Democracy Dies in Darkness

White House blocks Fauci from testifying before House panel next week

An Appropriations panel sought to hear from Fauci; the White House says it would be ‘counterproductive’ to take him away from his work

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May 1, 2020 at 9:09 p.m. EDT
Anthony S. Fauci in early April. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The White House is blocking Anthony S. Fauci from testifying before a House subcommittee investigating the coronavirus outbreak and response, arguing that it would be “counterproductive” for him to appear next week while in the midst of participating in the government’s response to the pandemic.

The White House issued a statement about Fauci’s testimony shortly after The Washington Post published a story Friday afternoon quoting a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee, who said the White House was refusing to allow Fauci to appear at a subcommittee hearing next week.