Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Entirely And Completely Incorrect': Fauci, Paul Wrangle Again, This Time Over Covid Origins
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Dr. Anthony Fauci sparred once again at a Senate hearing Tuesday, this time over the funding of the controversial Wuhan Institute of Virology -- the Chinese lab that is believed to have played a role in the initial outbreak of COVID-19. Fauci and Paul have come to verbal blows before over both COVID-19 and related restrictions such as lockdowns and mask-wearing. On Tuesday, Paul zeroed in on gain of function research -- which works on making pathogens deadlier or more easily transmissible. He alleged that a U.S. virologist had been working with the Chinese institute on such research and said it was funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH). (Shaw, 5/11)
Paul pressed Fauci on the theory that the novel coronavirus was created in the Wuhan lab, and then somehow escaped, either because of an accident or because it was deliberately released. "Sen. Paul, with all due respect, you are entirely, entirely and completely incorrect," Fauci said. "The NIH has not ever, and does not now, fund 'gain of function research' in the Wuhan Institute." (Weixel, 5/11)
For much of the past year, Republicans have decried lead government coronavirus expert Anthony S. Fauci’s prescriptions for mitigating the pandemic — including masks, social distancing and keeping society shut down. But increasingly in the past week, the effort has taken on a new flavor — with suggestions that Fauci might be personally to blame for the advent of the virus itself. (Blake, 5/11)
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) this year has been making scientifically dubious claims about covid-19 vaccines, arguing that U.S. health officials and agencies are not disclosing all the relevant risks and open questions to the public. (Rizzo, 5/12)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday that members will be allowed to remove their masks on the House floor while recognized to address the chamber. The move is a relaxing of the House's COVID-19 safety guidelines. Pelosi introduced a mask requirement in July 2020 after several Republican members refused to wear them. (Saric, 5/11)
Capitol Hill has felt like a ghost town for most of the pandemic, empty hallways wrapped in unnatural quiet. Now it’s been 100 days since a member of Congress announced a positive test for COVID-19, and something has changed. There wasn’t a distinct moment when the hallways sprang back to life, but the past few weeks have felt almost normal, according to several congressional staffers. (Cioffi, 5/11)
