The House Judiciary Committee, Chaired by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), brought in several witnesses for an Apr. 16 hearing on COVID-19 accountability. One of the witnesses was Florida’s Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo. Ladapo’s recommendations were integral to many of the decisions to keep the state open during the 2020-2021 lockdowns. He was also the first to recommend a halt to the COVID-19 vaccines for children and males between the ages of 18 and 39.
Ladapo’s testimony is particularly important because he and Governor DeSantis were more open to data and evidence that contradicted federal mandates early in the pandemic. The other witnesses at the Apr. 16 hearing were Conservative Attorney Harmeet Dhillon, Claudine Geoghegan with the Independent Women’s Forum, and Professor Michelle Goodwin. Goodwin is the Linda D. & Timothy J. O’Neil Professor of Constitutional Law and Global Health Policy at Georgetown University.
The purpose of the hearing was to review public health decisions made during the COVID-19 “pandemic” and to hold officials accountable for their actions. The Judiciary Committee is looking at recommendations limiting unnecessary governmental overreach during future national emergencies. It quickly became apparent during the hearing that there is still a vast divide in perspectives between Republicans and Democrats in terms