BREAKING: Paul threatens Fauci over Fifth Amendment silence and boots his attorney!
Republican lawmakers are intensifying calls for greater scrutiny of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s pandemic-era decisions and public statements.
Fauci refused to answer questions from members of a Senate committee at a hearing on Wednesday about his actions as the government’s top infectious disease expert during the COVID pandemic.
Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul lit into Fauci to begin the hearing and threatened “repercussions” for Fauci for invoking his 5th Amendment right to refuse to answer questions.
“Dr. Fauci, would you like to at least answer this one question for us today and let us know whether or not you’ve changed your mind on whether or not the benefits of gain-of-function research outweigh the risks?” Rand asked.
“On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution,” Fauci replied.
“The chairman has denied your assertion of privilege and directed you to answer, but you nonetheless
Paul declared: “The committee will have to consider, after this hearing, what appropriate action should be taken against you for the failure to testify after being directed to do so. It’s against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress. There will be repercussions to your refusal to testify today.”
Paul has long argued that Fauci should see prison time, alleging he lied to Congress as far back as 2021.
“It’s a felony punishable by five years in jail,” Paul told Fox News host Sean Hannity in September of 2021.
“I don’t think Biden Department of Justice will do anything with it, but … it is very dangerous to have public officials who we need to have trust in coming and lying to us. But he has lied dozens of times. Usually he tells us it’s for our own good,” Paul said.
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Things also got heated when Paul removed one of Fauci’s lawyers from the hearing after the lawyer
“You will respect these proceedings. You were told not to sit at the table. You insist on sitting at the table. And we told you you would not be recognized. You are not invited here for testimony, sir. You are being disruptive,” Paul declared.
“Would you behave this way in a courtroom? No, because the judge would put you in jail. I can’t do that today, but I can have you escorted from the premises,” Paul added.
“So I would say, sir, sit quietly and don’t say another word. I said sit quietly. You are not recognized. Another word and you’re gone,” Paul declared.
After another back-and-forth and the attorney’s refusal to listen, Paul then had security remove him from the room.
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Before the hearing, President Donald Trump lashed out at Fauci.
“‘Operation Warp Speed’ was a SPECTACULAR SUCCESS, in fact, many say, one of the most successful things ever done by an American President. I overrode Fauci on this. His ideas were CRAZY,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.
“‘Operation Warp Speed’ was a SPECTACULAR SUCCESS, in fact, many say, one of the most successful things ever done by an American President. I overrode Fauci on this. His ideas were CRAZY,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.
“I Inherited Fauci, who was there since the 1980’s, but with each passing day, relied less and less on him. He made too many bad calls, like on MASKS. Remember at the beginning he was an anti-masker. He then switched to a super-masker. In any event I didn’t let him shut the Country down, although he wanted to,” Trump continued.
House Passes Bill To Restore Dignity of Work for Disabled Americans
The House of Representatives took a decisive step this week to empower Americans with disabilities who want to work.
House lawmakers passed legislation that renews the Social Security Administration’s ability to test
H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, sponsored by Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., cleared the House by a vote of 232-188.
The measure now moves to the Senate, where it has been referred to the Committee on Finance.
At its core, the bill reauthorizes the Social Security Administration’s authority to conduct demonstration projects under the Social Security Disability Insurance program through December 31, 2030, with projects able to run until the end of 2031.
That authority expired in 2022.
The projects allow the SSA to temporarily test changes in program rules designed to encourage beneficiaries who are able and willing to return to the workforce.
Participation is strictly voluntary, and the legislation requires that no participant see a reduction in their total income.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., underscored the urgent need for the bill during floor debate.
“With over 60 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance recipients expressing an interest in returning to the workforce but less than one percent leaving the program because of a successful return to work each year, the Social Security Administration’s complex rules and regulations are clearly failing to deliver for too many Americans,” Smith said.
“Giving the SSA the authority to test innovative ways to better help disabled Americans pursue gainful employment is pure common sense, and this legislation goes a step further to ensure participation in any new system is both voluntary and will not reduce a beneficiary’s total income,” Smith added.
Smith further noted the “gigantic gap” between those who want to work and those who successfully do so under current rules.
Fear of benefit cliffs, overpayments, and confusing eligibility requirements often discourage people from trying.
The bill restores a proven tool—demonstration authority—that previously allowed the SSA to experiment with better approaches without locking in permanent policy changes until results are known.
The importance of this legislation cannot be overstated.
For decades, the disability insurance program has operated with rigid rules that, however well-intentioned, create powerful disincentives to work.
Many beneficiaries report wanting employment and the independence it brings, yet the system’s structure can punish efforts to earn income by threatening the loss of benefits or creating administrative nightmares.
By reauthorizing carefully designed, voluntary demonstration projects with clear evaluation metrics and income protections, H.R. 8884 prioritizes opportunity over dependency.
This is classic conservative reform: expand pathways to self-reliance, test what works, protect individuals from harm during the testing process, and reject the notion that government benefits should permanently sideline capable people.
It affirms the dignity of work while recognizing that disability does not equal inability.
Expanding the authority to include more individuals, including blind Americans, further strengthens the measure’s reach.
The bill advanced with bipartisan support in the Ways and Means Committee and drew some Democratic votes on the House floor, reflecting broad recognition that the current system falls short.
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Yet Republican leadership drove the effort, focusing on practical solutions rather than expanded entitlements or permanent rule changes without evidence.
Next, the Senate must consider and pass the legislation before it can reach President Trump’s desk.
