White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci, who has been criticized by many conservatives for being overcautious in his warnings of opening up the economy too quickly, has been praised by Rep. Liz Cheney, who holds the third-highest position in the Republican House leadership.
"Dr. Fauci is one of the finest public servants we have ever had. He is not a partisan," the House Republican Conference chair wrote on Twitter. "His only interest is saving lives. We need his expertise and his judgment to defeat this virus. All Americans should be thanking him. Every day."
Fauci is the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and has served under six presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, according to The Hill.
On Tuesday he warned against reopening the economy too quickly, telling the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in a virtual hearing that “there is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak.” He explained that recovery time would only be elongated if economies open too fast and then struggle to contain new outbreaks.
This led to criticism from Republican Sen. Rand Paul at the hearing, who argued that Fauci isn't the "end-all" on when economies can reopen, according to the Washington Examiner.
Paul's comments marked the latest in a string of Republican displeasure over Fauci's performance and statements.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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