Fauci to appear before House pandemic panel

Former White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci will appear before the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic in January to provide a two-day interview regarding his role in the public health response during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The transcribed interview will take place Jan. 8-9, and will involve seven hours of testimony per day and attendance by two personal and two government counsel. Along with his interview, the subcommittee announced Fauci also agreed to testify later in 2024.

House Republicans have long stated their intentions to bring Fauci in for testimony since he stepped down from government work last year. He also served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years.

When Fauci first announced his intentions to step down from his role, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) wrote on social media that he "owes the American people answers. A @HouseGOP majority will hold him accountable."

Fauci said at the time that he would fully cooperate with House Republicans in their probe of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since stepping down, he has taken on a role as a distinguished professor at Georgetown University.

“Dr. Fauci was the face of America’s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his testimony will serve as a crucial component of the Select Subcommittee’s investigations into the origin of COVID-19, coercive mandates, gain-of-function type research, scientific censorship, and more," subcommittee Chair Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) said in a statement.

"It is time for Dr. Fauci to confront the facts and address the numerous controversies that have arisen during and after the pandemic," Wenstrup continued. "Americans deserve trusted public health leaders who prioritize the well-being of our people over any personal or political goals."