Washington, D.C. – After months of silence from the Democratic Majority of the Energy and Commerce Committee on holding any additional hearings into the nation’s response to variants of COVID-19 and the swift spread of the Omicron variant, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) sent a letter to the committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ).
In the letter Burgess wrote:
“The Energy and Commerce Committee has a long history of rapidly responding to public health emergencies within its jurisdiction, so I am disappointed with the complacent nature and lack of haste to which this committee has responded to the new COVID-19 variant. With the increasing uncertainty of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, I urge you to hold a hearing with the COVID-19 policy leaders in our federal agencies so we may learn how Congress can better address our Nation’s response to this variant.
“…The White House released its plan for combating the Omicron variant, yet I fear that not enough of an emphasis has been placed on finding alternatives to the vaccine. Additionally, as we have learned from the first two years of the pandemic, lockdowns have been detrimental to our economy as well as the mental health of American citizens. We must be diligent, quick, and careful as we craft a response for the Omicron variant, and the response must include safe alternatives to combat this disease. While we must continue to encourage Americans to have discussions with their health care providers on receiving the vaccine, we cannot continue to divide our nation and politicize our response. Options must be made available, and proper attention must be diverted to guaranteeing these alternative options.”
