This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
Fauci Hearing: Senators' Masked and Unmasked Faces ¶
On May 12, 2020, the Senate Health Committee held a hearing on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, as the main witness.
The hearing was notable for its surreal and desolate visual presentation, with a remote-operated camera and a few human photographers capturing the proceedings. Senator Lamar Alexander, the committee chair, appeared on a screen above an empty chair, having self-quarantined after an aide tested positive for the coronavirus.
Dr. Fauci warned that the consequences of reopening too quickly could be 'really serious,' and agreed that the actual COVID-19 death toll is likely higher than the official figures. He also offered a spoonful of optimism, suggesting that a vaccine could be available in a year or two.
The sharpest conflict came when Senator Rand Paul assailed 'doom and gloom' predictions about the virus and told Dr. Fauci, 'I don't think you're the end-all' with regard to reopening policy. Dr. Fauci replied, 'I give advice according to the best scientific evidence.'
The hearing also highlighted the partisan divide over face masks, with Democrats mostly wearing them and Republicans largely not. Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican, began the hearing without a mask, then put one on, as if trying to keep one lung in each camp.
