Rand Paul Seeks Contempt Vote After Fauci Pleads Fifth

Sen. Rand Paul's long-running clash with Dr. Anthony Fauci may be headed for its next chapter: a contempt vote. After Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right 106 times during a nearly three-hour Senate hearing on the COVID-19 response on Wednesday, Paul told reporters he'll move next week to have the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee vote on holding Fauci in contempt of Congress for declining to answer questions, reports the AP. The Hill has this quote from Paul:

• "We believe that with his … immunity from criminal liability, that he didn't need to hide behind the Fifth Amendment and that maybe the Fifth Amendment doesn't attach when you have a pardon in place. That'll be a legal question, but the question on contempt will be voted on, and then there's a question of whether or not the Department of Justice will take that up."