Senate Committee Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt

The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted 8-5 on Thursday to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The action follows the former government doctor’s refusal to answer questions last week regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during the hearing. Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said he will refer the contempt resolution to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution. Paul argued that Fauci had no legal reason to remain silent because former President Joe Biden issued him a preemptive pardon before leaving office.

"Dr. Fauci faced no risk of federal prosecution," Paul said. "All he had to do was tell the truth."

Democrats on the committee opposed the measure. Senator Gary Peters of Michigan said the vote sets a bad precedent for future oversight. He warned that witnesses will now point to this action as a reason to refuse to testify. Peters argued Republicans were trying to force Fauci into making statements that could lead to new legal trouble.

The vote is part of an ongoing effort by Republicans to investigate Fauci’s actions during the pandemic. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said a subcommittee has obtained the mobile phone Fauci used during the health crisis. This follows the committee’s previous release of Fauci’s private diary.

Republicans have focused their questions on government-funded research in China and "gain of function" studies. Fauci has denied wrongdoing. At the hearing last week, he described Paul’s line of questioning as an "unhinged obsession" intended to build a case for his imprisonment.