BREAKING: Jim Banks supports holding Fauci in contempt of Congress

Sen. Jim Banks supports holding former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, saying the longtime public health official has avoided accountability and arguing that last week's Senate hearing only reinforced the need for further action.

Speaking with Jack Posobiec on Human Events Daily, the Indiana Republican said Congress should move forward with contempt proceedings after Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

"It’s way past time to do it,” Banks said. “I’m disappointed that he hasn’t been held in contempt yet, that he’s never been held accountable. By the way, if Anthony Fauci was innocent, Joe Biden wouldn’t have given him a pardon,” Banks said. “And that’s the key takeaway here, is they’re trying to shield him from any responsibility for what he did to abuse his power and his position, whether it was profiting off of the vaccine or how he misguided the American people, abused the power that he exercised during the pandemic that brought so much devastation and harm to families and to this great country.”

“I mean, he thumbed his nose at the American people,” Banks said. “He insulted the American people by not answering any question at all. And I hope Senator Rand Paul, the chairman of the Oversight Committee in the Senate, I hope he does hold him accountable, hold him in contempt of Congress, and hopefully the Department of Justice will do something about it.”

Banks added that, to his understanding, a contempt recommendation would require both committee action and a vote by the full Senate. He compared the situation to prior contempt proceedings against former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, saying, “If Congress held him in contempt and we voted on it, which I hope that we do, then why would he not be held accountable for that?”

It come after Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last Wednesday, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times. Following the hearing, committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul said members would vote this week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress, arguing that his pardon may affect whether he could properly invoke Fifth Amendment protections. Paul said the committee would first vote on the contempt resolution before any potential action by the Department of Justice.

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