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 is chaired by Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who emphasized the importance of accountability to prevent a repeat of past mistakes. "Accountability is what stands between the American people and a repeat of the mistakes and the very real consequences of the past," Paul said during the hearing.

Paul noted that votes to hold witnesses in contempt should be rare but argued it was Congress's constitutional duty to oversee the executive branch, especially when a witness has been issued a sweeping pardon.

Dr. Fauci had invoked the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution more than 100 times during a Senate hearing on July 29, declining to answer questions on legal advice. "On advice of counsel I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution," Fauci stated repeatedly in response to Senator Paul's inquiries.

Democrats on the committee acknowledged the necessity of investigating past mistakes but criticized the investigation for focusing too heavily on one individual. Senator Paul countered that no Democrat on the committee had reviewed the investigation's documents using the committee's internal software, suggesting a lack of engagement with the evidence.

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

Sources