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Senate Republicans have voted to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress.It sounds impressive until you examine what happens next.The Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the resolution after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times rather than answer questions about COVID, government-funded virus research and the origins of the pandemic.Republicans immediately began talking about accountability and a possible referral to the Justice Department.There is just one huge problem.The contempt resolution would have to overcome a Democratic filibuster before the full Senate could approve the normal DOJ referral.That means Republicans effectively need 60 votes.They do not have 60 votes. They know they do not have 60 votes. They also know Democrats are not going to help them prosecute Anthony Fauci.This resolution is going nowhere.That makes the entire performance look like smoke and mirrors.Senate Republicans hold a hearing. They deliver angry speeches. They conduct a dramatic committee vote. They send fundraising emails and appear on television claiming they are fighting for accountability.Then the proposal quietly dies because everyone involved knew from the beginning that it could never clear the Senate.We have seen this routine before.Republicans want credit for fighting without accepting responsibility for producing an actual result. They know conservative voters want Fauci forced to answer questions, so they create the appearance of action while relying on Senate procedure to protect them from having to deliver.Senator Rand Paul says he will send the committee referral directly to DOJ, bypassing the full Senate. DOJ can read it, but without the traditional full-Senate vote, the department is not required to treat it as a formal congressional contempt referral.In other words, this is more useless BS from Senate Republicans.If they are serious, force the full Senate vote. Make Democrats conduct their filibuster in public. Put every senator on record, then pursue Fauci’s emails, phone records, agency documents and communications.Stop pretending a committee resolution that everyone knows will die is accountability.It is not accountability.It is political theater.Are you tired of Senate Republicans pretending to fight while producing absolutely nothing?Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Congressional Research Service