Senator Scott blames Fauci for contempt vote

Senator Rick Scott on Thursday doubled down on his vote to hold former top COVID adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, saying the longtime NIH director could have avoided the confrontation simply by telling the truth in sworn testimony.

Scott, a Florida Republican, told reporters after the House Oversight Committee voted 23-17 along party lines to advance the contempt referral, that lawmakers spent months seeking answers about federal pandemic policies that affected millions of Americans. “All he had to do was tell the truth,” Scott said. “We were really disappointed. We wanted to just get facts last week.”

The contempt vote stems from Fauci’s testimony last month before the same committee, where he repeatedly declined to answer detailed questions about how the U.S. government funded research in Wuhan, China, and whether federal officials colluded with social media platforms to suppress certain pandemic-related speech. The Justice Department has already signaled it will not prosecute Fauci, arguing executive privilege protects him from congressional subpoenas tied to his official actions. But Republicans see the move as a legal lever to force transparency and hold the Biden administration accountable for pandemic decisions that cost lives and billions in spending.

The escalation comes as House Republicans continue their wide-ranging investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the government’s response, with Fauci as a central figure. Democrats call the contempt push a political stunt aimed at distracting from GOP failures and undermining science. Meanwhile, public health experts warn that weaponizing contempt proceedings against former officials could chill future cooperation between scientists and policymakers. The full House is expected to vote on the contempt resolution next week, though its passage remains uncertain in a narrowly divided chamber.