White House blocks Dr. Fauci from testifying before a House panel investigating the coronavirus response

The White House has barred the nation's top expert on infectious diseases from speaking to a House if Representatives committee investigating the coronavirus outbreak and response.

Trump administration officials rejected a request from the House Appropriations Committee for Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify at a hearing scheduled for next week, Evan Hollander, a spokesman for the committee, told The Washington Post on Friday.

"While the Trump Administration continues its whole-of-government response to COVID-19, including safely opening up America again and expediting vaccine development, it is counter-productive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at Congressional hearings," White House spokesperson Judd Deere told Insider when asked why the administration denied the House committee's request.

"We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time," Deere added.

In lieu of hearing from Fauci, the House committee will hear testimony from Thomas Frieden, who led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Obama administration.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has become one of the most trusted voices in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. Recent Insider polling found that Americans trust Fauci for information on the virus far more than President Donald Trump, who has been widely criticized over his handling of the pandemic.

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