Politics
Marjorie Taylor Greene called out for her tweets at hearing
By Jake Beardslee · February 17, 2024
In brief…
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed COVID-19 vaccine misinformation during a House subcommittee hearing.
- She falsely claimed the vaccines cause various injuries.
- Rep. Robert Garcia confronted Greene over her rhetoric on social media.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was confronted over her anti-vaccination rhetoric during Thursday’s House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing. Greene engaged in heated exchanges with Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA and Rep. Robert Garcia after spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.
Marks stated that “about 3.2 million” American lives have been saved by the COVID-19 vaccines. In response, she falsely claimed that only people who are obese, diabetic, or over 65 are at risk from COVID-19. Greene also wrongly attributed “injuries, miscarriages, heart attacks, myocarditis, permanent disability, neurological problems” to the vaccines, accusing Marks of rushing the approval process, according to Newsweek.
Garcia intervened, apologizing to those present for having to listen to Greene’s “conspiracy theories and wild accusations.” Garcia said Greene’s social media activity aimed to undermine public trust in the vaccines and encouraged parents to refuse routine vaccination.
The WHO says billions have safely received COVID-19 vaccines, which provide protection that far outweighs the small risks. As of January 2024, only .001% of U.S. vaccine recipients filed injury claims.