House Republicans are gearing up to unveil legislation aimed at preventing former government employees of health agencies from capitalizing on medical research or products. The bill takes direct aim at former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, who has made millions since leaving the government after decades.
Last year, New Conservative Post reported that despite no longer being connected to public service, Fauci was still receiving many of the perks he enjoyed as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The Washington Examiner writes that Republicans in Congress have decided that the profiteering off of government work must end.
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) filed the Fixing Administrations Unethical Corrupt Influence Act, or the FAUCI Act, on Wednesday, seeking to block former health agency officials from getting involved in the development or research of any drugs, biological products, or devices, according to a copy of the legislation first obtained by the Washington Examiner. The legislation would apply to ex-employees from three health organizations, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health.
“As we saw through the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of distrust of the government officials and bureaucrats who appear to profit from their work on the taxpayers’ dime after leaving their jobs,” Lesko said in a statement. “My bill seeks to rebuild trust and transparency of this vital component of our nation, holding public servants to higher standards when they leave government. I am thankful for my colleagues who have joined me in support of this legislation, and I hope it receives swift consideration in Congress.”
If passed, the FAUCI Act would block former health officials from profiting off any product the employee was involved with its production, including the approval of any grants. The bill would also ban top health officials from owning or profiting from drug patents or other medical products.
The bill comes as Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) introduces the same piece of legislation in the Senate.
Fauci has come under fire for his alleged role in funding the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which likely caused the COVID pandemic.
Marty Makary, a professor and surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, has claimed that Fauci used grant money to “hush up experts who believed the lab leak theory made the most sense.”
The former head of Trump’s pandemic response team currently enjoys the largest government pension in the history of the United States.
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