Anthony Fauci faces Congressional grilling over Covid-19 origins and government response: Live updates

Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci is facing questions from the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday — marking his first Congressional testimony as a non-government official since stepping down in 2022.

Dr Fauci led the US’s response the Covid-19 pandemic, a role that earned him both praise and scrutiny alike. He is expected to face grilling from Congressional Republicans over the origins of the virus as well as transparency around government agency communications and records.

The former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is sitting for his first congressional testimony in almost two years.

The GOP-led subcommittee has requested access to Dr Fauci’s personal email and phone records after obtaining information, which, they say, calls into question whether he may have attempted to conceal some records.

Dr Fauci is appearing voluntarily on Monday. He has said that he has “nothing to hide.”

Brad Wenstrup, the chair of the subcommittee, began the hearing by saying, “America cannot move forward without looking back. We need to know what went wrong and what went right.”

Republican Rep Morgan Griffith is now speaking.

“It is hard to believe that all of this occurred without your knowledge or approval,” he said, referring to alleged “missing information.”

Research shows “how little oversight NIAID does of risky experiments involving potential pandemic pathogens,” the Republican Congressman added.

Dr Ruiz gave his remaining time to Democratic Rep Jamie Raskin.

“The people who claimed the political big lie....bring you the medical big lie, making the outlandish claim that Dr Fauci was responsible for causing Covid-19.”

Records show Dr Fauci is an “honorable public