Live updates: Senate committee to vote on whether to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress

Key Points:

• Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert, condemned the Senate committee's contempt vote against Dr. Anthony Fauci as "incredibly inappropriate," emphasizing Fauci's scientific contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the rapid development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
• The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, led by Republicans including Sen. Rand Paul, voted along party lines to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times during a hearing on his Covid-era actions.
• Republicans plan to bypass a full Senate vote and send the contempt referral directly to the Justice Department, a move with little precedent that could trigger a complex legal battle over Fauci's Fifth Amendment rights and the scope of his presidential pardon.
• Fauci's lawyer criticized the contempt vote as a politically motivated "crude stunt" aimed at punishing Fauci for exercising constitutional rights, while Democrats warned the vote could undermine bipartisan oversight and constitutional protections.
• The Senate committee has obtained a copy of Fauci's government-issued iPhone, which Republicans hope will provide additional evidence to question Fauci’s pandemic response amid ongoing investigations.