Stand Up for Science pushes Congress to drop Fauci contempt referral

Stand Up for Science is urging Congress to rescind the contempt referral tied to Dr. Anthony Fauci and calling the move a threat to public health trust. The petition, posted Friday and signed by more than 5,700 people, comes after Senate Republicans on Aug. 6 voted to hold Fauci in contempt over his Fifth Amendment invocation.

Why it matters: - Stand Up for Science says the contempt case against Dr. Anthony Fauci is bigger than one hearing. - The group argues the fight could weaken trust in public health experts before the next crisis. - The petition is aimed at protecting scientific civil servants and evidence-based policymaking.

What happened: - Stand Up for Science published a petition on its website Friday and is asking Congress to rescind the contempt referral tied to Fauci. - The petition calls on Congress to "immediately rescind the contempt resolution referral to the Justice Department" and to "stand up for science, public health, and civil servants in the country." - More than 5,700 people had signed the petition so far. - The petition follows an Aug. 6 vote by Senate Republicans on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he pleaded the Fifth Amendment during a congressional hearing. - The committee referred the contempt resolution to the Justice Department without a full Senate vote.

The details: - The petition says Senate Republicans are running a public smear campaign against public health experts. - The group warns that efforts to villainize those experts could leave the country more vulnerable in the next public health emergency. - Colette Delawalla, founder and CEO of Stand Up for Science, said Republicans are trying to exploit a six-year-old dispute over COVID-era masks and distract voters ahead of the midterms. - Delawalla said the attack on Fauci is also an attack on public health experts and science itself. - Delawalla said Fauci used his constitutional rights to protect himself from what she described as a hearing held in bad faith. - Delawalla also said Todd Blanche's nomination to lead the Justice Department could lead to more bad-faith efforts against science and expertise.

Between the lines: - The petition is not just about Fauci. It is a broader push to frame the contempt fight as part of a wider battle over science, public health, and political trust. - The rhetoric suggests Stand Up for Science sees the referral as a warning sign for how federal officials may treat experts in future political fights. - The timing, with midterms ahead, points to a dispute that is becoming as political as it is procedural.

What's next: - Stand Up for Science says it will keep collecting signatures and inviting the public to back science, truth, and evidence-based decision-making. - The group says Delawalla is available for comment. - The Justice Department referral could shape the next stage of the contempt process.

The bottom line: - Stand Up for Science is turning the Fauci contempt fight into a broader campaign to defend public health expertise and limit political attacks on science.