Rand Paul says Fauci still stonewalling him on gain-of-function questions

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National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Dr. Anthony Fauci is stonewalling Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on his questions for the record regarding the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) gain-of-function research funding, the senator says. 

Paul sent 11 "yes or no" questions for the record after Fauci’s explosive Jan. 11 testimony to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

The Kentucky Republican has seen no response from Fauci since sending the questions almost three months ago, according to his office. 

RAND PAUL CONTINUES PRESSING FAUCI FOR ANSWERS ON NIH GAIN-OF-FUNCTION FUNDING

"While Dr. Fauci has been MIA for the past few months, he still owes the American people answers. Following a Senate HELP Committee hearing in January, I submitted 11 ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to the committee hearing record that aimed to get us closer to the truth about the origins of COVID-19 – we still haven’t heard back," Paul, a medical doctor, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

"The American people deserve to know how this pandemic started, to know if the NIH funded dangerous gain-of-function research that may have caused this pandemic, and to remove from office anyone, such as Dr. Fauci, who let this happen," he continued. "Dr. Fauci can hide out for the next few months and ignore efforts to find the truth, but I can promise you, when Republicans retake the Senate and I’m chairman of a committee, he won’t be able to ignore me and the American people any longer."

Sen. Rand Paul arrives for a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine the federal response to COVID-19 on Jan. 11, 2022. (Greg Nash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

While there is never a deadline for questions for the record, Fauci’s lack of response for nearly three months raises some red flags.

Paul’s questions for Fauci probed the doctor on the NIH gain-of-research funding, starting with the grant providing funds for "bat SARS-related coronaviruses to EcoHealth Alliance with a subcontract to the Wuhan Institute of Virology" (WIV).

The Kentucky Republican also asked if Fauci was "prepared to retract your previous false testimony before the" Senate HELP Committee if he answered in the affirmative to any of the 11 questions.

Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during the daily briefing at the White House on Dec. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Paul and Fauci got into a heated exchange during the doctor’s latest appearance before the Senate HELP Committee that included personal jabs between the two officials.

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Paul, a fierce critic of Fauci, accused the NIAID director of playing a role in smearing doctors from Harvard, Oxford and Stanford who had positions different from his own.

NIAID did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed reporting.