Senate Committee Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt of Congress
The party-line vote followed Dr. Anthony Fauci's decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment right during a hearing on the government's COVID-19 response.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, escalating a long-running Republican inquiry into the federal government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vote came after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a committee hearing on the pandemic response.
The referral now goes to the Justice Department, which will decide whether to pursue a criminal prosecution. Such prosecutions are rare. Two former advisers to President Trump, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, were imprisoned on contempt of Congress charges during President Joe Biden's administration.
Iran presses demands on the Strait of Hormuz
Separately, Iran's parliament is considering an agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal would bar ships connected to the United States, Israel and other "hostile countries" from the waterway until Iran receives compensation for war damages. Commercial vessels transiting the strait would face fees of up to 7% of cargo value, with a 20% fine for noncompliance.
Iran said Wednesday that it was finalizing a shipping route agreement with Oman, a U.S. ally. The Trump administration disputes Iran's characterization of the arrangement, maintaining that the United States currently controls the strait through its naval blockade of Iran. Oman has not commented.
NPR's Franco Ordoñez said Trump's public statements about progress in negotiations do not appear to align with what Iranians understand to be the case. Trump is under significant pressure to end the war, Ordoñez said, while Iran has remained unyielding despite U.S. military pressure. Observers have raised concerns that Washington may have to accept terms worse than the previous status quo of free movement through the strait. Current talks are focused on reopening the waterway rather than on uranium enrichment, which Trump originally cited as justification for the war.
McConnell leaves rehabilitation center
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he has been discharged from a rehabilitation center after more than 50 days in the hospital. He said he was hospitalized after a fall and that his stay was extended because of pneumonia. The 84-year-old's absence fueled conspiracy theories and questions about his future in office. His term expires in early January, and Republican Rep. Andy Barr will face Democratic former state Rep. Charles Booker in November's midterm elections.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.