{"id":21348,"date":"2026-07-29T21:48:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=21348"},"modified":"2026-07-29T21:48:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:48:19","slug":"the-latest-dr-fauci-invokes-fifth-amendment-in-republican-led-covid-19-senate-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=21348","title":{"rendered":"The Latest: Dr. Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Republican-led COVID-19 Senate hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \"><a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/anthony-fauci\">Dr. Anthony Fauci<\/a> on Wednesday invoked <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/what-does-pleading-the-fifth-mean-0d24abd45972cd80f82f95e4a8eec225\">the Fifth Amendment<\/a> and declined to answer questions from senators <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fauci-covid19-pandemic-senate-rand-paul-a774a79e46824ebec9e8e270b9cb9825\">in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fauci-covid19-pandemic-senate-rand-paul-a774a79e46824ebec9e8e270b9cb9825\">subpoenaed Fauci<\/a> to appear before a Senate committee. It\u2019s part of Paul\u2019s <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/science-health-government-and-politics-coronavirus-pandemic-ec75a3b9505409e12aa6f65d3170ad26\">yearslong accusations<\/a> that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied about the pandemic, something <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fauci-covid-pandemic-origin-congress-a66625482f25824476ee315484790230\">Fauci has called \u201cpreposterous.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Meanwhile, roughly six weeks before the first midterm ballots <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/elections-and-campaigns\/table-7-when-states-mail-out-absentee-mail-ballots\">are mailed out<\/a>, the U.S. Postal Service is emerging as a pivotal player in an election season that will determine control of Congress. President Donald Trump <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mail-ballots-postal-service-trump-midterms-b6eff42e8bd33e6b99468489f9f889aa\">is seeking greater control over mail balloting through an executive order<\/a> while a change to how the agency processes mail is leading to criticism that it\u2019s failing to deliver ballots on time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Here&#8217;s the latest:<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWell, nothing says honesty like taking the 5th, huh, doc?\u201d the Republican Missouri senator said, launching immediately into a searing critique of Fauci declining to answer questions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Hawley proceeded with a mocking exchange.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWhat day of the week is it today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWhat color tie are you wearing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWhat color is the carpet in front of you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Each time, Fauci answered, \u201cOn the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Hawley then proceeded to a lengthy list of questions that accused Fauci of misconduct in his government role.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fauci\u2019s answer was the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">So was Hawley\u2019s: \u201cYeah, well, silence is admission.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In fact, individuals who invoke constitutional protections not to answer questions under oath are not admitting guilt of any crime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In a public letter, more than 150 infectious-disease experts and other scientists wrote that \u201cno credible evidence has been produced to support these absurd charges\u201d and that they are \u201curging our elected representatives in Congress stop these witch-hunts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Fox News host used her show and social media platform to repeatedly spread misinformation during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In the pandemic\u2019s early stages, Ingraham downplayed the spread of COVID-19. She went on to mock mask mandates, social distancing guidelines, people who wore masks and those who got vaccinations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">She also endorsed unproven remedies \u2014 including hydroxychloroquine \u2014 that the FDA had warned against.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Recently on her show, Ingraham has discussed Fauci\u2019s diary entries that Sen. Paul released. She called Fauci a \u201clittle man with a big ego\u201d and had Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on her show to blast Fauci\u2019s \u201cmismanagement\u201d of the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A representative who was among those who accompanied Fauci tried to speak without being recognized, angering Paul and leading to the man\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cHe is not recognized by the committee or the chair. If he speaks again, he will be removed from the room,\u201d Paul said. \u201cThis testimony is from Anthony Fauci. This is not a game with his lawyers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Paul said Fauci\u2019s representatives and advisers \u201care all allowed to talk to him. &#8230; But the attorneys are not recognized\u201d to address lawmakers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When the man persisted, Paul summoned Capitol Police.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cPlease remove him from the room,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Sen. Gary Peters, the ranking Democrat, said he wanted to hear what Fauci\u2019s counsel had to say. The Republican chair quipped back that Fauci \u201cwill still have the advice of the other half a dozen attorneys that he brought along today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Before President Joe Biden left office, he gave Fauci a preemptive <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-trump-fauci-milley-pardons-january-6-3cba287f89051513fb48d7ae700ae747\">\u201cfull and unconditional\u201d pardon<\/a>, dating back to 2014. So, why would Fauci need to invoke the Fifth now?<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The decision may center on several Republicans\u2019 comments that Fauci could still be criminally prosecuted for perjury if he lies under oath.