Dr. Anthony Fauci announced Monday morning that he would retire from the federal government in December, and his timing could not be more impeccable as it looks all but certain that the GOP will soon have the authority to begin investigating Fauci’s handling of the COVID pandemic.
The taxpayer-funded doctor will depart after spending half of a century working his way through the bureaucratic maze all the way to the president’s top medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) “to pursue the next chapter” of his career.
“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,” Fauci said in a statement.
What a coincidence that his “next chapter” starts at the same time Republicans could be starting investigations into his career as a public servant.
Regardless of Fauci’s departure, folks like Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) would like to learn more about what exactly he did before and during public health challenges like the COVID pandemic.
“One way or another, if we are in the majority, we will subpoena his records and he will testify in the Senate under oath,” Paul said over the summer.
If the GOP retakes the Senate, the Kentucky senator is in line to become the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Fauci and Paul — who is a medical doctor as well — have previously sparred over COVID in memorable senate hearings.
Over in the House, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) has promised that the GOP will also wield its power to get to the bottom of the myriad pandemic mysteries and unanswered COVID questions.
“We are not going to let up on that,” Comer said during an interview with CBS’s Major Garrett. “I think the American people deserve to know the truth about COVID 19. They deserve to have a government try to actually find the truth about where the COVID 19 originated from.”
Comer is the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee and would become its chair in 2023 should his party be victorious in November. As it currently stands, the GOP has a 78% chance of winning the House, according to FiveThirtyEight.
In retiring, Fauci will also avoid having his annual salary reduced to zero dollars.
Readers might remember that earlier this year, The Daily Wire’s own Michael Knowles challenged GOP office seekers to sign “The Michael Knowles Federal Public Health Protection Pledge.” Office seekers who signed promised voters that upon taking office, they would work to subpoena Fauci to investigate any possible corrupt actions taken by the public health servant with regard to the COVID pandemic. Signatories also pledged they would also “sponsor and support legislation” that dwindles Fauci’s massive taxpayer-funded salary down to zero dollars per year. He had some success and even garnered the signatures of future GOP primary winners like Joe Kent in Washington and Senate hopeful Katie Britt in Alabama.
“I created the Public Health Protection Pledge because Dr. Fauci has repeatedly proven himself to be dishonest and incompetent in his handling of public health policy,” Knowles explained at the time.
While Fauci may be incompetent, it appears he is not an idiot when it comes to protecting his own bottomline.
In 2023, he will start earning a whopping $414,000 annual pension — the largest federal retirement package ever.
For his part, Fauci has claimed that the GOP’s pending investigations are a non-factor in his retirement decision.
In July, he told Politico that Republicans are “going to try and come after me, anyway. I mean, probably less so if I’m not in the job.”
“I don’t make that a consideration in my career decision,” he added.
He even invited inquiries from his opponents.
“I don’t think they can say anything about the science,” Fauci said of GOP officials. “If that’s what you want to investigate, be my guest. My telling somebody that it’s important to follow fundamental good public health practices … what are you going to investigate about that?”
So, you heard the man. Have at it, GOP.
Investigate Fauci from here to Wuhan, you have his blessing, replete with all the gravitas “The Fauci Effect” has to offer.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.