Senate committee set to vote on holding Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress – US politics live

Senate Panel to Vote on Contempt Citation for Anthony Fauci Over Hearing Testimony

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to vote on whether to recommend a contempt of Congress citation against Anthony Fauci for declining to answer questions during a July 2026 hearing on the origins of Covid-19. Fauci, who served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advised both the Trump and Biden administrations, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Committee Chair Rand Paul had subpoenaed Fauci to testify about communications and decisions related to pandemic response and virus research funding. Paul had previously questioned Fauci in multiple hearings regarding National Institutes of Health grants to the EcoHealth Alliance and the possibility of a laboratory incident in Wuhan. Before the hearing, Paul released notes Fauci wrote during 2020 that described then-President Trump using terms including “rambling,” “crazy,” “desperate,” “bumbling,” “incompetent,” “an idiot,” “a true embarrassment,” “totally nuts,” and “truly an obnoxious adolescent.”

Fauci’s legal team cited a preemptive pardon issued by President Biden in January 2025 that covered actions taken during the Covid-19 response. The pardon’s scope became a point of contention at the hearing. The committee chair ruled that the pardon removed the risk of criminal prosecution for the matters under discussion, rendering the Fifth Amendment invocation inapplicable. Fauci’s counsel maintained that the pardon did not eliminate all potential legal exposure. The committee is now considering whether the refusal to answer constitutes contempt.

The Department of Health and Human Services, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., provided the panel with a copy of Fauci’s government-issued phone. Kennedy had published a 2021 book critical of Fauci’s pandemic role. The book received endorsements from Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Alan Dershowitz, and Tony Robbins.

A group of 155 scientists issued an open letter urging an end to what they described as the “vilification and harassment of many American scientists.” Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan stated that the proceedings could discourage experts from entering government service. Republican members of the committee have argued that the hearing addresses accountability for specific decisions on research oversight and public communications during the pandemic.

The contempt vote occurs amid ongoing federal responses to several infectious disease outbreaks, including cyclosporiasis and Ebola. Public health agencies have reported continued cases of measles and pertussis in multiple states. Some lawmakers have linked the current vote to broader debates over federal funding levels for disease surveillance and laboratory safety programs.

Separately, emails obtained by multiple outlets show that defense contractor Palmer Luckey organized a July 2026 fundraising event titled “Keep the Senate” for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The invitation offered donors the opportunity to contribute $50,000 for seating at the head table and to meet Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers. Luckey, co-founder of Anduril Industries, has been a consistent Republican donor and has hosted multiple events for party committees since 2019. An unnamed GOP donor described Luckey as a leading fundraiser for Republican candidates on the West Coast.

In a separate development, 19 Democratic senators and representatives sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The letter requests restoration of sanctions on certain Israeli settlers in the West Bank and independent investigations into the deaths of nine U.S. citizens killed there since 2022. The signatories, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, cited statements by President Trump regarding West Bank policy and described actions by settlers and the Israeli government as extending control over civilian areas. The letter does not detail specific enforcement mechanisms under current statutes.

The contempt proceeding and related developments are occurring as both parties prepare for the 2026 midterm elections. Committee staff have indicated that any contempt recommendation would require further action by the full Senate and potentially the Department of Justice. Fauci has not issued a public statement on the upcoming vote.