Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) pointed out during a subcommittee hearing Thursday with members of President Joe Biden’s coronavirus response team that certain states with stricter coronavirus mandates in place have higher seven-day coronavirus case rates than states with less strict or lifted mandates.
Jordan, a member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, referenced a chart reflecting states’ seven-day average coronavirus case rates per 100,000 people. Featured at the top of the chart were Michigan, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York, all states with Democrat governors who have issued coronavirus mandates that include mask requirements and capacity limitations on businesses.
Jordan said to Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, “You said when Texas ended their lockdown, ended their mandate, that this was quote ‘inexplicable and would lead to a surging cases.’ Texas is near the bottom of the 50 states, but all the states, all the states at the top are lockdown states.”
“That guess didn’t seem to be too good,” Jordan added.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on March 2 lifted his state’s mask mandate and capacity restrictions on all businesses and facilities. Fauci responded to the move on March 3 in a CNN interview:
I don’t know why they’re doing it but it certainly from a public health standpoint is ill-advised.
…
We’ve been to this scene before months and months ago, when we tried to open up the country and open up the economy. When certain states did not abide by the guidelines, we had rebounds, which were very troublesome. What we don’t need right now is another surge so just pulling back on all the public health guidelines that we know work, and if you take a look at the curve, we know it works. It just is inexplicable why you would want to pull back now.
Michigan topped Jordan’s list with a seven-day average case rate of 551 per 100,000 people. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has issued mask requirements and set a 50 percent capacity limit on many businesses, including retail and food establishments, as well as entertainment venues.
Jordan demanded an explanation from Fauci on why Texas, which, per his list, had a seven-day average case rate of 77 per 100,000 people, was “so darn low compared to the rest of the states.”
Fauci replied, “There’s a difference between lockdown and the people obeying the lockdown.”
“You know you could have a situation where they say, ‘We’re going to lock down,’ and yet you have people doing exactly what they want—”
Jordan interjected to ask Fauci to clarify if he was suggesting people in states with the highest case rates were not obeying those states’ coronavirus-related orders.
Subcommittee chair Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) then informed Jordan his speaking time had expired, but Jordan objected, arguing Fauci had not yet answered his question.
“I think the gentleman answered you quite clearly,” Clyburn said. “There’s a big difference in being a lockdown state by order and being a state that obeys orders. That answered the question in my opinion.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks the seven-day case rate per 100,000 people. At the time of this publishing, Michigan is the highest at 538 cases, followed by Rhode Island at 302 and New Jersey at 282. Texas is at 72 cases.
Write to Ashley Oliver at aoliver@breitbart.com.
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