Senate Homeland Security panel scheduled vote on contempt resolution against Anthony Fauci

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is set to hold a vote Thursday morning on a resolution that would hold former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci in contempt, The Hill reported. The committee’s action follows a hearing last week in which Fauci, a physician and former senior government health official, invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times, according to the report.

The scheduled resolution would be considered by the panel after the committee hearing that took place last week. The Hill said Fauci pleaded the Fifth repeatedly during questioning, a posture that typically indicates he is refusing to answer questions that he believes could be used against him in a criminal proceeding.

The Hill also reported that Fauci received a sweeping pardon from President Joe Biden during his last days in office. Any such pardon is relevant to the committee’s contempt process because it can affect how witnesses assess their risk of self-incrimination, though the report did not indicate that it changed Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth during the prior hearing.

The contempt resolution would be part of the committee’s broader oversight and enforcement toolkit. Congressional contempt proceedings generally seek compliance with a subpoena or refusal to testify, and they can set up additional referrals that may involve the Department of Justice, depending on the posture of the case and the congressional vote outcome.

The Hill’s live-coverage preview indicated that Republican Sen. Rand Paul and other committee members were expected to participate in the proceedings surrounding the contempt effort. As with other committee enforcement actions, the vote and any subsequent steps would occur within Senate rules and the committee’s established oversight processes.

A committee vote does not itself resolve any underlying legal question, but it can move the matter forward procedurally, including by generating a formal record of the committee’s findings. It also provides the basis for whether any additional enforcement steps are pursued, depending on how the Senate and relevant authorities choose to proceed.

Because the central action in this report depends on the committee’s Thursday vote and related enforcement steps, the details of the vote tally and any subsequent referrals would need confirmation from official congressional records once available.