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 Sen. Rand Paul, took this action after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times during a Senate hearing on July 29, declining to answer questions posed by Paul. Fauci stated, “On advice of counsel I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.”

Sen. Paul emphasized that while votes to hold witnesses in contempt should be rare, it is Congress’s constitutional duty to oversee the executive branch, especially when a witness has been issued 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 focused too heavily on one individual. Paul countered that no Democrats on the committee had utilized the internal software to review the investigation’s documents, suggesting a lack of willingness to confront the full scope of the inquiry.

The committee's vote followed an 8-5 decision by Rand Paul's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, reflecting ongoing partisan divisions over the investigation and Fauci's testimony.

Sources