Marjorie Taylor Greene refused to call Anthony Fauci “doctor” during congressional hearing
During a congressional hearing established to examine Coronavirus policies and the origin of the virus, Republican congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene refused to call Dr. Anthony Fauci "doctor".
Her refusal drew anger from her congressional colleagues, as she insisted in addressing the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as "Mr.". She told Fauci "you're not a doctor".
The hearing was announced last month by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Fauci agreed to attend the hearing on his own accord. He became a well-known face among the American public throughout the pandemic, participating in daily hearings alongside then-President Donald Trump.
Fauci has long been at the centre of Covid-19 fuelled conspiracy theories. And such theories have been endorsed by some members of Congress, including Greene, after his motives have been questioned extensively.
During Greene's five minutes she criticised Fauci several times in an attempt to damage his reputation.
She questioned his Covid-era rules as well as how much he has earned from pharmaceutical companies.
"Do you think that's appropriate? Do the American people deserve to be abused like that, Mr. Fauci?" Greene asked Fauci. "Because you're not a doctor, you're Mr. Fauci in my few minutes."
As Fauci was about to answer, Greene stopped him, saying: "I don't need your answer."
Dr. Anthony Fauci is the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
She also claimed that Fauci "does not deserve to have a license." Adding, "You know what this committee should be doing? We should be recommending you to be prosecuted. We should be writing a criminal referral because you should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. You belong in prison, Dr. Fauci."
Greene's remarks and behaviour caused her to reprimanded by the Republican committee chairman, Representative Brad Wenstrup, due to her lack of decorum.
During her questioning Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin interrupted asking, "Mr. Chairman, point of order, just in terms of the rules of decorum, are we allowed to deny that a doctor is a doctor just because we don't want him to be a doctor?"
Wenstrup replied saying Greene, "should recognize the doctor as the doctor".
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