Rick Bright, the recently ousted government vaccine official, will testify before Congress on Thursday that the Trump administration was unprepared for the coronavirus pandemic and that the U.S. may soon face its “darkest winter in modern history.”
CNN and Axios were the first to report on Bright’s testimony on Wednesday, after a copy of his prepared remarks was published on the House website.
Both outlets obtained copies of Bright’s prepared testimony, which lays out the need for a coordinated national response, as opposed to President Donald Trump’s efforts to push the burden onto states and local leaders. He will testify before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s health subcommittee.
Bright filed a whistleblower complaint with the Office of Special Counsel after he was ousted from his role as the head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, in which he oversaw the federal government’s search for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. He alleges that his removal was in retaliation for opposing the broad use of a drug that Trump frequently touted as a coronavirus treatment despite no evidence it worked.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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