On Thursday morning, August 6th, 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 stated 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 issued a sweeping pardon.

Dr. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times during a Senate hearing on July 29th, declining to answer questions ranging from serious to absurd. He stated, "On advice of counsel I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution."

Democrats on the committee acknowledged the necessity of investigating past mistakes but argued that the investigation had disproportionately focused on one individual. Paul countered this by noting that no Democrat 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 within Rand Paul's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

Sources