Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress on Thursday after he pled the Fifth Amendment during a recent hearing.

The decision will then go to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. The vote was 8-7.

“Anthony Fauci is fully protected by a sweeping pardon, immune from prosecution, and he still refuses to comply with a lawful subpoena. That's the very definition of contempt for the American people,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) tweeted this week.

“On Thursday, the HSGAC will vote to hold him in contempt,” he added.

During the Thursday morning meeting, there were attempts by Democrats to table the motion to hold Fauci in contempt, including a request to hear from Fauci's legal team beforehand.  

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In addition, Senate investigators have now gotten data from Fauci's government phone that he used during the pandemic, according to the Wall Street Journal.