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist before entering office, was among the Trump allies suggesting that possibility this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fauci said in his opening statement that he believed Paul wanted him to testify so he could say something that might justify his arrest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Kentucky senator is an ophthalmologist who\u2019s conversant, if not fluent, in the language of scientific and medical research.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">And with Fauci pleading the Fifth, Paul is free to go through his account of the record, asking detailed questions he knows the witness will not answer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">He\u2019s asked about NIH funding of Chinese research.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fauci responded: \u201cOn the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The senator delved into details about virus mutations and the dangers of such research.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fauci stuck to his script: \u201cOn the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">And throughout their exchange, Paul weaved in his analysis of Fauci\u2019s actions to frame the one-sided conversation his way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Fifth Amendment is a constitutional protection against self-incrimination during questioning by law enforcement authorities and Congress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">By invoking it, witnesses are not acknowledging any criminal liability at all, and many people who profess their absolute innocence choose to exercise their right to remain silent. Witnesses who do so are able to avoid testimony they think could be damning or that they fear could be used against them by zealous interrogators or prosecutors determined to use their own words against them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In the case of Fauci, for instance, some Republicans have talked openly about their desire to see the doctor prosecuted, and in opting to invoke his rights, Fauci cited his concern that Republican Sen. Rand Paul would try to elicit testimony that \u201ccould vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Many scientists believe the virus most likely emerged in nature and jumped from animals to people, coming to light when it spread at a wildlife market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">There\u2019s no new scientific information supporting that the virus might instead have leaked from a laboratory, a theory Paul champions. A GOP-led subcommittee that studied the question in 2024 did not find any evidence linking Fauci to wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fauci has long said publicly that he was open to both theories but that there\u2019s more evidence supporting COVID-19\u2019s natural origins, the way other deadly viruses, including coronavirus cousins SARS and MERS, jumped into people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fox News reporter Trey Yingst, who\u2019s based in the Middle East, said in an on-air segment that he spoke with Trump on Wednesday and the president told him the United States will hit back hard in response to the attacks in Jordan from Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Iran launched a <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/iran\">barrage of missiles<\/a> at American forces in the region early Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the panel, says Paul\u2019s hearing is a partisan exercise and that the chairman has denied the minority access to some of the evidentiary record he\u2019s cited.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Paul called that \u201ccategorically false.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Peters tried to pivot to the Trump administration\u2019s cuts to the federal work force and the departure of career scientists from the government\u2019s public health programs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The senator said Trump\u2019s policies have slowed the response to the ongoing cyclospora outbreak and added that \u201ccuts to global health programs and international partnerships have greatly reduced our ability to contain dangerous diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">That\u2019s more important than \u201crelitigating the past,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cWe should be asking how to strengthen our bio defense efforts to deter our adversaries and prevent biological attacks against our country,\u201d while assessing \u201chow our government can better coordinate and communicate during public health emergencies,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In his remarks at the top of the hearing, Fauci accused Sen. Paul of having an \u201cobvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThe only conclusion that I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">He said he would refrain from answering questions upon advice from his attorneys.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A draft of the 85-year-old\u2019s opening statement shows he won\u2019t be getting into the details Sen. Paul wants to discuss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Anyone under oath has the right to cite the Constitution\u2019s Fifth Amendment that ensures no person can be compelled to give self-incriminating testimony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fauci\u2019s decision diminishes the potential for fireworks between Fauci and the chairman. But it also could give Paul a relatively uninterrupted platform to frame his arguments on the pandemic, its origins and the federal response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The senator is trying to build the case that Fauci and other officials helped produce the COVID-19 pandemic by approving funding of research on virus mutations and then covered up their complicity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fauci\u2019s lawyers and his supporters vehemently deny those accusations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Paul said Fauci should admit that \u201cfunding this research in China\u201d was \u201ca mistake\u201d and that he made false statements during the pandemic \u2014 including to Congress \u2014 that the virus was not conceived in a laboratory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cYour primary concern was hiding the fact that you had approved funding for this dangerous research,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The senator called Fauci\u2019s \u201ccategorical public denials indefensible\u201d and said he has \u201cdestroyed trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has opened its hearing with Fauci.