Washington, D.C. – With the news of rising COVID-19 case rates in Texas, Congressman Michael C. Burgess (R-TX), Republican leader of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, spoke with Tom Benning of the Dallas Morning News to discuss the latest news surrounding the country’s and Texas’ response.
Burgess, by contrast, said that the coronavirus has “embarrassed a lot of us with things that we thought – they turned out not to be correct.” He described Fauci as among those who’ve admitted early models were off and then revised recommendations as “more data becomes available.”
“That’s not a reason to be critical of someone,” said Burgess, who identified COVID-19 as a real threat earlier than most lawmakers. “It’s someone who’s being, in my mind, knowledgeable and thorough and recognizing that the situation on the ground may change.”
He added: “I don’t think it’s particularly useful be critical of someone who is working in this space and doing the very best they can to try to help the country through a very, very tough infectious disease problem.”
Read more in the Dallas Morning News.
Dallas Morning News
Texas’ only physician in Congress – Republican Michael Burgess – defends Fauci as ‘thorough,' ‘respected'
By Tom Benning
July 10, 2020
While some Republicans have criticized nation's top infectious disease expert, Burgess said Fauci's 'reputation certainly speaks well for him'
In the course of a professional relationship that’s spanned more than 20 years, North Texas Rep. Michael Burgess admits that he’s had his fair share of arguments with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert.
But the Republican, the only physician in Texas’ congressional delegation, still holds Fauci in high regard.
“I’ve known him to be someone who’s very thorough and is certainly looked to and well respected,” Burgess, an OB/GYN, said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. “His reputation certainly speaks well for him.”
Even that kind of clinical praise stands out these days as other Republicans, most notably Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have assailed Fauci over his role in advising President Donald Trump -- generally to the side of caution -- in the government’s response to the escalating coronavirus pandemic.
Patrick, in a recent Fox News interview, accused Fauci of being wrong “every time, on every issue” and declared that he, Patrick, doesn’t “need his advice anymore.”
Burgess, by contrast, said that the coronavirus has “embarrassed a lot of us with things that we thought – they turned out not to be correct.” He described Fauci as among those who’ve admitted early models were off and then revised recommendations as “more data becomes available.”
“That’s not a reason to be critical of someone,” said Burgess, who identified COVID-19 as a real threat earlier than most lawmakers. “It’s someone who’s being, in my mind, knowledgeable and thorough and recognizing that the situation on the ground may change.”
He added: “I don’t think it’s particularly useful be critical of someone who is working in this space and doing the very best they can to try to help the country through a very, very tough infectious disease problem.”
Here are a few other takeaways from Burgess, who hails from Pilot Point and serves as the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subpanel:
‘Very serious situation’
Burgess said the rising numbers of coronavirus-related hospitalizations and deaths in Texas “underscore that this is still a very serious situation.”
He stressed that “social distancing is still important.” If someone can’t maintain social distance, then a “mask is an excellent idea,” he added. He said “we can talk about whether it’s right to mandate or not.” But “from a public health standpoint, the mask is a good idea,” he said.
He added: “You probably need to wash your hand many more times than you think is necessary.”
GOP convention
Burgess declined to weigh in on whether the Texas GOP should continue to try to host an in-person convention next week. He said it seemed like that “option has been taken off the table,” pointing out that the Houston mayor proactively canceled the planned event there.
But he also said it’s “hard to tell people that you cannot do those things.”
“People turned on their televisions and saw in the early part of June that there were mass gatherings of people on the streets and no one seemed particularly concerned about it,” he said, referring to recent civil rights protests. “People are rightly skeptical.”
Burgess nevertheless said that if “someone were in a higher risk category” – such as being in an older age bracket or having an underlying medical condition – “they might want to reconsider whether that’s the best use of their time.”
Leave the WHO
Burgess said he supports Trump’s efforts to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization.
He said he visited the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva some years ago and came away with the impression that if not for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the global organization “would be almost non-functional.”
“Everything of any value was being done by CDC people who were detailed to the World Health Organization,” Burgess said.
The lawmaker, while sometimes critical of the CDC, said “that’s where the brain power is – that’s where the efficiencies are.” He said he was not sure that the U.S. is getting a good return on its investment in the WHO.
Best decision & biggest miss
Burgess said the federal government’s best decision in combating the coronavirus was the Trump administration starting to restrict travel from mainland China in late January – “that was critically important,” he said.
He said the biggest missed opportunity was the CDC “getting so far behind on testing” as the pandemic told hold in the U.S.
What’s next?
Lawmakers are hoping to pass another massive coronavirus relief package by the end of the month, particularly now that some of their initial aid efforts are starting to expire.
Burgess, acknowledging ongoing economic pain, said Congress cannot “print or electronically manufacture enough dollars to replace the entirety of the throughput of the U.S. economy.” So, he said, “economy is going to have to be opened up at some point.”
He said there’s a deal to be had, but he said a must-do for him and many other Republicans is some kind of liability protection for businesses as they reopen amid the ongoing outbreak.
