A US Senate committee has voted to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after the former top US infectious disease official refused to answer questions about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a referral pushed by its Republican chair Rand Paul of Kentucky, a longtime Fauci antagonist, on a party-line vote of 8-7. Fauci and public health officials worldwide backed the measures based on scientific evidence available at the time. Paul said Fauci had no valid Fifth Amendment claim because the pardon nullified it and because Fauci waived any remaining protection by testifying. A contempt referral typically must be approved by a congressional committee and then the full Senate, which would likely need a 60-vote majority, requiring Democratic support, highly unlikely given the party’s defence of Fauci.