GOP congressman Jordan feuds with Fauci
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan and infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci got into a tense exchange on Thursday over the country’s COVID-19 mitigation measures.
Video transcript
JIM JORDAN: Thank you, Mr Chairman. Dr. Fauci, when is the time? When is the time?
ANTHONY FAUCI: [INAUDIBLE].
JIM JORDAN: Well, in your written statement, you say now is not the time to pull back on masking, physical distancing, and avoiding congregate settings. When is the time? When do Americans get their freedom back?
ANTHONY FAUCI: [INAUDIBLE].
JIM JORDAN: Can you put your microphone on, please?
ANTHONY FAUCI: When we get the level of infection in this country low enough that it is not a really high risk.
JIM JORDAN: What is low enough? Give me a number. I mean, we had 15 days to slow the spread, turned into one year of lost liberty. What metrics, what measures, what has to happen before Americans get more freedoms?
ANTHONY FAUCI: My message, Congressman Jordan, is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can to get the level of infection in this country low that it is no longer a threat. That is when. And I believe when that happens, you will see--
JIM JORDAN: What determines when?
ANTHONY FAUCI: I'm sorry.
JIM JORDAN: What? What measure? I mean, are we just going to continue this forever? When do we get to the point? What measure, what standard, what objective outcome do we have to reach before Americans get their liberty and freedoms back?
ANTHONY FAUCI: You know, you're indicating liberty and freedom. I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying and going to the hospital.
JIM JORDAN: You don't think Americans' liberties have been threatened the last year, Dr. Fauci? They've been assaulted. Their liberties have.
ANTHONY FAUCI: I don't look at this as a liberty thing, Congressman Jordan.
JIM JORDAN: Well, that's obvious.
ANTHONY FAUCI: I look at this as a public health thing. I disagree with you on that.
JIM JORDAN: Constitution is suspended during a virus, during a pandemic? It's certainly not.
ANTHONY FAUCI: This will end, for sure, when we get the level of infection very low. It is now at such a high level, there's a threat, again, of major surges.
JIM JORDAN: Dr. Fauci, over the last year, Americans' first Amendment rights have been completely attacked. Your right to go to church, your right to assemble, your right to petition your government, freedom of the press, freedom of speech have all been assaulted for a year now.
