Dr. Anthony Fauci Agrees To Retain Position In Biden Administration

Updated September 7, 2021

To make what will likely seem a massive understatement, 2020 has been a year where it hasn't seemed like we can be certain about anything.

That was the case even before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it and the political anxieties that have merged in its wake have ensured that this would remain true all throughout the year.

And while Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has spearheaded America's scientific and medical response to the pandemic since its inception, backlash from within the [White House](National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) introduced uncertainty that he would be able to continue doing so.

It's likely for this reason that news regarding his continued role in the nation's COVID-19 response comes as an assurance rather than the fairly obvious fact of life it may have been during previous epidemics.

December 3 was scheduled to mark Dr. Facui's first official meeting with President-Elect Joe Biden's transition team.

Wikimedia Commons | The White House

In the hours ahead of this meeting, NBC News reported that he expects to remain the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during Biden's administration.

As he said, "What contribution I will make in the new administration depends on the new administration. But I cannot imagine I'm not going to be involved in the Covid-19 response."

As is expected in recent times, the meeting took place virtually and marked the first "substantive" conversation Fauci had with Biden's team.

As NBC News reported, the meeting was intended to address "uncomplicated transition issues" relevant to the government's COVID-19 response such as the state of the virus' spread and the administration of upcoming vaccine candidates.

It may also mark the first time Fauci will have spoken to Biden since the results of the 2020 Presidential Election became public.

As CBS News reported, he had so far only had a few informal conversations with members of Biden's transition team, most notably his incoming Chief of Staff Ron Klain.

Based on Biden's statements during the delay in the commencement of steps ensuring the peaceful transition of power between administrations, it seems he was looking forward to speaking with Fauci in an official capacity.

Wikimedia Commons | Zach Rudisin

As CBS News reported, Biden went as far as to say that having less time to do so before he takes office came at the cost of lives.

Although Fauci didn't make such a claim, he seemed to agree that it would have been optimal if that process began sooner.

As he put it, "I would have liked to have seen us getting involved with the team as early as we possibly can because we want the smooth transition to occur."

It also appears that Dr. Fauci won't be the only familiar face we'll see in the Biden Administrations' task force.

Wikimedia Commons | The White House

As NBC News reported, White House task force response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx has also begun to contact the Biden transition team in an official capacity this week.

We all know the road ahead is difficult but hopes seem high that this team can work as the resolute unit such a public threat requires.

h/t: NBC News, CBS News

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