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The physician and immunologist who helped lead the U.S government response to the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to face aggressive questioning from Republican members, especially Chairman Rand Paul of Kentucky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Paul has for years questioned the origins of the COVID virus and federal health officials\u2019 accounts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The senator already has released reams of Fauci\u2019s diary entries during the pandemic and said that what scientist \u201cwrote privately and what he told the country are two different stories.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Federal officials involved in the <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/comey-indicted-seashell-photo-86-47-a7fdd67891a7f74bc6fd8ce4d3d4170a\">prosecution of James Comey <\/a> misled judges, submitted false statements and withheld key facts during the course of the investigation, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.nced.227449\/gov.uscourts.nced.227449.40.0.pdf\">according to new defense filings<\/a> that seek the dismissal of a case charging the former FBI director with threatening President Trump on social media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Lawyers for Comey made the allegations of misconduct in motions filed late Tuesday that also call the case a vindictive and selective prosecution, request access to transcripts of grand jury proceedings to expose what they say are \u201cirregularities\u201d in how the indictment was secured, and describe \u201cunlawful\u201d surveillance of Comey by the Secret Service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Taken together, the new motions, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/james-comey-seashells-trump-justice-department-068769e0ebf826a069212ab273915791\">along with an earlier one this week<\/a> that called Comey\u2019s social media post protected speech and not a threat, represent a multiprong defense effort to dismantle a case defense lawyers say exemplifies a Trump administration retribution campaign <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/918b94ad77454a03b27324e8a10e0192\"> targeting one of the president\u2019s most vocal critics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u25b6 <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/justice-department-comey-fbi-seashells-c6a7fbbbedba3c3a26f472a5839bce59\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Roughly six weeks before the first midterm ballots <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/elections-and-campaigns\/table-7-when-states-mail-out-absentee-mail-ballots\">are mailed out<\/a>, the U.S. Postal Service is emerging as a pivotal player in an election season that will determine control of Congress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">President Donald Trump is seeking greater control over mail balloting through an executive order while a change to how the agency processes mail is leading to criticism that it\u2019s failing to deliver ballots on time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Democratic officials have raised concerns over the past week about how quickly the Postal Service will process ballots after tens of thousands of them in California and hundreds in Wisconsin arrived at local election offices too late to be counted in elections earlier this year. The top election offices in Kansas and Michigan are urging voters who want to cast their ballots early to avoid the mail and instead drop them off in person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Postal Service replied to those concerns Tuesday by saying it remains \u201ccommitted to fulfilling our role in the electoral process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u25b6 <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mail-ballots-postal-service-trump-midterms-b6eff42e8bd33e6b99468489f9f889aa\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. scientist who helped <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/health-d9ca855cbf3589e9443a710341129681\">lead the nation\u2019s<\/a> COVID-19 pandemic response, is set to face off \u2014 again \u2014 with a Republican senator probing the <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/covid-origins-animal-lab-leak-china-trump-5e0f66341e440181d7335e3857a3da7a\">origins of the coronavirus.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky subpoenaed Fauci to appear before a Senate committee Wednesday. It\u2019s part of Paul\u2019s <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/science-health-government-and-politics-coronavirus-pandemic-ec75a3b9505409e12aa6f65d3170ad26\">yearslong accusations<\/a> that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied about the pandemic, something <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fauci-covid-pandemic-origin-congress-a66625482f25824476ee315484790230\">Fauci has called \u201cpreposterous.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Leading up to the hearing, Paul released more than a thousand pages of Fauci\u2019s personal diary covering the pandemic years. Pointing to some notes about early efforts at understanding how the virus emerged, Paul wrote on the social media platform X that what Fauci \u201cwrote privately and what he told the country are two different stories.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But they\u2019re likely to further inflame a partisan divide that, years after the pandemic, still makes Fauci a <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-donald-trump-joe-biden-science-health-80ad119f24f6e7d2e1342429403fde70\">target of vitriol<\/a> from people who blame him for mask mandates and other policies they believe infringed on their rights as hundreds of thousands of people were dying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">\u25b6 <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fauci-covid19-pandemic-senate-rand-paul-a774a79e46824ebec9e8e270b9cb9825\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky subpoenaed Fauci to appear before a Senate committee. It\u2019s part of Paul\u2019s yearslong accusations that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/f317e768-a0ac-48aa-a773-340b7cac96b4\/wirestory_37660e6a4a555c739376cf9e2e96e94f_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21348"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21348\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}