Senate committee set to vote on holding Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress

The Senate committee is set to vote on whether to hold Dr Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after the former Covid-19 adviser invoked his Fifth Amendment rights at a hearing on the origins of the pandemic. Fauci, who advised both Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the health crisis, declined to answer questions during the session convened by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who has spent years investigating Fauci.

Ahead of the hearing, Paul released what he described as Fauci’s personal diary, in which Fauci reportedly described Trump using harsh language, including "rambling," "crazy," "desperate," "bumbling," "incompetent," "an idiot," "a true embarrassment," "totally nuts," and an "obnoxious adolescent." Fauci had previously accused Paul of having an "unhinged obsession" with him.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F Kennedy Jr, has provided a copy of Fauci’s phone to the Republican-controlled Senate panel. Kennedy authored a 2021 book attacking Fauci, which sold over a million copies, partly due to endorsements from figures like Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan.

Scientists and Democrats have rallied behind Fauci. A group of 155 scientists signed an open letter urging the government to stop the "vilification and harassment of many American scientists." Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, said the move would "deter other scientific experts from public service."

Public health experts warn that making Fauci an enemy will harm US public health for years. They argue that focusing on one individual distracts from failures in the pandemic response and undermines trust in science, potentially discouraging experts from joining government service.