Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday for a hearing on the origins and government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the hearing, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to questions, with reports indicating he did so for every question or more than 70 times throughout the proceeding. This came days after Sen. Rand Paul released Fauci’s diary entries from the pandemic period.
In his opening statement, Fauci accused Sen. Paul of having an “unhinged obsession” with him, referencing their years of public disagreements. Paul, who chairs the committee, indicated he would pursue a contempt of Congress vote against Fauci for refusing to answer questions. During the contentious hearing, Paul also removed Fauci’s attorney from the proceedings following a chaotic exchange.
Democratic senators, including Gary Peters, criticized the hearing as “relitigating the past.” Sen. Bernie Moreno also made an expletive-laden remark directed at Fauci during the hearing. The proceedings reflect ongoing partisan tensions over the government’s pandemic response and the origins of COVID-19, with no agreement between sources regarding the characterization or implications of Fauci’s refusal to testify.
Sources
- The Hill
- Fox News
- CBS News
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- The Hill (2)
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