Washington, D.C.-House Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers delivered opening remarks at Wednesday’s Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee hearing on COVID-19 vaccines.
On Operation Warp Speed
“Let’s first set the record straight. Regarding the COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution, President Biden started on 3rd base, yet Democrats and the media suggested that he hit a triple. We keep hearing disinformation about what President Biden inherited.
“The first false claim is that President Biden had to start from scratch. On January 21st, CNN reported that anonymous Biden administration sources said ‘we are going to have to build everything from scratch.’
“Three days later President Biden’s Chief of Staff Ron Klain perpetuated this claim, and Vice President Harris repeated it just last month. This is disinformation.
“Dr. Fauci, you publicly stated that the Biden administration did not start from scratch. The day President Biden entered the White House, more than 1.5 million new doses were administered.
“Let’s not forget the nationally televised 60 Minutes segment with General (Gus) Perna on the Trump administration’s distribution plans.
“That was in early November-before we even had a COVID-19 vaccine to distribute. The Trump administration first outlined their plan in September. In October, the administration even announced partnerships to administer free vaccines.
“Another false claim is that the Trump administration did not contract for enough vaccines. On March 2, President Biden claimed that ‘the prior administration had contracted for not nearly enough vaccine to cover adults in America.’ Again-this is disinformation. It’s false.
“Last year, the Trump administration entered into contracts with multiple companies to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines. To date, between just the three companies who have EUAs, we have enough doses to vaccinate 300 million people, far more than our eligible adult population.
“And that’s not to mention the options to purchase additional doses included in those initial agreements, which the Biden administration appears to have recently used. I’m disappointed that President Biden and Democrats refuse to acknowledge any successes of Operation Warp Speed.
“Vaccines normally take more than 10 years to develop. Yet, we have three safe and effective vaccines in less than one year. Imagine how many lives will be saved. Every American-Democrat and Republican alike-should be proud and thankful for its success.
“We should be looking at this model for America to lead a new era of innovation for medical breakthroughs, not downplaying its success to under promise or score political points."
On Reopening Schools
“I now want to turn to school closures. Let’s be clear-school closures are having a devastating effect on our children. Dr. Hasan, the division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey, put it ‘the mental health crisis caused by school closing will be worse, a worse pandemic than COVID.’
“Worse than COVID yet schools remain closed. One year ago today-this day-Governor Inslee closed the schools in my home state of Washington and we have been too slow to open. Washington ranks 46th in the nation in getting students back into the classrooms. This is unacceptable. Why is it taking so long, Governor Inslee?
“It’s time our kids return to the classroom. Schools remain closed because of fear and politics, not science.
“Dr. Walensky, on February 3rd, you stated ‘schools can safely reopen.’ Dr. Fauci for months last year you agreed schools should reopen. As you put it last fall ‘close the bars and keep the schools open.’
“But unfortunately, the teachers’ unions continues to stand in the way. President Biden should be leading to get our schools open but following public backlash from the White House about your remarks Dr. Walensky, the CDC published guidance that kept many schools from fully reopening.
“We now know the CDC misinterpreted some of the research it relies on. Four doctors wrote in USA Today and confirmed fear-not science-led to harmful policy. Enough is enough. Our kids are in crisis.
“Today, I call on you Dr. Walensky and Dr. Fauci to do as this administration promised, follow science and truth. Update the CDC’s guidance to open schools immediately. Surely that’s something we can all agree on."
