Yesterday, in a statement posted on the website of the federal agency he runs, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced his retirement in December, one month before Republicans are expected to take control of the House of Representatives and maybe the Senate.

I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden. I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career.

As Sister Toldjah notes at RedState:

Apparently, the "next phase" of Fauci's career will include collecting a sweet pension and possibly avoiding having to answer before Congress under oath as to what he knew about the origins of COVID-19 and U.S. gain of research funding:

Fauci's federal pension will pay $350K per year, highest ever -- and by retiring he'll probably be able to avoid testifying before Chairman @RandPaul's committee.https://t.co/yHf0mejcQp

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) August 22, 2022

Missouri Senate nominee Eric Schmitt was among the many Republicans who weighed in on Fauci’s announcement by suggesting his retirement will not stop them from calling on him to testify.

"Anthony Fauci has just announced he's stepping aside in December — just before Republicans take the House & Senate back," Schmitt tweeted after the news was announced. "My advice to Fauci: Clear your 2023 calendar for Senate hearings that will focus on your lies & deceit that destroyed lives & livelihoods."

Twitter video screen grab.

Rand Paul, Fauci's foremost antagonist (and a medical doctor who actually treats patients, unlike Fauci), is not about to let him off the hook:

Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 22, 2022

Dr. Deane Waldman offers a helpful compendium of Fauci's lies at The Federalist, something useful for both House and Senate Republicans.  Now that the Democrats have prosecuted Steve Bannon for ignoring a congressional subpoena, the precedent should be helpful in dragging Fauci in for the hearings he so clearly merits.