FAUCI DIARY ARCHIVE — Wednesday, November 19, 2014
https://faucisdiary.com/diary/2014-11-19

Text below is verbatim from the released PDFs, with the original line breaks.
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DIARY ENTRY — Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Source: Diary Prequel, pp. 412–413 of 2026.07.27_Diary-Prequel-.pdf
Words: 320
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Today I testified before a Congressional Hearing of the House
Committee on Commerce and Energy, Health Subcommittee chaired by Congressman
Pitts from Pennsylvania with Dr. Burgess of Texas as the vice chair, and Mr. Henry
Waxman of California as the ranking member. It was a lively hearing that went very well
but with some interesting sharp interchanges between me and Dr. Cassidy from
Louisiana. He is a physician who tried to show off about his medical knowledge in the
hearing; however, during the exchange it became clear that he really did not know what
he was talking about. In addition, Congressman Tim Murphy somewhat attacked me
saying that I have been condescending to people who question the issue of conmtrolled
trials with placebo limb, transmission, patient isolation and quarantine. I did not have the
opportunity to refute him; however, after he had left when Mr. Burgess who took over the
chair of the committee when Mr. Pitts left gave us the opportunity of a summary
statement, I question Mr. Murphy's characterization of me as being condescending and
clearly stated that our most important goal with interventions is to first do no harm and
then hopefully benefit people and although many individuals feel that this is insensitive,

in fact it is not insensitive, but is the time-honored way of determining the safety and
efficacy of interventions. In addition, after she had left I countered the somewhat snide
remark of Mrs. Blackburn who had also made a statement without giving me the
opportunity to respond. She said that we were negligent in not getting countermeasures
done quickly and that industry can do better than we can. I stated after she left that we
have been trying to get partnerships with industry for over 10 years in the development of
Ebola vaccines and that only recently were pharmaceutical companies willing to partner
with us.

All in all it was a very positive Hearing.