WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, Congressman Michael Cloud (R-TX) addressed Dr. Anthony Fauci’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during a hearing in the “Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic,” questioning the justification (or lack thereof) for various COVID-19 policy guidelines under Fauci’s watch.

During the hearing, Rep. Cloud directly challenged Dr. Fauci on several measures supported throughout the pandemic, going one by one and asking Fauci if he still approved of restrictions on businesses, churches, school closures, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders, as well as mask mandates for both adults and children. Shockingly, Dr. Fauci doubled down and defended these actions, stating that these measures were deemed necessary – despite a myriad of data suggesting the restrictions were not only ineffective but even actively harmful to preventing the spread of COVID.

Rep. Cloud took time to highlight the severe consequences Fauci’s guidelines had on communities, particularly in rural areas with minimal COVID-19 cases. In particular, one rural hospital in Cloud’s district was forced to shut down despite having no cases of COVID-19 within the community, resulting in delayed treatments for other critical conditions including cancer. Cloud strongly criticized Fauci’s and the healthcare bureaucracy’s lack of adjustments in policy as new data emerged, which contributed to a deeply damaged public mistrust that may never be rebuilt.

All of this occurred while, as Rep. Cloud pointed out in closing, American taxpayers were paying Fauci’s National Institute of Health for research over which there was little to no accountability – primarily on Fauci’s watch. While it was his responsibility to provide oversight and ensure that taxpayers were well served by the institution, he instead served as the figurehead of a bureaucracy that made every effort to trample on Americans’ liberties, destroying livelihoods and leaving innocent people with damaging effects that may never fully recover.

Rep. Cloud released the following statement:

“I asked Dr. Fauci a simple yes or no question: Did he believe school, business, and church closures, mask mandates, and stay-at-home orders were justified? Despite the evidence showing these measures were largely ineffective and the harm they caused, he refused to disavow them.

It’s deeply troubling that even as new data became available, policies did not adapt, resulting in unnecessary suffering and a loss of trust in our public health institutions. Our rural hospitals, with no COVID-19 cases, were forced to shut down, leaving patients without critical care. This rigid adherence to initial policies has left Americans questioning the credibility of our public health responses.

Additionally, the NIH’s grant approval process lacks transparency and accountability. Taxpayer dollars are being utilized without stringent oversight, with Dr. Fauci’s name on every grant yet no personal responsibility. This is unacceptable. Our government and governing officials must be accountable to the American people.”

Read more from Breitbart HERE.

To watch the full exchange, click HERE.