NIH immunologist Anthony Fauci said that one "cannot say" that the lack of an Ebola vaccine is due to budget cuts.
A campaign ad released Monday blamed the GOP for recent Ebola deaths, saying that "Republican cuts kill."
Fauci told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd that the left-wing narrative is simply incorrect.
"I don't agree with that, I have to tell you quite honestly," Fauci said. "I think that the NIH has had constraints in resources for 10 years, and all of biomedical research has been less than its robust activity."
Todd pointed out that one of Fauci's NIH colleagues had "hinted" that, had the NIH received more funding, an Ebola vaccine would have existed today. Fauci quickly dismissed the notion.
"You can't say that. You can't say we would or would not have this or that," Fauci said. "Everything has slowed down, but I would not make that statement."