Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci during his testimony in front of a Senate panel.
“It is a fatal conceit to believe any one person or small group of people has the knowledge necessary to direct an economy or dictate public health behavior,” Paul said Tuesday. “I think government health experts during this pandemic need to show caution in their prognostications.”
The senator accused public health experts of “instilling undue fear” in school teachers over the coronavirus pandemic, and reiterated his desire to see schools reopen in the fall. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Jan. 21: Fauci Says Coronavirus ‘Not A Major Threat’ To U.S.)
“We shouldn’t presume that a group of experts somehow knows what’s best for everyone,” Paul added. “When are we gonna tell the people the truth? That it’s okay to take their kids back to school.”
“We need to not be so presumptuous that we know everything,” Paul continued. “But, my question to you is, can’t you give us a little bit more on schools, so that we can get back to school?”
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Fauci responded to Paul, telling him that he agrees with him on the importance of returning kids to school. (RELATED: ‘We’re Ready To Get Working’: Rand Paul Calls For Kentucky And Other Rural States To Reopen)
“I feel very strongly we need to do whatever we can to get the children back to school,” Fauci said.
Fauci also added that some of his past comments on the ability of sporting leagues and schools to reopen have been taken out of context.
“When things get in the press of what I supposedly said, I didn’t say,” Fauci added. “I never said we can’t play a certain sport.”
“The only thing that I can do is, to the best of my ability, give you the facts and the evidence associated with what I know about this outbreak,” Fauci concluded.
Some parts of the U.S. have experienced a surge in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks, and recently recorded 37,000 new cases, breaking the country’s single-day record. States such as Arizona and Texas have reimposed some restrictions on businesses in the state to slow the spread, and aovid overwhelming their medical systems.