On Thursday morning, August 6, 2026, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee voted 8 to 7 to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The vote was strictly along party lines, with all Republicans voting "aye" and all Democrats voting "nay."

The committee, chaired by Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, took this action after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights over 100 times during a July 29 Senate hearing. Fauci repeatedly stated, "On advice of counsel I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution," in response to questions posed by Paul.

Senator Paul emphasized that while votes to hold witnesses in contempt should be rare, it is Congress's constitutional duty to oversee the executive branch, particularly when a witness has been granted a sweeping pardon. He stated, "Accountability is what stands between the American people and a repeat of the mistakes and the very real consequences of the past."

Democrats on the committee acknowledged the necessity of investigating past mistakes but argued that the investigation had disproportionately focused on Fauci. Paul countered that no Democrat on the committee had utilized the internal software to review the investigation's documents, suggesting a reluctance to confront the full scope of the inquiry.

The committee's vote followed an 8-5 decision within Rand Paul's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, underscoring the partisan divide over the issue.

Sources