120 Georgia Health Care Professionals Call on Medical Association of Georgia to Rescind McCormick Endorsement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Contact: Monica Robinson, press@carolyn4congress.com
120 Georgia Health Care Professionals Call on Medical Association of Georgia to Rescind McCormick Endorsement
One day before the first GA-07 debate, a coalition of Georgia health care professionals blast Rich McCormick for downplaying COVID-19 pandemic
SUWANEE, GA — The day before the first debate in the campaign for Georgia's 7th Congressional District, a coalition of 120 Georgia health care providers and medical experts called on the Medical Association of Georgia to rescind their endorsement of Rich McCormick.
The letter details the lengthy timeline of examples when Rich McCormick "repeatedly and publicly challenged the science on containing the COVID-19 outbreak, contradicted public health experts, and spread dangerous falsehoods about this disease that could put people's health seriously at risk."
Democratic nominee for Georgia’s 7th Congressional District Carolyn Bourdeaux released the following statement:
“More than 200,000 Americans have lost their lives after politicians like President Trump and Rich McCormick repeatedly downplayed the risk of this deadly disease for their own political gain. Rich abused his credentials as a doctor to spread dangerous misinformation about the coronavirus, contradict public health experts, and defend the failed Trump response to the outbreak. It's no mystery why these 120 health care professionals asked the Medical Association of Georgia to stand up to McCormick’s bad medicine.”
"Dr. McCormick has repeatedly and publicly challenged the science on containing the COVID-19 outbreak, contradicted public health experts, and spread dangerous falsehoods about this disease that could put people's health seriously at risk."
"These issues are not those of simple partisan disagreements over policy. We take issue with Dr. McCormick because the misinformation he is promoting is not only scientifically incorrect, it also undermines policies that are evidence-based."
"We believe this should be disqualifying for a candidate to be endorsed by the Medical Association of Georgia."
"McCormick has consistently downplayed the severity of the pandemic, comparing it to the seasonal flu, and dismissed the promotion of interventions to control the pandemic as 'panic,' therefore undermining the messages of public health experts around the country as well as those in the Administration."
"Dr. McCormick has promoted unproven therapies, especially hydroxychloroquine. He continued to promote hydroxychloroquine following the FDA’s revocation of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the drug after evidence of lack of efficacy and potential harm."
"McCormick has repeatedly and erroneously credited “herd immunity” for decreasing the numbers of cases of COVID-19, directly contradicting epidemiologists and public health experts including CDC Director Robert Redfield, and undercutting life-saving public health messaging about the use of masks and social distancing to avoid transmission."
"Dr. McCormick's efforts to downplay this deadly pandemic, to promote disproven medical therapies, to undermine evidence-based public health interventions by touting herd immunity, and to promote political talking points about vaccines to garner political favor for his campaign are irresponsible."
"The Medical Association of Georgia should rescind its endorsement of McCormick and restore trust in the organization."
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Carolyn Bourdeaux is a Professor at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, the daughter of teachers, a wife and mom, and a public servant who is running for Congress to fight for quality, affordable health care, a world-class education and a government that works for the people. She was the 2018 Democratic nominee for Georgia’s 7th Congressional district, coming within 433 votes of flipping the seat, making it the closest U.S. House race nationwide.
Georgia’s fast-changing 7th Congressional District includes portions of the northeast Atlanta metropolitan area, including portions of Forsyth and Gwinnett counties and cities Peachtree Corners, Berkeley Lake, Sugar Hill, Norcross, Cumming, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Snellville, Lilburn, Suwanee, Grayson, and Buford. Highly watched by national media, this district has emerged as one of the top Democratic pick-up opportunities in the country.