Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is considering becoming the top Republican on the Senate Health Committee next year, a move that could place him opposite Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who is expected to lead the panel. Paul said Monday that he has not made a final decision but sees the position as an opportunity to challenge Sanders’ policy agenda.

“There’s probably not a better spot to be in Congress to oppose socialism than to be opposed to the No. 1 socialist in the Senate,” Paul said, according to Semafor, which first reported his interest Tuesday. He added that he has had several debates with Sanders over the years and expects further disagreements regardless of whether he takes the position.

Paul currently chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Taking the health committee position would require him to give up that leadership role. He currently has the seniority to seek the top Republican position on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, where Republicans are preparing for a transition into the minority after Democrats take control of the Senate in January.

The leadership opening follows the departure of current HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who lost his reelection bid. Murkowski’s plans to pursue the top Republican position on the Senate Appropriations Committee could further clear the way for Paul to take the health committee post.

Paul, an ophthalmologist, has spent years challenging federal public health officials, particularly former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, over the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their disputes centered on lockdowns, mask requirements, the origins of the coronavirus, and federal funding for research conducted at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Paul repeatedly accused Fauci of misleading Congress about the research funding, while Fauci rejected the allegations and defended his pandemic recommendations. Their confrontations continued after the pandemic, including a recent appearance by Fauci before the Homeland Security Committee under subpoena, where he declined to answer questions while invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has also expressed interest in becoming the committee's top Republican if more senior members pass on the position. Hawley said he would allow those senators to make their decisions without pressure, acknowledging that Paul and other senior Republicans have priority under the committee's seniority system.

A leadership change would put Paul in a central role in congressional oversight of federal health agencies, medical research and public health policy. The committee also has jurisdiction over education and labor issues, giving its leaders a broad platform for hearings and legislative debates in the next Congress.