Paul opens Fauci hearing by saying COVID lockdown could never have been 'inflicted' without him

Sen. Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, began the panel's hearing Wednesday for subpoenaed testimony from Dr. Anthony Fauci by arguing the infectious disease doctor led efforts to effectively lock down the country during the pandemic that has resulted in long-standing, damaging results.  

"The COVID lockdown could never have been inflicted without you aiding and abetting the crisis," Paul said in opening testimony. "Children lost years of education."

Paul continued by saying that leaders across all government and industry bear responsibility for such losses but Fauci, as the country's top infectious disease doctor, bore exceptional responsibility with his words and actions having led to the closure of New York and California public school systems. 

Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for four decades, including during the coronavirus pandemic.

He agreed to testify involuntarily on Wednesday before the Senate panel.

Paul, a Kentucky Republican, has accused Fauci of funding "gain-of-function" research in China that created the virus and started the pandemic and of lying about it to Congress.

 Earlier this week, Paul released over 1,100 pages of Fauci's typewritten notes amid the pandemic that has sparked renewed interest about what he might have thought about the start of the virus versus what he said publicly. 

Fauci has a pre-emptive pardon from former President Joe Biden, but the pardon protects him only from federal prosecution for actions taken through the date it was issued, Jan. 19, 2025, which appears to not cover what he will say Wednesday.