Senate panel to vote on holding Fauci in contempt

A Senate committee is moving toward a vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, escalating a legal and political confrontation over his refusal to answer questions about the government's COVID-19 pandemic response. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to vote on the contempt measure on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

The action stems from Fauci's appearance before the committee last week, where he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times and declined to answer questions. Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, has argued the constitutional protection does not apply because Fauci received a pardon from President Joe Biden. That pardon, issued on Biden's final day in office in January 2025, covered acts from 2014 through the date it was issued.

In a statement ahead of the hearing, Fauci said he had good reason to fear potential criminal charges, citing what he described as Paul's public determination to see him imprisoned. Paul has stated that Fauci waived any remaining privilege by giving opening testimony at the hearing and that his refusal constitutes obstruction of a...