Irate Neil Cavuto Confronts GOP Congressman After He Claims ‘Usefulness’ of Fauci and Birx Has ‘Expired’
July 2nd, 2020
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) clashed with Fox News host Neil Cavuto in a tense Thursday interview over Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx’s handling of the coronavirus, saying the two have caused “panic and hysteria” and have “expired”
“I think that Birx and Fauci, have gone well past their — the’ve expired. Their time of usefulness has expired,” Biggs told Cavuto. “What they do is when the president comes out and makes a policy, because he is the president and he is the policymaker, when they make these statements that they make, they engender panic and hysteria and undermine what the president is doing. That’s what’s critical.”
Biggs, who called earlier in the day for the White House Coronavirus Task Force to be Andy, faulted Fauci for being “all over the ballpark” when it comes to wearing a mask amid the coronavirus pandemic, noting that he’s also been inconsistent in talking about the return of sports in the United States.
Cavuto accused Biggs of failing to handle the coronavirus in his state and pointed out the spikes in coronavirus cases in Arizona, adding that the state has the highest coronavirus caseload in terms of percentage and the highest hospital bed use.
Biggs claimed he could refute Cavuto’s claims but admitted his state had the highest number of cases on a per capita basis. “Those are mostly coming from the age 20 to 44 brackets,” he said. “We have also had over the past three weeks a reduction in hospitalizations by 50, excuse me, almost 100 percent. From 11.5 percent, down to 5.6 today. If you take a look at the case fatality, rates, we have moved from over 4 percent, just about 30 days ago now to right at 2 percent.”
Cavuto noted that despite the spike in cases in Arizona, Biggs has encouraged President Donald Trump to dismantle his coronavirus commission because he opposes what Birx and Fauci have to say about the virus.
“Doesn’t he refer to them as the health experts? Doesn’t he have a commission because he defers to them as the health experts?” Cavuto replied. “And they are citing worries and they are citing also that we can get this under control. It needn’t be a panic if people should do what they’re supposed to be doing. But isn’t that what doctors do, look at people’s lives?”
Biggs also questioned the last time Fauci treated a coronavirus patient, prompting Cavuto to ask the same question of Biggs. He noted he isn’t a health expert, so he doesn’t have to handle patients, inciting Cavuto to reply, “But you’re telling the ones who are to get out, get off the commission, ‘We don’t need you.'”
Watch above, via Fox News. mediaite.com RIGHT WING MEDIA SITE
Arizona Republican Accuses Fauci of Undermining Trump as His State Reports Record Spike in Coronavirus Cases
BY EMILY CZACHOR ON 7/2/20 NEWSWEEK
Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs suggested Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx's warnings about the national COVID-19 outbreak have compromised President Donald Trump's reopening efforts on Thursday.
Arizona is one of several states—including Texas, California and Florida—where health officials have confirmed rapidly increasing case counts and subsequent hospital admissions since the start of June, following the termination of its stay-at-home order in mid-May. Parts of Maricopa County, the region reporting Arizona's highest concentration of virus diagnoses, fall within Biggs' congressional jurisdiction.
In a statement released by Biggs' office, the Republican congressman pointed out that Fauci and Birx's comments "continue to contradict" the economic recovery procedures that Trump prioritizes. Biggs argued the White House's COVID-19 Task Force, of which the doctors are leading members, should be disbanded as a result.
READ MORE
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Four States Among First to Reopen, Drive COVID Spike in U.S.
Arizona Reports as Many New Coronavirus Cases as EU, ICUs at 89% Capacity
"As our economy is restored, it is imperative that President Trump is not undermined in his mission to return our economy to greatness," Biggs said in Thursday's statement, referencing the U.S. Department of Labor's latest report decreased nationwide unemployment rates compared to previous weeks.
"Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx continue to contradict many of President Trump's stated goals and actions for returning to normalcy as we know more about the COVID-19 outbreak," the congressman continued. "This is causing panic that compromises our economic recovery. We can protect our most vulnerable from the COVID-19 outbreak while still protecting lives and livelihoods of the rest of the population. It's time for the COVID-19 task force to be disbanded so that President Trump's message is not mitigated or distorted."
