March 18, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting the Food and Drug Administration for resisting expanded antiviral drug research and testing for the Chinese coronavirus:
“The Wall Street Journal reports that FDA government scientists opposed expanded anti-virus testing out of fear that it might do harm. We have just effectively destroyed our national economy in an attempt to slow the spread of the Wuhan virus, yet these bureaucrat scientists opposed aggressive attempts to find a vaccine and cure? This is beyond absurd, it is bureaucratic malpractice.
“One thing is clear, those who kept insisting that the ‘white lab coat guys’ be in charge of this health emergency should all shut up once and for all. It is in the job description of bureaucrat scientists at the Food and Drug Administration that they be risk averse, and this very aversion is an obstacle to taking every step to avert a disaster that these very public health experts claim may kill more than a million Americans.
“Once again, it should be obvious to every American, that the last people you want in charge of your health care are government bureaucrat scientists whose existence is dependent upon their ability to take all downside risk out of medical treatments as they are a death sentence to both health care innovation and to those patients who have life threatening illnesses.”
Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.
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