In a bristling criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), U.S. Sen. Rand Paul railed at the doctor when Fauci insisted that NIAID never funded gain-of-function research.
“What you’ve done is change the definition (of gain of function) on your website to try to cover your ass, basically,” Paul said. “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.”
The fiery exchange between Fauci and Paul occurred during a morning Senate hearing November 4, 2021. Repeatedly, Fauci denied that he and his organization were funding gain-of-function research, despite evidence to the contrary that Paul presented.
“You have to admit that this research was risky … your own agency (the National Institutes of Health) has now rebuked them. But the thing is you’re still unwilling to admit that they gained in function when they say (mice involved in a gain-of-function experiment) became sicker,” Paul said.
He continued, “On the same day the NIH said that, yes, there was a gain of function in Wuhan, the same day the definition appeared, the new definition, to try to define a way of what’s going on in Wuhan. 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.”
SOURCE: YouTube November 4, 2021