Marjorie Taylor Greene offers bills to fire Fauci, ban vaccine passports

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced two bills Thursday that would eliminate Anthony Fauci’s salary and ban vaccine passports. 

Greene’s Fire Fauci Act would cut the salary for Fauci, the government’s leading infectious diseases expert, to zero. It is unclear if such a cut could be authorized even if the legislation is passed.

According to the conservative firebrand, the cut would be made until a new director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is “confirmed by the Senate.” However, that position’s appointment is not subject to Senate confirmation.

The We Will Not Comply Act would “ban” vaccine passports — documents that show that Americans have been vaccinated — by prohibiting businesses engaged in interstate commerce from using them to allow patrons to access their services.

Neither bill is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House and Senate, but the legislation marks an escalation of Greene’s criticism of the federal guidance regarding the pandemic.

Greene, who has already faced backlash for a slew of controversial remarks and support for conspiracy theories, has garnered new pushback over her criticism of health guidelines, which detractors say could curtail Americans’ trust in public guidance on the virus.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said the new pieces of legislation are examples “of why Members of Congress need good staff.”

“Helps prevent us from introducing stupid, nonsensical bills,” he tweeted. 

Below is an example of why Members of Congress need good staff. Helps prevent us from introducing stupid, nonsensical bills like the one below from @RepMTG. https://t.co/2MpbtAwmFC

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 1, 2021

Greene is not alone in her criticism of Fauci and vaccine passports.  

Other GOP lawmakers have slammed Fauci over what they view as missteps in the early days of the pandemic. And a number of governors have railed against vaccine passports, which could be used to grant access to certain activities, buildings or events. 

Fauci most recently clashed with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) last month when the Kentucky senator said masks were “theater.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) earlier this week urged his state’s GOP-controlled legislature to pass a law forbidding the passports. 

Democrats have said such remarks could further undermine trust in federal health guidance, which already appears to be low among Republican men.

Last month, a PBS NewsHour-NPR-Marist poll found that 49 percent of Republican men would not receive a coronavirus vaccine.