Members of the White House coronavirus task force are not allowed to testify before Congress in May after the Trump administration issued new guidance Monday, according to The Hill.
Other agencies dealing with the coronavirus pandemic have been advised to restrict the number of hearings they go to.
The administration said the task force and agencies should concentrate their resources on responding to the pandemic.
"We're telling agencies that during this unprecedented time our resources need to be dedicated toward the coronavirus," a senior administration official told The Hill. "At this stage we really need everybody manning their stations and prioritizing coronavirus response work."
A few days ago, the White House prohibited Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying before a House panel.
Fauci is scheduled to testify about the coronavirus pandemic May 12 before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
The administration has, however, said it will allow these officials to testify at another point.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows can give exemptions to the new rule to any member of the task force.
"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 deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement last week.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.