Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Davenport says email obtained by a U.S. House subcommittee shows the senior scientific advisor in the National Institutes of Health has made vile comments about women in medicine. Miller-Meeks questioned Dr. David Morens during a congressional hearing.
“You’re trusted with one of the highest positions in government to combat public health crises,” Miller-Meeks said, “and instead of doing your job, you’re too busy…challenging someone’s position because they happen to wear a skirt.”
Miller-Meeks cited an email Morens wrote about Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who was named director of the Centers for Disease Control in 2021.
“I would have expected it when I was in medical school in 1982,” Miller-Meeks said, “but why in 2021 that you would have commented in an email: ‘Dr. Fauci got Rochelle Walensky her job as CDC director by lobbying for her to (President Biden’s chief of staff) Ron Klain. Well, she does wear a skirt. I poured a little cold water on her, but he was undetered in thinking that she is the cat’s pajama.'”
Miller-Meeks told Morens his comment was disgusting. “Do you know how many women sit on this subcommittee?” Miller-Meeks asked. “Do you know what it takes for any of these women to get elected to congress?”
Miller-Meeks said Morens should be ashamed and embarrassed.
“You should in fact apologize to this subcommittee, to congress and to our nation,” Miller-Meeks said.
Morens replied: ‘May I apologize to you and the committee? It’s a misogynistic statement and, you know, it was the same snarky, joking stuff, but let me say I’ve been an advocate…’
Miller-Meeks interrupted him: “Sir, that is not a snarky joke. That is an underlying behavior that indicates how you approach women and how you think of women.”
The House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic issued a subpoena to get emails from Morens. Republicans on the panel have accused Morens of deleting emails that could be related to the origins of COVID-19. Morens’ attorney, in a written statement released to the media, said his client is a “career public servant” whose work is “focused on finding solutions to pressing public health issues.”