GOP Senator Speaks Out Against Rand Paul Amendment That Would Eliminate Dr. Fauci's Job

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

At a Senate Health Committee hearing on Tuesday, Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) spoke about an amendment from Sen. Rand Paul. As we know Se. Paul brings an Amendment that would Eliminate Dr. Anthony Fauci's Job as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director. Earlier 6 Republicans Join Dems To Prevent Passage Of Senator Rand Paul Amendment Eliminating Dr. Fauci's Job. 

GOP Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Jerry Moran of Kansas voted against the amendment.

BREAKING: Sen. Rand Paul Proposes Amendment To Eliminate Dr. Fauci's Job

Sen. Murray said:

I really disagree with this amendment. It would actually really interfere with the ongoing rigorous science-based approach at NIH. It interrupts its life-saving work in responding to this pandemic and it will have a chilling effect on scientists throughout the government who need, who must feel free to speak their mind. So I will oppose this amendment and encourage our amendments, our senators to vote no. 

After this Sen. Burr said: 

I'm also going to recommend a no-vote on this. The bill that we have got before us has many reforms already in it, do they go as far as I like to. If I thought I would be here 10 years more I would reform the NIH like I did the FDA we would probably do the same thing at CDC and others but that takes a tremendous commitment and tremendous fashion. If we split we create the opportunity for three new stovepipes within the NIH though we may be critical of decisions Dr. Fauci or somebody else has come out with, I believe so. 

The transparency we require in this legislation, lets members of congress and oversight committees better understand it in the future and address this in realtime and require those individuals who head those agencies whether it's Dr. Fauci or somebody else to come to congress with the explanation as to Why in the data to back it up? 

You can see his complete remarks in the video shown below: