Democrats scold Marjorie Taylor Greene for ‘vulgarity’ and ‘conspiracy’ in vaccine hearing

democrats scold marjorie taylor greene for ‘vulgarity’ and ‘conspiracy’ in vaccine hearing

Democrats scold Marjorie Taylor Greene for ‘vulgarity’ and ‘conspiracy’ in vaccine hearing

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) earned scorn from her Democratic colleagues for referring to herself as an expert in “recognizing bullshit” during a Thursday hearing on improving vaccine safety systems and Americans’ trust in vaccinations.

“I’m not a doctor, but I have a Ph.D. in recognizing bullshit when I hear it,” Greene said shortly before confronting experts from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on their policies.

Greene did not pose any questions to the witnesses and accused Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA, of turning a blind eye to complaints of vaccine-related injury in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

“This is from the Congressional Research Service about VAERS — all kinds of injuries: miscarriages, heart attacks, myocarditis, permanent disabilities, neurological problems, and it going on and on and on,” Greene said.

“These are the reports from people being forced to take vaccines,” she added.

VAERS is an early-warning system that collects unverified information to inspire investigation, but it is only one of many warning systems and should not be treated as the primary dataset for evaluating vaccine injuries, said Daniel Jernigan, CDC director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) immediately apologized to those present at the hearing for “a lot of conspiracy theories and accusations which we know have been debunked by medical science.”

Garcia, seemingly prepared for Greene’s claims, immediately exhibited several of Greene’s tweets, saying she has “spread misinformation, encouraged parents to refuse routine vaccinations — which you just heard, by the way — and even compared our pandemic [response efforts] to the Holocaust.”

Garcia then read a 2021 tweet from Greene that compared vaccination logos on employees to the Jewish people forced to wear the Star of David in Nazi Germany.

The Hill reported that Greene later apologized for the tweet.

“I want to on a point of personal privilege remind members of this committee, though I am not the chair, that there should be some sense of decorum, and vulgarity should be discouraged,” Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) said, seemingly referencing Greene’s use of “bullshit.”

“There are people watching across this nation who want, and frankly expect that Congress, if no other place, will conduct itself in a way that does not insult any of them personally because of vulgarities,” Mfume added.

At the outset of the hearing, Chair Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) called for a “nuanced conversation” about safeguarding against future health crises, identifying lessons learned and restoring Americans’ trust in health recommendations.

Wenstrup, in addition to some of his Democratic colleagues including Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), said the government’s failure to be clear with the American people about the risks of COVID-19 vaccines has sown lingering distrust.

“We are now witnessing a startling decline in immunization levels across the board, and I’m deeply concerned about our nation’s ability to respond to public health threats in the future,” Dingell said.

“We need to approach people with compassion and accurate information that breaks through the noise online,” she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Lawsuit seeks $16 million against Maryland county over death of pet dog shot by police

A department investigator accused two of the officers of “conduct unbecoming an officer” for entering the apartment without a warrant, but the third officer was cleared of wrongdoing, the suit says. Read more »

Heidi Klum shares rare photo of all 4 of her and Seal's kids

Heidi Klum posted a rare picture with husband Tom Kaulitz and her four kids: Leni, 19, Henry, 18, Johan, 17, and Lou, 14, having some quality family time. Read more »

European stocks head for flat open as markets struggle to find momentum

This is CNBC’s live blog covering European markets. European markets are heading for a flat open Tuesday, continuing lackluster sentiment seen at the start of the week in the region ... Read more »

Linda C. Black Horoscopes: November 28

Nancy Black Today’s Birthday (11/28/23). This year energizes your work and health. Faithful domestic routines provide central support. Shift directions to balance your work and health, before adapting around team ... Read more »

Michigan Democrats poised to test ambitious environmental goals in the industrial Midwest

FILE – One of more than 4,000 solar panels constructed by DTE Energy lines a 9.37-acre swath of land in Ann Arbor Township, Mich., Sept. 15, 2015. Michigan will join ... Read more »

Gaza Is Falling Into ‘Absolute Chaos,’ Aid Groups Say

A shaky cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has allowed a surge of aid to reach Palestinians in Gaza, but humanitarian groups and civilians in the enclave say the convoys aren’t ... Read more »

Bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families to march together in anti-hate vigil

Demonstrators march against the rise of antisemitism in the UK on Sunday – SUSANNAH IRELAND/REUTERS Bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families will march together as part of an anti-hate vigil on ... Read more »
Top List in the World