‘Are We Just Gonna Continue This Forever?!’ Jim Jordan Grills Fauci in Fiery Exchange on Covid Restrictions

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) grilled Dr. Anthony Fauci over restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic during a Thursday hearing of the House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee.

Referencing Fauci’s statement at one point in the hearing that “now is not the time to pull back” on masks or physical distancing, Jordan asked him, “When is the time? When do Americans get their freedom back?”

Fauci replied, “When we get the level of infection in this country low enough,” before Jordan interjected.

“What is low enough?” Jordan asked. “Give me a number. We had ’15 days to slow the spread’ — turned into one year of lost liberty. What metrics, what measures, what has to happen?”

Fauci said his goal was to get “as many people vaccinated as we possibly can,” avoiding the question.

Persisting, Jordan said, “What determines when? What? What measure? I mean, are we just going to continue this forever? When do we get to the point — what measure, what standard, what objective outcome do we have to reach before Americans get their liberty and freedoms back?”

Fauci again declined to disclose whether he had any metrics in mind, but took issue with Jordan’s description of the situation.

“You know, you’re indicating ‘liberty and freedom,’ I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying and going to the hospital.”

Jordan shot back, “You don’t think Americans’ liberties have been threatened the last year, Dr. Fauci? They’ve been assaulted, their liberties have.”

“I don’t look at this as a liberty thing,” Fauci replied, prompting Jordan to quip, “Well, that’s obvious.”

The exchange, which lasted for five minutes, came to a close with each speaker exasperated. “We’re not talking about liberties, we’re talking about a pandemic that has killed 560,000 Americans,” Fauci said.

“And I don’t disagree with that,” Jordan replied. “But I also understand it’s pretty serious when businesses have been shut down, people can’t go to church, people can’t assemble in their own homes … people can’t go to a love one’s funeral, people can’t get to their government to petition their representative to redress their grievances. I also understand the First Amendment’s pretty darn important. It’s been a year, and I want to know when Americans will get those First Amendment liberties back.”

Fauci replied that he believed they could assemble in their own homes. “Not last fall they couldn’t,” Jordan said, before Fauci insisted he couldn’t hear Jordan’s comeback.

Watch above via CSPAN.

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