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 split strictly along party lines, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed.

The contempt vote followed Fauci's July 29th Senate testimony, during which he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights over 100 times in response to questions posed by Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Fauci repeatedly stated, “On advice of counsel I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.”

Senator Paul emphasized that while votes to hold witnesses in contempt should be rare, Congress has a constitutional duty to oversee the executive branch, especially when a witness has received 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 need for 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 lack of engagement with the evidence. A Republican Wisconsin Senator added, “If the investigation seems one sided, it’s because one side simply doesn’t want to look at the truth.”

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

Sources