The hearing will focus on the origins of COVID-19, federal funding for coronavirus research, public health decisions made during the pandemic, and allegations that Fauci misled Congress or withheld information related to the virus and its origins. Fauci has repeatedly denied misleading Congress.
Fauci is again testifying before Congress after Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., issued a subpoena requiring his appearance.
Lawmakers are expected to revisit research grants involving EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, as Republicans continue to question whether U.S. funding supported research connected to a possible laboratory origin of the virus.
Committee Republicans are expected to examine recently released documents and internal communications that they argue raise new questions about Fauci’s handling of the pandemic and communications with other public health officials.
Ahead of the hearing, Paul released what he called “Tony’s Diary,” a collection of more than 1,100 pages of private journal entries made by Fauci, relating to what he considered his celebrity status, his working relationship with Donald Trump, and his own personal private opinions.
According to Paul, the documents reveal discrepancies between Fauci’s private communications and his public statements regarding the pandemic.
