AP Photo/Allison Robbert
On August 6, Senate Republicans on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold 85-year old public health patriot Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress.
The Republicans on the Senate panel referred the contempt resolution to the Justice Department without full-Senate vote, a likely illegal act. On August 7, 2026 Stand Up for Science published our Stand Up for Fauci Petition to Congress to rescind the contempt referral to the Justice Department immediately.
Please read and sign our SUFS Petition below, demanding Congress rescind the resolution now.
PETITION TO CONGRESS IN SUPPORT OF DR. ANTHONY FAUCI AND AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH
Republicans are using the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to attack Dr. Anthony Fauci, attempting to hold him solely responsible for the COVID pandemic, despite the fact that the Trump Administration was at the helm for the first year of the pandemic response. These attacks leverage political pandemic grievances to try to rewrite COVID history, criminalize science, and destroy trust in public health policy. Historical examples of regimes turning on their scientists do not set a good precedent for this moment.
In his fifty years as a leading US public health official and advisor to presidents, Dr. Fauci led with his commitment to protect the health of ALL Americans. Patriotically and humbly, he led the fights against the top viral scourges of our age: HIV/AIDS, SARS, the Swine flu, MERS, Ebola, and COVID-19.
The public smear campaign against Dr. Fauci, including now contempt charges, is an unconcealed warning to any future public health or scientific advisors: this administration will vilify any science leader for political favor, even truth-telling public health leaders like Dr. Fauci. Future scientists weighing that potential risk may avoid public service altogether, adding to the growing void of scientific expertise in government.
Villainizing a dedicated public health expert and falsifying lessons from the COVID response does not help us prepare for the next public health crisis – it makes us more vulnerable.
Our health is under attack. Scientific expertise is under attack. Truth itself is under attack.
Congress must immediately rescind the contempt resolution referral to the Justice Department and stand up for a future where health is supported by science.