The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted on August 6, 2026, to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and refer him for potential criminal prosecution after he refused to answer lawmakers' questions about the federal COVID-19 pandemic response.
Fauci declined to respond to the committee's questions at a hearing the week before the vote, BBC News reported. The questions centered on how the federal government managed the pandemic.
Republicans on the committee were the driving force behind the contempt action, according to NPR. Following the vote, the committee will send the matter to prosecutors for a potential criminal case.