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Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wrote an opinion piece about Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief Medical ... [+] Advisor and Director of the NIAID for FOX News. (Photo by GREG NASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

With Russia attacking Ukraine right now, whom did Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) call a dictator in chief in his March 14 Opinion piece for FOX News? Well it didnt seem to be the Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, that U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned in his State of the Union Address on March 1. Nope, Pauls opinion piece was about, surprise, surprise, Anthony Fauci, MD, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Yep, as the Covid-19 coronavirus continues to claim over 1,200 lives each day and Russia threatens Ukraines sovereignty, it looks like Paul is continuing to focus on one of his fellow humans and Americans: Fauci. Pauls piece bore the headline: Covid lockdown lessons learned Fauci amendment would mean no more health 'dictator in chief.' And beneath this headline was the following subhead: My amendment would eliminate Dr. Faucis position as NIAID director, divide his power into 3 separate institutes. He didnt specify in the article as to why specifically he chose the number three. But many good things do come in threes such as Stooges, little pigs, French hens, and the members of the musical group Hansen.

Pauls Senate office also released a press release re-iterating what he wrote in the FOX News piece. In the article, Paul wrote, Weve learned a lot over the past two years, but one lesson in particular is that no one person should be deemed dictator in chief. No one person should have unilateral authority to make decisions for millions of Americans. Indeed, many would probably agree that the U.S. shouldnt have a dictator in chief. For example, who would want a President who wasnt actually elected by the American people? So what was Pauls solution? Making sure that every American has equal access to voting? Putting in safeguards to prevent an election from being overturned?

Not exactly. The next sentence in Pauls piece read: To ensure that ineffective, unscientific lockdowns and mandates are never foisted on the American people ever again, I will introduce an amendment to eliminate Dr. Anthony Faucis position as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and divide his power into three separate new institutes. Umm, how exactly could Fauci have been a dictator in chief when ultimately it was the U.S. President who has had the final word followed by the Vice-President, Congress, and a number of other Presidential appointees?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief Medical Advisor and Director of the NIAID, shows a screen grab ... [+] of a campaign website for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) while answering his questions at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on January 11, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

Speaking of dictators, throughout history dictators have seized power by first controlling anyone who may offer dissent such as scientists and the media. Thats why its usually a good idea to keep people like scientific leaders and the media separate from the control of political leaders. Doing so could prevent a wannabe dictator from having undue influence on what scientists and the media say. Yet, Paul proposed the following: Each of these three institutes will be led by a director who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term.

Imagine what might have happened over the past several years had the President had even more control over Faucis position. Remember when Fauci pushed back on Trumps assertion that the pandemic had rounded the corner in September 2020? Or how about later that month when Fauci contradicted Trumps claim that the the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affects nobody young during a CNN interview:

Then, there was Fauci dissenting again with Trump the next month after the latter had stated that was only as deadly as the flu, as Corky Siemaszko reported for NBC News. Imagine what could have happened had Trump been able to readily appoint and dismiss someone in Faucis position? At times, it seemed like Fauci was the only one appearing at the White House press briefings in 2020 who offered any disagreements with Trumps statements about the pandemic. So when Paul argued in his piece that No one person should have the sole authority to dictate science, especially when that one person wasnt ever following the science, how exactly would having a non-scientist having even greater control over Faucis position prevent this?

Pauls use of the words dictator in chief was interesting, since its not even clear how much power Fauci even wielded with the Trump Administration calling the shots. Most of the public health guidance in 2020 came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which was being run by Trump appointee Robert Redfield, MD. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which was guided by Trump appointee Stephen Hahn, MD, determined which Covid-19 vaccines and treatments would get authorized and approved. And throughout 2020, Trump brought in people of his choosing such as Scott Atlas, MD, to guide the Covid-19 response and seemed to increasingly sideline Fauci.

In his piece, Paul didnt really point too many specifics about what Fauci did wrong. Paul did write that When Dr. Fauci said that cloth masks worked, I was truly concerned because thats not what the science demonstrated. While medical grade face masks like N95 respirators are certainly more effective than cloth masks at blocking the SARS-CoV-2, it is not necessarily accurate to say that cloth masks dont do anything. Scientific studies have suggested that wearing a cloth mask may reduce the amount of virus that an infected spews out into the air. Paul also cited a report from a group of researchers at Johns Hopkins University. He didnt specifically name that report but I covered for Forbes a report that was not peer-reviewed and co-authored by a professor from Johns Hopkins University that made claims that didnt seem to match the evidence provided. Of note, YouTube did suspend Paul in August 2021 after the ophthalmologist posted a video claiming that most masks dont work against the Covid-19 coronavirus, as Joe Walsh reported for Forbes back then.

