Dr. Anthony Fauci has been in the spotlight for over a year now as his position as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases put him as the foremost authority on the COVID-19 virus. Over the course of this viral outbreak, Fauci has become something of a political figure and despite what he might tell you, it’s definitely of his own making.
As has been covered before, Fauci has made efforts to grease the wheels for Democrats and their policies, even running protection for them, while simultaneously painting Republicans who challenge him as extremists.
As Fox News reported, Fauci is now in danger of being fired as Republicans put forward a bill that would remove Fauci as director of the NIAID for incompetence:
Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, is behind the bill officially titled the Fauci’s Incompetence Requires Early Dismissal (FIRED) Act. Fox News first obtained the bill ahead of its introduction Wednesday. Its co-sponsors include Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C.
“Few people have earned their termination more visibly,” Davidson said in a statement to Fox News. “His excessively long tenure is emblematic of Eisenhower’s farewell address caution against scientific-technical elite steering the country for their own ends — at odds with truth and the national interest.”
The bill would impose a retroactive 12-year term limit on the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Fauci’s official post. The top scientist has held the job since 1984, so if the bill were to be signed into law he would be forced out of his job.
The chances of this bill passing are a snowball’s chance in the hottest circle of Hell. Democrats will rally around Fauci and protect him at all costs, and why wouldn’t they? He’s one of the keys to more power than Democrats have had in a very long time. Even if it got past the House (unlikely) and survived the Senate (highly unlikely) Biden could veto it with a stroke of his shaky pen.
Regardless, this shouldn’t be necessary because Fauci should have stepped down the moment his presence on the stage became political.
I’m pretty sure the prestige of his position, his paycheck, and the deference people around the world give him is too sweet of a deal to just let go of, but what Fauci is doing is more than just dishonoring the position of his office, he’s murdering confidence in not just the NIAID, but indeed, a host of medical organizations that were hitherto looked to for answers.
Even the CDC has taken a huge hit in trustworthiness as Fox News highlights:
But Davidson’s bill reflects a broader frustration growing with Fauci, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Biden administration health officials not just in Trumpy corners of the GOP but also among moderate Republicans and the media.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of the most moderate Republicans in Congress, tore into CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday during a hearing, saying that she’s lost respect for the agency.
“I used to have the utmost respect for the guidance from the CDC. I always considered the CDC to be the gold standard. I don’t anymore,” Collins said. “The conflicting, confusing guidance from your agency has undermined public confidence and contradicts the scientific guidance of many experts.”
The degradation of these medical institutions is going to have problems that echo for decades. The American people will shrug off advice or opinion strictly based on the fact that these officials have trained the people to distrust them.
If Fauci actually cared about the integrity of his organization and his position, he should do the right thing and step down from this position as soon as possible. Doing so won’t restore confidence, but it’ll be the first step toward it.