Newsweek reached out to Biggs' office and the NIAID for comments but did not receive replies in time for publication.
Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has warned about the consequences of hasty reopening plans in states reporting spikes in new cases and hospitalizations related to the novel coronavirus. Fauci addressed the relationship between loosened restrictions and elevated virus transmission during a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday.
Arizona Republican Accuses Fauci of Undermining Trump as His State Reports Record Spike in Coronavirus Cases
BY EMILY CZACHOR ON 7/2/20 NEWSWEEK
Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs suggested Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx's warnings about the national COVID-19 outbreak have compromised President Donald Trump's reopening efforts on Thursday.
Arizona is one of several states—including Texas, California and Florida—where health officials have confirmed rapidly increasing case counts and subsequent hospital admissions since the start of June, following the termination of its stay-at-home order in mid-May. Parts of Maricopa County, the region reporting Arizona's highest concentration of virus diagnoses, fall within Biggs' congressional jurisdiction.
In a statement released by Biggs' office, the Republican congressman pointed out that Fauci and Birx's comments "continue to contradict" the economic recovery procedures that Trump prioritizes. Biggs argued the White House's COVID-19 Task Force, of which the doctors are leading members, should be disbanded as a result.
READ MORE
Fauci: U.S. Risks 'Even Greater Outbreak,' Current Spikes Are at 'Worst'
Four States Among First to Reopen, Drive COVID Spike in U.S.
Arizona Reports as Many New Coronavirus Cases as EU, ICUs at 89% Capacity
"As our economy is restored, it is imperative that President Trump is not undermined in his mission to return our economy to greatness," Biggs said in Thursday's statement, referencing the U.S. Department of Labor's latest report decreased nationwide unemployment rates compared to previous weeks.
"Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx continue to contradict many of President Trump's stated goals and actions for returning to normalcy as we know more about the COVID-19 outbreak," the congressman continued. "This is causing panic that compromises our economic recovery. We can protect our most vulnerable from the COVID-19 outbreak while still protecting lives and livelihoods of the rest of the population. It's time for the COVID-19 task force to be disbanded so that President Trump's message is not mitigated or distorted."
Newsweek reached out to Biggs' office and the NIAID for comments but did not receive replies in time for publication.
Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has warned about the consequences of hasty reopening plans in states reporting spikes in new cases and hospitalizations related to the novel coronavirus. Fauci addressed the relationship between loosened restrictions and elevated virus transmission during a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci addresses reopening efforts during a June 30 Senate Committee hearing. On Thursday, Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs suggested Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx's warnings about the novel coronavirus outbreak were compromising economic recovery plans.
AL DRAGO/POOL/GETTY IMAGES
In a testimony before the committee, he urged leaders in states seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases to consider more moderate reopening strategies as well as ongoing virus mitigation practices.
"We are now having 40-plus thousand cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around," Fauci told the committee. "It could get very bad."
The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed the state's highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases to date on Wednesday with 4,878 new diagnoses. According to the department's data, more than 87,400 people have tested positive for the novel virus and 1,757 have died across Arizona as of Thursday afternoon. Maricopa County has diagnosed more than 54,750 of the state's total infections.
Arizona's overall COVID-19 case count has increased by more than 65 percent over the last three weeks, with the health department's latest report indicating a statewide test-positivity ratio of 12.5 percent.
In a testimony before the committee, he urged leaders in states seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases to consider more moderate reopening strategies as well as ongoing virus mitigation practices.
"We are now having 40-plus thousand cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around," Fauci told the committee. "It could get very bad."
The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed the state's highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases to date on Wednesday with 4,878 new diagnoses. According to the department's data, more than 87,400 people have tested positive for the novel virus and 1,757 have died across Arizona as of Thursday afternoon. Maricopa County has diagnosed more than 54,750 of the state's total infections.
Arizona's overall COVID-19 case count has increased by more than 65 percent over the last three weeks, with the health department's latest report indicating a statewide test-positivity ratio of 12.5 percent.
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