Republicans, meanwhile, argued that anecdotal evidence supported the drugs’ use, given that there was no other known treatment for coronavirus when Bright requested to add millions of the pills to the strategic national stockpile in March.
„I think that’s really what we’re going to have to do in an emergency situation, am I not correct?“ said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) „Can we be so careful that we actually kill people?“
Rep. Larry Bucshon, a doctor from Indiana, also lamented the skepticism around hydroxychloroquine. „Doctors across the country will use drugs off label in a circumstance where they don’t see a viable alternative to that,“ he said.
Bright repeatedly told lawmakers that he was concerned about side effects from the drugs, including potentially fatal heart problems, and that there is no clear evidence that the medications work against Covid-19. The first data from a randomized controlled clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine is expected within a week.
Meanwhile, Trump has scarcely mentioned the drugs in more than three weeks; recent data suggest they may have no benefit at all.
Democrats use Bright as avatar of frustrations with Trump
In his testimony, Bright underscored the need to move fast to curb a worsening crisis. „Our window of opportunity is closing,” he said. “If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities.”
Democrats seized on the remarks as they sought to build a referendum for the Trump administration’s failings on handling the Covid-19 outbreak.
Rep. Peter Welch laid out a timeline of repeated warnings from Bright and other officials, including FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, that he said top HHS and White House officials ignored. “You and others were seeing over the horizon what was coming to our shores,” said the Vermont Democrat.
Bright also was asked about the work of the White House’s coronavirus task force and whether there was appropriate coordination to stave off future challenges.
“Has the coronavirus task force actually developed a plan for reopening the country?” asked Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.).
“I’m not aware of the full plan to reopen, sir,” Bright said.
“We have major challenges going forward to making sure we get through this as safely and as effectively as we can,” Kennedy told POLITICO after leaving the hearing. “There’s nothing coming out of that hearing that gives me any more confidence that the administration has given any more thought to actually do that.”
Inside HHS, exasperation over Bright’s testimony
The Health and Human Services department hit back with a lengthy rebuttal minutes into the hearing.
In a document entitled “claims vs. reality,” the health department challenged nearly twenty allegations, including Bright’s central claim that he was ousted for warning about widespread use of the unproven malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19, which President Donald Trump publicly touted across March and into April, despite scant evidence.
For instance, HHS said that Bright had “praised the members of his team for their work to acquire chloroquine on multiple occasions” and also had worked to acquire hydroxychloroquine from Teva Pharmaceuticals.
Bright conceded in his testimony that he didn’t take his concerns to the HHS inspector general. The ousted vaccine expert also acknowledged that he was not privy to the full efforts underway by the federal government to fight the outbreak, such as plans to acquire personal protective equipment.
The Office of Special Counsel, which is investigating Bright’s complaint, last week recommended that he be temporarily reinstated to his BARDA role until his complaint is resolved. The office said it found „reasonable grounds to believe“ that the administration retaliated against Bright.
The Trump administration did not send any witnesses to testify at the hearing.
Source: politico.com
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