A Senate committee is set to vote Thursday morning on whether to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
against self-incrimination more than 100 times at the hearing.
Also, Iran said Wednesday it’s of drafting an agreement with Oman over the , and U.S. President Donald Trump has said a deal could be announced this week. The agreement is likely to be contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iran鈥檚 ports.
Here’s the latest:
Paul defends the committee鈥檚 role as 鈥榗onstitutional obligation鈥�
The chairman firmly pushed back at Democrats鈥� assertions that he鈥檚 playing partisan politics.
鈥淥versight is not a courtesy this committee extends or a favor a former official grants us,鈥� Paul said. 鈥淎 subpoena is not an invitation. A subpoena with no consequence is not a subpoena. It鈥檚 a suggestion. Seeking the truth is not a witch hunt.鈥�
Paul said he wasn鈥檛 trying to entrap Fauci.
鈥淗e had no liability if he told the truth,鈥� he said.
Top Democrat questions Paul鈥檚 pursuit of a contempt vote
Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the ranking Democrat on the Senate panel, said the process to subpoena Fauci and now to hold him in contempt accomplish nothing to advance public health.
He called Sen. Paul鈥檚 work 鈥渁 one-sided investigation and a rushed process … that could harm our ability to conduct future investigations.鈥�
Peters also expressed concerns that Paul could send a criminal contempt referral directly to federal prosecutors rather than allow a full Senate vote. Peters maintained that would violate Senate traditions on how to handle contempt.
Paul says the vote isn鈥檛 about Fauci鈥檚 policy but his refusal to testify
The Kentucky senator used his opening statement as chairman to insist that the contempt vote isn鈥檛 about Fauci鈥檚 policy decisions during the pandemic, though Paul got in plenty of digs over mask and vaccine mandates and U.S. investments in Chinese research the senator believes could be responsible for the virus.
Paul, a Republican, said the vote is simply about whether a person who gets a Senate subpoena can plead the Fifth Amendment, as Fauci did more than 100 times.
The chairman emphasized that Fauci already has a federal pardon from former President Joe Biden. In the senator鈥檚 view, that effectively leaves Fauci with no Fifth Amendment privileges. Some Democrats and Fauci advocates have argued that the 85-year-old immunologist still could face perjury charges given Paul鈥檚 and other Republicans鈥� repeated statements that he should be jailed.
Rand Paul鈥檚 Senate committee begins meeting for Anthony Fauci contempt vote
The Senate鈥檚 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has begun its meeting to consider holding Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt because he previously refused to answer the panel鈥檚 questions about how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic in his role as one of the federal government鈥檚 top public health officials.
Republicans hold a one-vote majority on the committee.
The resolution would refer Fauci to the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office in Washington, which is led by Jeanine Pirro.
Iran says a deal with Oman is close
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, has said , which lies on the other side of the waterway, is in the 鈥渇inal stage鈥� of drafting. Speaking Wednesday, he said a joint statement will be issued 鈥渋f certain parties do not obstruct this process,鈥� apparently referring to the U.S.
The agreement is likely to be contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iran鈥檚 ports.
The strait is crucial to global shipping and energy supplies. Before the war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February, around one fifth of the world鈥檚 oil and natural gas passed through the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
On Thursday, all eyes were on the U.S. for the next development.
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Senate panel to vote on holding Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer questions
The Senate committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to and refer him to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing last week focused on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
against self-incrimination more than 100 times when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the Republican committee chairman, has said that constitutional protection didn鈥檛 apply since and thus did not have to worry about the threat of prosecution.
But Fauci, in a statement issued before the hearing, said he had good reason to fear the possibility of criminal charges given what he said was Paul鈥檚 determination 鈥渢o get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote.鈥�
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