U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced the NIH Reform Act on Monday to increase congressional oversight of the leadership at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The legislation would separate the NIAID into three national research institutes: the National Institute of Allergic Diseases, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the National Institute of Immunologic Diseases. Under the act, each institute would be led by directors subject to Senate confirmation and limited to no more than two five-year terms to prevent the unchecked authority that led to disastrous mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Current law does not require Senate confirmation of the NIAID director.
Tuberville said the COVID pandemic showed how "scary" it was to have an unelected bureaucrat like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the NIAID, making healthcare decisions that impacted millions of Americans. He emphasized the importance of greater transparency in governmental institutions to ensure that what happened with Fauci never happened again.
“Anthony Fauci single-handedly shut down small businesses, forced our children out of classrooms, and took away the opportunity for many Americans to say goodbye to loved ones during the COVID pandemic,” said Tuberville.
“It’s scary to think that someone who was never elected – or even confirmed by the Senate – had so much power over health care decisions that impacted millions of Americans. We need greater transparency in our government’s institutions to ensure this never happens again. I’m proud to join Senator Paul in this legislation to increase oversight of the NIH and give the American people greater transparency surrounding our government institutions," he added.
Paul, who has long sparred with Fauci over his role in the pandemic, stated, “For nearly four decades, Dr. Anthony Fauci sat atop a bureaucratic empire, wielding unchecked power over public health policy—despite never being confirmed by the Senate once. He dictated mandates that shut down businesses, kept kids out of school, and trampled individual liberties—all while being the highest-paid official in the federal government. That kind of power without oversight is dangerous, and my legislation will ensure it never happens again. This legislation will bring accountability and oversight into a taxpayer-funded position that has largely abused its power and has been responsible for many failures and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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