Paul concluded his Opinion piece with The biggest lesson we have learned over the last two years is that no one person should have this much unchecked power. And my amendment, which will get a vote this week, will finally force accountability and fire Dr. Fauci.

Its probably safe to say that Paul and Fauci are not BFFs. During a Senate Committee hearing in January of this year, Fauci told Paul,You keep distorting the truth. It is stunning that you do that, as covered by Ta Kvetenadze for Forbes and as you can see in this C-SPAN video:

Pauls continued attacks of Fauci do show the importance of maintaining and even creating more scientific leadership positions that are more independent of the U.S. President and Congress. This would better allow science rather than politics determine public health policy. Keep in mind that Fauci first became the Director of the NIAID under a Republican President, Ronald Reagan. He then continued to serve in that role under two more Presidents (George H.W. Bush and George Bush) interspersed with two Democratic Presidents (Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) before Trump reached the White House. It is important, especially during a public health emergency such as the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, to have leaders who follow the science rather than what specifically any political party wants to see. Otherwise, the U.S. could very well end up with a Dictator-in-Chief.

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Rand Paul Will Try To Fire Fauci By Introducing New Amendment - Forbes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 14, 2022Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator and physician Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced an amendment to eliminate Dr. Anthony Faucis position as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and replace it with three separate national research institutes.

Weve learned a lot over the past two years, but one lesson in particular is that no one person should be deemed dictator-in-chief. No one person should have unilateral authority to make decisions for millions of Americans, said Dr. Paul. To ensure that ineffective, unscientific lockdowns and mandates are never foisted on the American people ever again, Ive introduced this amendment to eliminate Dr. Anthony Faucis position as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and divide his power into three separate new institutes. This will create accountability and oversight into a taxpayer funded position that has largely abused its power, and has been responsible for many failures and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background:

As recently as 2012, Congress passed a law that eliminated the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) and reassigned some of its programs to a new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and assigned other NCRR functions to other institutes within NIH.

Dr. Pauls amendment would keep with this precedent of reorganization, and would immediately eliminate Dr. Faucis position and replace it with three new directors of the following new institutes:

Each of these three institutes will be led by a director who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for a 5-year term.

This amendment also aligns with NIAIDs existing mission statement, which begins by saying: NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.

You can read Dr. Pauls amendment HERE.

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Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Amendment to Eliminate Dr. Fauci's Position as Director of NIAID | Senator Rand Paul - Senator Rand Paul

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 15, 2022Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator and physician Rand Paul (R-KY) forced a vote on his resolution to repeal travel mask mandates on public transportation, the Senate passed the resolution with bipartisan support voting 57-40.Today, the Senate said enough is enough, and sent a message to unelected government bureaucrats to stop the anti-science, nanny state requirement of travel mask mandates, said Dr. Paul. Since March 2020, unelected bureaucrats have incessantly declared that we should follow the science. But the same bureaucrats continue to defy science by imposing an ineffective and restrictive mask mandate for individuals travelling on public transit and airplanes. As the entire world is learning to live with COVID, the federal government still uses fear mongering to stubbornly perpetuate its mandates, rather than giving clear-eyed, rational advice on how to best protect yourself from illness. That is why, I forced this vote, and I applaud the Senate for rejecting this nonsense.This vote comes on the heels of last Thursdays announcement from the TSA that mask mandates on air plane travel would be extended another month. The resolution will now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.Dr. Paul has been a leading advocate against mask mandates. He previously introduced the Travel Mask Mandate Repeal Act of 2021, and continues to be outspoken against mandates.You can read Dr. Pauls resolution to repeal travel mask mandates on public transportation HERE and watch Dr. Pauls floor remarks HERE.

