The White House is continuing an effort to restrain coronavirus task force members from testifying in Congress – extending a new policy to...
The White House is continuing an effort to restrain coronavirus task force members from testifying in Congress – extending a new policy to all members of the team amid scrutiny of the administration's response to the crisis.
The move comes after the White House blocked Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying before an oversight hearing by the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday, calling the under-oath session 'counter-productive.'
The policy extends through the month, when U.S. coronavirus infections and deaths could be cresting.
'For the month of May, no task force members, or key deputies of task force members, may accept hearing invitations,' according to a White House memo, Real Clear Politics reported, with exceptions only with 'the express approval of the chief of staff.'
Fauci is expected to testify in the Senate, where Republicans are in control, and where clearance has been obtained.
BLOCKED: The White House is not allowing Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify before Congress next week. Other officials must limit their appearances without express authorization from the White House chief of staff
It was not immediately clear to what extent the new policy would shut out the House from conducting oversight. The Democratic-run House Oversight Committee is demanding records on a coronavirus outbreak on the USS Roosevelt, but says it has gotten nothing.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted the move, and suggested it was linked to new funding the administration needs while taking a shot at Trump's daily coronavirus briefings.
'I was hoping they would spend more time on the crisis instead of those daily shows that the president put on,' she told CNN. 'We need to allocate resources for this. In order to do that, any appropriations bill must begin in the House, and we have to have the information to act upon,' she added.
'So the fact that they said we’re too busy being on TV to come to the Capitol is, well, business as usual for them. But it is not business that will be helpful to addressing this.'
The extent of the crackdown was not immediately clear. 'No more than one COVID-related hearing should be agreed to with the department’s primary House and Senate authorizing committee and appropriations subcommittee for the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security and the State Department,' the Hill reported.
Word of the order regarding Fauci, who has built a national profile, broke Friday afternoon, on a week when Fauci appeared at one White House coronavirus task force briefing but had been absent at others.
Coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx called the behavior of Michigan's mask-less protesters 'devastatingly worrisome' on 'Fox News Sunday.' The White House is banning task force members from testifying before Congress under oath without express permission
White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx (L) and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar attend an announcement that the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency approval for the antiviral drug remdesivir in the Oval Office at the White House May 01, 2020 in Washington, DC
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a meeting between President Donald Trump and Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-La., about the coronavirus response, in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in Washington. Task force members have made regular appearances beside Trump
'The Appropriations Committee sought Dr. Anthony Fauci as a witness at next week's Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee hearing on COVID-19 response. We have been informed by an administration official that the White House has blocked Dr. Fauci from testifying,' House Appropriations panel spokesman Evan Hollander said in a statement.
He didn't identify the official who blocked Fauci from appearing at the Wednesday hearing.
Although the House is out of session this week on the recommendation of the Capitol physician, its committees are seeking to resume some oversight, including remotely. The Senate came back in session on Monday.
Fauci is scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee May 12.
White House spokesman Judd Deere confirmed in a statement that the White House opposed his appearance before the powerful subpanel panel, which provides spending for health and labor programs.
'While the Trump Administration continues its whole-of-government response to COVID-19, including safely opening up America again and expediting vaccine development, it is counter-productive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at Congressional hearings,' said Deere.
BUSY SCHEDULE: Dr. Anthony Fauci (L), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases speaks next to Response coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force Deborah Birx, during a meeting with US President Donald Trump and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards D-LA in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on April 29, 2020
Reporters have sometimes quizzed Fauci on controversial statements by President Trump about the virus
Fauci has sometimes attended White House briefings that have gone on for up to two hours, even speaking to the nation about the virus through early morning television interviews. He has also appeared on podcasts and other platforms to communicate with people about the disease.
The clash comes as Trump called for a 'pause' on coronavirus relief, even as Pelosi has called for a trillion dollar effort to aid states and cities.
'I think we want to take a little bit of a pause. But if we do that, we'll have to get something for it,' Trump said Thursday.
'We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time,' he said.
Fauci has warned about the risks of lifting social distancing guidelines. At press briefings, reporters frequently try to pose questions that get him to fact-check claims by President Trump – such a statement last week saying people should look at injection of disinfectants as a possible coronavirus cure.
Trump appeared with Dr. Debbie Birx, who chairs the coronavirus task force on Friday, calling her a leading expert on AIDS.
Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, this week relayed new information about the drug remdesivir. He pointed to 'clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery' of hospitalized coronavirus patients.
Lawmakers are certain to try to grill him under oath about what he believes about the origins of the virus – Trump said Thursday it may have come from a lab in China despite what the Director of National Intelligence announced – as well as the administration's response.
More than 1 million Americans are infected with more than 60,000 deaths due to the coronavirus.
Appropriations Chair Rep. Nita Lowey of New York and subcommittee chair Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut issued a statement that said the nation deserved a 'clear-eyed view' of the way forward but stopped short of bashing the White House for the decision.
'Congress and the American public deserve a clear-eyed view of the path forward for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the short-term, that entails what our federal government is doing on surveillance, testing, contact tracing, quarantining, social distancing, and the production and distribution of personal protective equipment,' they said.
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