WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23, 2022 — Yesterday, Dr. Anthony S Fauci, M.D., announced he will be stepping down in December of this year from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to have led the NIAID, an extraordinary institution, for so many years and through so many scientific and public health challenges,” wrote Dr. Fauci. “I am very proud of our many accomplishments. I have worked with – and learned from – countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond. To them I express my abiding respect and gratitude.”
For over 38 years as the Director of NIAID, Dr. Fauci had the privilege of serving under and advising seven Presidents of the United States, beginning with President Ronald Reagan, on newly emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats including HIV/AIDS, West Nile virus, the anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza, various bird influenza threats, Ebola and Zika, among others, and, of course, most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also served as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden since January 20, 2021.
Fauci is not retiring but plans to continue inspiring and mentoring the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.
“While I am moving on from my current positions, I am not retiring,” wrote Dr. Fauci. “After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field.”
U.S. President Joe Biden in a tweet thank Dr. Fauci for his service saying, “America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.”
I know Dr. Fauci as a dedicated public servant with wisdom and insight honed over decades at the forefront of our most challenging public health crises.
As he leaves his role, I extend my thanks for his service – America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 22, 2022
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a staunch critic of Dr. Fauci reaffirmed his commitment in a tweet that if the Republicans were to take back Congress in the midterms, Dr. Fauci should be prepared to testify under oath regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 22, 2022
In June of this year, Dr. Fauci testified virtually before a Thursday Senate panel stating that COVID-19 spread to human beings in the Wuhan region of China.
“There have been a number of papers that have come out from highly qualified virologists and viral phylogeneticists that indicate that this is very, very likely a jumping species from an animal host, perhaps through an intermediate host, into a human species which then spread throughout the human population certainly, almost certainly originating in China in Wuhan,” said Dr. Fauci.
During a Senate hearing back in November of 2021, Sen. Paul (R-KY) and Dr. Fauci sparred over whether the National Institutes of Health funded “gain-of-function” research, the process of altering a pathogen’s transmissibility to help predict emerging diseases, at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“The facts are clear, the NIH (National Institutes of Health) did fund gain-of-function research in Wuhan, despite your protestations,” Sen. Paul said. “Until you accept responsibility, we’re not going to get anywhere close to trying to prevent another lab leak of this dangerous sort of experiment. You won’t admit that it’s dangerous, and for that lack of judgment I think it’s time that you resign.”
Author: Mario Lotmore
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