Copyright Hartford Courant
Senate Republican leader Stephen Harding of Brookfield is calling on Senate Democrats to remove Sen. Saud Anwar as chair of the Public Health Committee after the senator posted a photo of himself on Facebook at the No Kings Rally Saturday with a sign that read, “Cholesterol, do your job.” “I think there is a huge problem to say the very least when you have the leading Democratic senator on the Public Health Committee tasked with caring for the health of everyone in the state regardless of their political affiliation standing next to signs promoting the death of our president to die of a heart attack with a smile on his face,” he said in an interview with the Courant. “I think it is unacceptable on every level that the leading Democratic senator of the Public Health Committee is promoting and trivializing the president dying from a heart attack,” Harding added. “I don’t know how you can justify keeping him in this role.” Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney defended Anwar in an email referring to him as a “steadfast leader on public health and a respected voice in the Senate.” “We won’t dignify manufactured outrage over a joking social media post when there are far more serious issues facing Connecticut families,” he said. “I wish that rather than spewing the faux anger, Republicans could gin up one iota of actual concern for the Connecticut workers Trump has fired or the 300% increase in health care premiums he is delivering for thousands in our communities.” Two central CT cities have must-watch mayoral races this year Anwar said that Republicans are furious over a joke, but silent when our democracy, our health care and our planet are under attack. “On the day 7 million Americans marched against a president who has authorized extrajudicial killings, dismantled federal programs, gutted health care, ignored court orders, terrorized immigrants, as well as engaged in a cover-up of pedophilia, a protest sign is what they are upset about,” he said. “That tells you everything you need to know about their concern for real Americans.” Anwar said that he did not make the sign. He said the outrage from Republicans is a performative distraction. “If they can’t create ways to be mad about the things that don’t matter, the people will start to realize their positions on things that do matter,” he said. “While they’re busy clutching pearls over a piece of poster board, families in Connecticut are fighting for affordable health care, quality education and fundamental constitutional rights. The work continues whether the outrage machine approves or not.” Anwar, who specializes in critical care and pulmonary medicine, is associate professor of medicine at Quinnipiac University and University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and University of Connecticut, according to ECHN. He is currently serving as the chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine for Rockville General Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital and Eastern Connecticut Health Network. The senator is known for his humanitarian work including advocating for the homeless, providing medical care to those in need and serving on peace missions to Israel and the Middle East. After natural disasters in Haiti and Pakistan, Anwar organized medical missions to those countries. He is a doctor who specializes in critical care medicine, lung disease and occupational and environmental medicine, according to his biography. He has also served as a consultant for the British Department of Communities and Local Government. In the state, the senator also served as former commissioner of Asian Pacific American Affairs and the Health Equity Leadership Council of Connecticut. State Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich , a candidate for governor, called on Gov. Ned Lamont to condemn the behavior of Anwar. “With political violence on the rise, Governor Lamont’s silence in the face of such horrendous rhetoric is a dereliction of leadership,” he said in a statement. “As when the governor said nothing after Congressman Larson compared federal immigration officers to Nazi police, Lamont is condoning rhetoric from Connecticut Democrats that will lead to more division and hatred. The governor should immediately condemn this action and call on Senator Anwar to apologize or resign as chair of the Public Health Committee.” The far-right troll site, Libs of TikTok, commented on Anwar’s post, calling it “absolutely disgusting.” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, then reposted Libs of TikTok’s post, with a comment that stated: “Hate and violence define today’s Dems. Tragic.”
