U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, on Thursday led the call for Dr. Anthony Fauci to step aside from his role as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.
Blackburn and other Republicans say Fauci has worked with “Big Tech” and “Big Media” to downplay the possibility the coronavirus pandemic began with a lab leak in Wuhan, China, among other issues.
At a Capitol Hill news conference on Thursday, Blackburn said, “I think it is appropriate that Dr. Fauci step aside from his responsibility at the NIAID and that he make himself available to Congress to find out exactly how he was in cahoots with [Facebook founder] Mark Zuckerberg and ‘Big Tech.'”
Joined by Republican U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Braun of Indiana and Roger Marshall of Kansas, Blackburn reiterated that Congress should investigate.
“I think the standing committees of the U.S. Senate should take the lead,” she said. “We are pleased with our allies who are also joining us and saying this needs to be investigated. It is obvious that something was not right.”