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Senate Passes Dr. Rand Paul's Resolution to Repeal Travel Mask Mandates | Senator Rand Paul - Senator Rand Paul

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:March 11, 2022Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

WASHINGTON, D.C. Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, recognized Burchetts Heating and Cooling of Paintsville, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Dr. Paul entered the following into the Congressional Record:

Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Burchetts Heating and Cooling of Paintsville, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Rogell Burchett had a keen eye for business opportunities, which is why he opened Burchetts Heating and Cooling in 1978. As a gas company employee, he could not ignore all the new homes being built in his area when he knew there was little market for natural gas and furnace installations. So he started what was then a side venture called Burchetts Heating and Cooling. Rogells vision and dedication allowed that side venture to grow into a family business now entering into its third generation of management.

When the business was first founded, Burchetts operations mainly involved natural gas and furnace work. However as Kentucky saw the coal industry abate, Burchetts Heating and Cooling adapted to include more geothermal work as well as some light commercial work. Clearly Rogell passed his sharp intuition for running a business along to his children and grandchildren, as this transition took place over multiple generations. Growing into what his father created, Neal Burchett took over the business when his father Rogell retired. Later on, Neals son Ryan Burchett would also become part of the operation, serving as the management arm of this family owned business. Together, these three generations of Burchett men have kept Paintsville warm during the cold Kentucky winters, and cool in the summers, with the comfort of Paintsville citizens remaining their top priority.

With over forty years of experience, Burchetts Heating and Cooling maintains close relationships with customers that count on them for quality, year after year. Of course when the business stays in the family as it has with the Burchett men, it is easy to see how the community of Paintsville could place their trust in their services. That being said, Burchetts Heating and Cooling remains an active member of the Paintsville community outside of their normal business operations. Staying true to their family-owned nature, the business sponsors the local high school basketball and football teams, teams that both Neal and Ryan used to play for during their high school years. Burchetts Heating and Cooling also provides free services to their local church so that parishioners can worship comfortably.

Small businesses like Burchetts Heating and Cooling are the lifeblood of small towns across Kentucky, and they serve as an inspiring example of how the entrepreneurial spirit transcends multiple generations. Congratulations to Neal and Ryan and the entire Burchetts Heating and Cooling team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Paul continues the tradition of honoring Americas small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to the Small Business Administration and investigates all problems relating to Americas small businesses.

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Dr. Rand Paul Honors Burchett's Heating and Cooling of Paintsville, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week | Senator Rand Paul - Senator...

Early Wednesday evening, in a 406-16 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Japanese-American World War II History Network Act, simple legislation directing the National Park Service to produce and disseminate material handbooks, maps, interpretive guides and the like relating to the Japanese-American experience during the global conflict.

You may recall that thousands of American citizens of Japanese descent were forcibly removed from their homes and dispatched to internment camps during the war, an event that stands as one of the darkest sins in the nations history. Interestingly, German-Americans, many of whom were Fifth Columnists, werent treated in similar fashion. The measure, offered by Rep. Jay Obernolte, a California Republican, is aimed at assuring such mortifying developments never disgrace this nation again.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-SomewhereorotherLewisCounty, voted against it.

A bit earlier that same day, the House passed, in a 403-25 vote, legislation designating the El Paso Community Healing Garden as a National Memorial, thus honoring the victims and survivors of the Aug. 3, 2019, domestic terrorist attack that resulted in 23 deaths and 22 serious injuries. The perpetrator told police he intentionally targeted Latinos in the massacre.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-SomewhereorotherLewisCounty, voted against it.

On Thursday, in due recognition of the war crimes Russia is perpetrating on neighboring Ukraine, a tragedy fueled by Vladimir Putins blood lust for power that already has run up thousands of civilian casualties, including children, the House voted 424-8 to withdraw Russias most-favored trade status.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-SomewhereorotherLewisCounty, voted against it.

Its been an interesting few weeks for Massie, the MIT Wonder Boy who just cant seem to help himself when it comes to favoring guns, his favorite play-pretty, expressing his admiration for war criminals, and opposing any legislation that might help people. Some forward-thinking lawmaker should introduce legislation designating the Whiz Kid as a National Embarrassment, a measure everyone should get behind, save for one nay vote, of course.

A few days before flipping off these three bills, Massie spent his copious free time joining only two others in voting against a House resolution declaring that the United States stands fervently with the Ukrainian people, and further urging open-ended military aid to Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

Oh, and on Feb. 28 he was one of three opposing the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act of 2022, which, as you may have deduced, makes lynching a federal hate crime.But wait! Theres more!

Massie has joined a handful of other lawmakers of dubious wisdom, including that perennial all-star, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, in a lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seeking to overturn its rule requiring passengers to wear masks on airplanes and other forms of public transportation as part of the battle to limit the spread of COVID-19.

