The committee will now refer him for possible prosecution for refusing to answer questions about his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A US Senate committee has voted to hold former top health official Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he refused to answer questions during a hearing examining his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The vote - which fell along party lines - clears the way for the committee to refer the case to the justice department for potential prosecution for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena. During his testimony last week, Fauci invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination more than 100 times, arguing that Kentucky Senator Rand Paul was trying to put him "behind bars". In a statement following the vote, Fauci's lawyer called it a "crude political stunt" being conducted to "punish Dr Fauci for exercising his constitutional right". The origins of the pandemic have been a matter of strong debate in the US, including between President Donald Trump, who was in office when it began in 2020, and public health officials, including Fauci. Senator Rand Paul has for years accused Fauci of attempting to hide its origins and of funding a research lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where some believe the pandemic began with a lab-leak. Most scientists believe that exposure to an infected animal is a more likely origin for the pandemic. Former President Joe Biden gave Fauci a pre-emptive pardon on his last day in office in 2025, protecting him from federal prosecution for his actions between 2014 and 2025.