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Rubio Grills Dr. Fauci: How Is It Americans with COVID Can't Get in Country, But Illegals Can?

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Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida asked Dr. Anthony Fauci — director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease — Tuesday to explain why Americans cannot return to the country if they test positive for COVID-19, but illegal aliens apprehended at the southern border can enter.

“I believe the United States is the only major Western country that now requires its citizens to test negative for COVID before they can get on an airplane and reenter the country,” Rubio told Fauci during Fauci’s appearance at a hearing of a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Rubio went on to note that this dichotomy is taking place even as the Biden administration looks to end the implementation of  Title 42, a section of the public health law that facilitated quick deportations for those entering the country illegally who pose a danger of spreading the coronavirus.

“We obviously know we have a problem on our southern border, where, every day, people are entering the country illegally. And many are not even being tested for COVID, and even if they are, they’re being allowed to stay,” Rubio said.

“How do we tell American citizens: ‘If you test positive, even if it’s a dead virus that’s been in your system for 10 days — you can test positive days after you’re no longer infectious — you can’t enter your own country,” he continued.

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“But if you arrive illegally, whether you test positive or not, if you say the magic words for asylum, you get to stay in the country,” Rubio said.



The lawmaker recounted that he knows Americans who were traveling abroad and got caught up in this COVID policy.

“They can’t afford to continue to pay for hotel rooms and staying overseas until they can finally score a negative test,” Rubio said.

Is the Biden administration is treating illegal immigrants better than U.S. citizens?

“Are we at a point now where American citizens should be allowed to return to their country without testing negative?” he asked.

Fauci responded, “It’s an important question. I don’t have the answer to that.”

He continued by saying his agency works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to examine the feasibility of such a policy change.

“I think the idea of having an immigration issue mixed with a public health issue for the general population — I think those probably should be separated,” Fauci said.

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Rubio did not accept Fauci’s answer.

“Except they’re interrelated because they both involve groups of people entering the United States,” he said.

“My point is, if we’ve reached a point in COVID where we no longer need Title 42 as a COVID restriction for illegal entry, why do we still need travel restrictions for American citizens for legal entry into their own country?”

Late last month a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the CDC from ending Title 42.

On April 1, the agency had announced it would cease on May 23.

The New York Post reported that U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays heard arguments Friday in the case and is expected to rule on it this week.

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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