Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment During Covid Senate Committee Hearing
The New York Times: Fauci Pleads The Fifth, Refusing To Answer Questions On Covid Origins At Senate Hearing
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci refused on Wednesday to answer questions from a Senate committee, repeatedly invoking his constitutional right not to incriminate himself before a panel dominated by hostile Republicans who accused him of causing the coronavirus pandemic and insinuated that he enriched himself while Americans died. “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution,” Dr. Fauci repeated more than 100 times during a nearly three-hour hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee. (Stolberg, 7/29)
MedPage Today: Senate Considers Vote To Hold Fauci In Contempt
A Senate committee plans to vote next week on whether to recommend holding Anthony Fauci, MD, in contempt following a hearing on Wednesday that centered on how the infectious disease expert handled the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the origins of the deadly coronavirus. (Frieden, 7/29)
Politico: Covid Rage Had Subsided. Then Congress Called Fauci To Testify
Besides the illness and death, the disruption and the loneliness, Americans remember the pandemic for its vitriol. The handling of Covid divided the parties, the states, families and neighbors and it’s taken years, in many cases, to repair the damage. Former Covid czar Anthony Fauci’s appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday brought it all back. Rather than an evaluation of what went wrong and right, or how to do better next time, the rage stood out. (Paun, Levien and King, 7/29)
Axios: The Biggest Clashes From Fauci's Senate Hearing On His Diary, COVID Origins
Dr. Anthony Fauci faced dozens of questions and theatrics Wednesday before the Senate's Homeland Security Committee. (Scribner, 7/29)
The Hill: Bernie Moreno Lashes Out At Anthony Fauci During COVID Hearing
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) lobbed an expletive at Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Senate hearing Wednesday on the origins of and government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the former White House chief medical adviser invoked his Fifth Amendment right. Moreno said he decided to run for office soon after learning that a woman was arrested at an Ohio middle school football game in 2020 for refusing to wear a mask, which was reportedly against the school’s policy at the time. (Davis, 7/29)
The Hill: Florida AG Launching Probe Into Fauci After Senate Hearing
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Wednesday he is launching a probe into Dr. Anthony Fauci after the longtime health official invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during a Senate hearing about the COVID-19 pandemic. “Fauci’s lack of candor to Congress is unbelievable,” Uthmeier wrote on social media. “My office is launching an investigation into Dr. Fauci. It’s past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID.” (Rego, 7/29)
More news from Capitol Hill —
MedPage Today: Senate Dems Question If RFK Jr.'s Family Will Profit From Vax Settlement
Four Democratic lawmakers have questioned whether HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s family will profit from a sizeable settlement involving Merck's human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil). In a letter dated July 28, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Angela Alsobrooks (Md.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) and Andy Kim (N.J.) wrote, "We are seeking clarity on whether this settlement may have resulted in a significant financial award to one of your sons, raising fresh concerns about conflicts of interest you may possess" as HHS Secretary. (Firth, 7/29)
The Hill: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Joins Senators To Push For Better Stuttering Diagnosis And Care For Millions Of Kids
Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Wednesday introduced legislation that attempts to improve identification and treatment for children who stutter, with an assist from former NBA player Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The legislation, titled the Kidd’s Stuttering Act, proposes directing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to add stuttering and fluency screening measures to its core set of pediatric health quality measures by 2028. (Rego, 7/29)
ProPublica and WBUR: Senate Leaders Push U.S. DOT Over Bus Safety Data
Two leading Democrats on the U.S. Senate committee that oversees transportation safety pressed the nation’s regulator of buses on Wednesday to provide proof it can detect troubled private companies that provide services to schools and municipalities. (Sanders and Mariano, 7/29)
