The vaccine researcher who filed a whistleblower complaint against the Trump administration will testify to Congress on Thursday about that complaint and the mishandling of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Rick Bright says he was fired from the Department of Health and Human Services because he “resisted efforts to promote and enable broad access to an unproven drug, chloroquine, to the American people without transparent information on the potential health risks,” as his prepared opening remarks explain.
Bright also describes his early efforts to sound the alarm and get the federal government to prepare for the novel coronavirus to spread. But “HHS leadership was dismissive about my dire predictions about what I assumed would be a broader outbreak and the pressing need to act.” When he pushed for increased U.S. production of personal protective equipment and testing supplies, Bright says, “I was cut out of key high-level meetings to combat COVID-19.” After his early warnings were ignored, Bright continued to warn that things could become still worse.
“Our window of opportunity is closing. 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,” according to Bright’s remarks. He adds: “Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history.”
Bright is seeking reinstatement to his job as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. His attorneys say that the Office of Special Counsel has recommended he be reinstated during its investigation because there’s reason to believe he lost the job in retaliation.