The vote
A Senate committee voted today to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The retired health official faced questions about his role in the early response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during the hearing.
The Republican majority on the panel backed the contempt citation. Republicans said Fauci refused to answer basic questions about pandemic-era decisions and about the origins of the virus.
Fauci's defense
Fauci has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers said the Fifth Amendment was the only safe course while the Justice Department continues to review related documents. Fauci served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly four decades.
He became a public face of the U.S. pandemic response in 2020. He has since become a target of criticism from conservatives who question his decisions on masks, lockdowns, and vaccine guidance.
The hearing itself ran for hours. Lawmakers pressed Fauci on early messaging about masks and on funding for research into the origins of the virus. Fauci declined to answer, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
What happens next
The contempt citation now moves to the full Senate. A vote there is not guaranteed. Contempt of Congress can lead to a criminal referral to the Justice Department, though such referrals rarely result in charges.
Democrats on the committee called the vote a political exercise. They warned that holding scientists in contempt could discourage public health experts from cooperating with Congress in the future.
"This is about scoring points, not getting answers," one Democratic senator said during the hearing. The panel's chair defended the move, saying Congress has a duty to hold officials accountable. The full Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on the citation.