Senate committee led by Rand Paul votes to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer questions at COVID hearing

A Senate committee led by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky investigating the origins of COVID-19 voted Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer any questions at a contentious hearing last week.Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who helped lead the country's pandemic response, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times in his appearance before the panel, accusing Paul in an opening statement of having an "unhinged obsession" with him.Paul warned Fauci that he could be held in contempt for obstructing a congressional investigation, arguing that because Fauci had received a pardon from former President Joe Biden, the Fifth Amendment did not apply to him. "I