Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Dr. Anthony Fauci once again clashed over National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded “gain-of-function” research in Wuhan, China.
According to The Hill, “gain-of-function” research is “a controversial form of study that involves boosting the infectivity and lethality of a pathogen.”
In an op-ed published by Fox News on Thursday morning, Paul insisted that the NIH funded “gain-of-function” research in China created new “superviruses” and that research may have led to the creation of COVID-19. He also claimed the NIH changed the definition of gain-of-function so it could deny it funds such research.
During a Senate hearing on Thursday, Paul confronted Fauci and claimed, “You continue to support NIH funding going to Wuhan. You continue to say you trust the Chinese scientists. You appear to have learned nothing from this pandemic,” Paul charged.
He asked, “Will you today finally take some responsibility for funding gain of function research in Wuhan?”
Fauci responded, “I disagree with so many of the things that you’ve said.”
He went on to try to debunk the Kentucky senator’s claims.
However, Paul shot back and insisted that the “preponderance of evidence points now to” the coronavirus originating a lab.
“And what you’ve done is changed the definition on your website to try to cover your a**, basically. That’s what you’ve done, you’ve changed the website to try to have a new definition that doesn’t include the risky research that’s going on. Until you admit that’s it’s risky, we’re not going to get anywhere,” Paul charged.
He continued:
“You have to admit that this research was risky. The NIH has not rebuked them. Your own agency has rebuked them. But the thing is you’re still unwilling to admit that they gained-the-fuction when they say they became sicker. They gained the lethality. It’s a new virus. That’s not gain-of-function?”
Watch the video below:
.@RandPaul vs Dr. Fauci, Round 7: NIH "changed the definition [of "gain of function"] on the website to try to cover your ass, basically. That’s what you’ve done, you’ve changed the website to change the definition that doesn’t include the risky research that’s going on." pic.twitter.com/g70anl1tMP
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 4, 2021
Finally, he said, “Until you accept responsibility, we’re not going to get anywhere close to trying to prevent another lab leak of this dangerous sort of experiment. You won’t admit that it’s dangerous. And for that lack of judgment I think it’s time that you resign.”
Fauci called Paul’s claim an “egregious misrepresentation.” He then said he has “no responsibility” for the current pandemic, and disputed the notion that most evidence points that the coronavirus leaked from a lab.
He wound down his rebuttal stating that he has a “great deal of respect” for the Senate. However, he added, “It makes me very uncomfortable to have to say something, but he is egregiously incorrect in what he says.”
“History will figure that out on its own,” Paul fired back.
Fauci has previously denied that NIH funded “gain-of-function” research in China.