This comes just as researchers are expressing concern over the spread of a new variant of the disease that has killed almost 1 million Americans. No one has ever said the old Wonder Boys timing was all that great. And apparently traditional methods, like convincing fellow lawmakers to address the issue statutorily, failed to enter into his considerations. The current mandate, by the way, ends April 18, meaning the entire mess could be moot by the time it reaches the bench.

Oh, by the way, in regard to another lawsuit filed by our wildly litigious hero, Massie recently lost his case against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, who fined our boy $500 for refusing to wear a mask on the House floor. The federal judge declared she was within her right to do so.

Are you getting the feeling that the 4th District congressman is little more than a whiny child?

Of course these items constitute only Massies most recent assaults on the body politic, not to mention reason. There was the disgusting and indefensible e-Christmas card showing our boy and his kin armed to the teeth with weapons that would be better served in the arms of the Ukraine army, along with a note asking Santa to bring ammo.

And there was his strange admonition, odd even for a flake of Massies tremendous stature, declaring, Over 70% of Americans who died with COVID, died on Medicare, and some people want #MedicareForAll? That led Rolling Stone magazine to pose, It took nearly two years of batting back competition from hordes of right-wing commentators and conservative lawmakers, but the Republican from Kentucky appears to have devised the single dumbest take on the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now killed nearly a million Americans.

Good lord! Almost forgot. Its only been six weeks since the whole Voltaire rigmarole.

Massie elected to hop on the right-wing bandwagon excoriating Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Bidens chief medical advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases better known as the man leading the nations anti-COVID campaign with a tweet depicting a giant hand crushing a group of small people with the legend, To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.

The poor boy misattributed the quote to Voltaire, a renowned 18th-Century Enlightenment writer and philosopher. It actually came from Kevin Alfred Strom, aneo-Naziwhoonce pleaded guiltyto possession of child pornography. And the hand illustration had anti-union origins.

Now we could go on, believe you me, but in deference to those who suffer migraines or have weak stomachs, lets end the lengthy indictment here.

It would be justice if anyone were to assert that Massie is an ass and a boil on the nations backside who has no business coming within 500 miles of the nations capital.

But, sadly, it would be going too far in this day and age to maintain that our homegrown Wonder Boy is the worst member of the 117th Congress, which tells you all you need to know about the current state of politics in this country.

Congress over the years has attracted its share of weirdos, nut jobs, and worse. You may recall guys like Jim Traficant, a Democrat from around Youngstown, OH, who wore his hair (actually a wig) like the top of a green onion and wailed nonsensically on an almost daily basis in the well of the House.

Traficant was harmless, crooked but harmless. He would hardly stand out in todays Congress that features folks like Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-CO, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA, who tell wild tales of dubious veracity and do so with a degree of nastiness seldom heard in the hallways of the Capitol.

While Boebert has exhibited sympathy for the Jan. 6 Capitol insurgents, Greene has managed to nonetheless separate herself from the rest of the dunderheads, aping Russian talking points regarding its invasion of Ukraine, heckling Biden with Boebert during the State of the Union address, attending a conference sponsored by a white supremacist outfit and disparaging gay and trans folks.

There exists an unusually large crop of these folks in the current Congress, perhaps because former President Donald J. Trump lowered the bar well below sea level when it comes to truth and civility in political campaigns. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-TX, is the grandaddy of this bunch and includes folks like Rep. Paul Goshar, R-AZ, with a lengthy history of ties to White nationalists, and Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-NC, who is confined to a wheelchair and uses it to carry a veritable armory with him.

Now, before you point it out, this confederacy of dunces is solely populated by Republicans, tis true. The GOP has tried to paint Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, under the same rubric, insisting that shes stupid to boot. The problem is Ocasio-Cortez is far from dumb she graduated cum laude from Boston University with a bachelors degree in international relations and economics and can more than handle herself in a debate.

Regardless, Massie is a party to this crew assiduously turning American-style democracy into a bad joke. The fact that he isnt the biggest nutjob in the House is a disturbing proposition indeed. How anyone in good conscience can vote for this man, given his extensive list of inanities, is one of the great mysteries of the universe.

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Bill Straub: For Thomas Massie here's a 'no' vote, there's a 'no' vote, everywhere there's a 'no' vote - User-generated content