Lawmakers scrutinize Kennedy on reductions in workforce, funding halts, and alterations in policies at the health department
In the Capitol:
Partisan voices erupted on Wednesday, taking aim at U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Critics from both the red and the blue benches voiced their worries over Kennedy's approach, accusing him of undermining healthcare, research, and public trust.
At the heart of the debate lies a whirlwind of staffing cuts, budget freezes, and transformative policies overseen by Kennedy in his first few months in office. Critics claim he has jeopardized vaccinations, investigations into cancer, and oral health.
In a series of heated exchanges during Senate and House hearings, Kennedy defended the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the substantial, $1.7 trillion-a-year agency. He insisted the reforms aim to create a more effective department, focusing on promoting healthier lifestyles among the American public.
"This department is in a state of disorder; it's chaotic," Kennedy declared during the Senate hearing. "We're aiming to organize so we can swiftly exploit the numerous opportunities we have to deliver superior healthcare services to American citizens."
Throughout these confrontational encounters, lawmakers questioned Kennedy's understanding of his own department, as he struggled to provide precise details about staffing reductions.
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat, noted, "It has been evident that you've been unable to answer most of my department's specific questions."
Kennedy countered, claiming he hadn't been given the opportunity to respond in detail. In return, he sometimes called the lawmakers' own health policy knowledge into question.
Kennedy testified to explain the department's staff downsize - from 82,000 to 62,000 workers - and to champion the White House's budget request, which includes a $500 million boost for Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, while slashing funds for infectious disease prevention, medical research, and maternal health programs.
He admitted that he persuaded the White House to reinstate funding for Head Start, a federally financed preschool program for low-income families. However, lawmakers shared stories of job losses and budget limitations affecting their constituents.
One Washington state mother, Natalie, faced treatment delays for Stage 4 cancer at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center, according to Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. The clinical center is known as the "House of Hope," but when Murray pressed Kennedy to reveal how many jobs had been lost there, he could not answer. The president's budget proposes a nearly $20 billion cut to the NIH.
"You are standing before us defending the NIH's decimation," Murray asserted. "Do you truly believe this won't result in more stories like Natalie's?" Kennedy disputed Murray's account.
Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey wondered why Kennedy would lay off nearly all the staff in charge of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4.1 billion in heating aid to needy families. The program is on the verge of being eliminated from the agency's budget.
Kennedy claimed that experts had warned him these cuts could lead to fatalities, but President Trump believes his energy plan will reduce costs. If that fails, Kennedy pledged to restore funds for the program.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska stated that such savings would arrive too late for her state's residents.
"People in Alaska still require those outdated generators to stay warm," she said.
Murkowski was one of several Republicans voicing concerns about Kennedy's leadership throughout the hearings.
While several Republicans commended Kennedy for his work promoting healthy eating, they expressed worries about a lack of concrete evidence that artificial food dyes are hazardous for diets. Removing such food dyes would harm businesses like the makers of M&M's candy in these lawmakers' districts.
Republican Rep. Mike Simpson, a dentist from Idaho, expressed concern about Kennedy's intention to remove fluoride recommendations for drinking water. The department's press release on Tuesday, announcing the Food and Drug Administration's plans to remove fluoride supplements for children from the market, erroneously claimed that fluoride "kills bacteria in the mouth." Simpson corrected Kennedy, explaining that fluoride doesn't kill bacteria but rather makes tooth enamel more resistant to decay.
"I'll tell you that if you eliminate fluoride... we'll need a significant increase in dental education because we'll require many more dentists," Simpson added.
Kennedy was repeatedly questioned over the mixed messages he's conveyed on vaccines, which public health experts believe are hampering efforts to contain the growing measles outbreak now affecting at least 11 states.
In response to Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, Kennedy refused to endorse the United States' childhood vaccination schedule, which includes shots for measles, polio, and whooping cough. Instead, he incorrectly claimed that the vaccines hadn't been safety tested against a placebo.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican and chairman of the health committee, won a series of commitments from Kennedy that he would not modify existing vaccine guidance and maintain his commitment to the nation's health department. Cassidy, correcting Kennedy, pointed out that rotavirus, measles, and HPV vaccines recommended for children had all been tested in placebo studies.
As health secretary, Kennedy has characterized the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, a shot given to children to provide immunity from all three diseases, as "leaky," although it offers lifetime protection from the measles for most people. He's also suggested that these vaccines cause deaths, although no such cases have been documented among healthy people.
"You have undercut the critical role vaccines play in preventing disease during the most significant measles outbreak in 25 years," independent Sen. Bernie Sanders stated.
This material is authored by the Associated Press.
For Further Reading:
- Opinions - Hiltzik: RFK Jr.'s vaccine testing plans are highly unethical and a threat to your health. Here's why
- Lawsuits - California and other states file lawsuits to block Trump administration cuts to health department
- Program Elimination - Cuts have led to the elimination of more than a dozen U.S. government health-tracking programs.
- Kennedy's approach in the Health and Human Services department has been questioned by politicians from both sides of the aisle.
- Critics accuse Kennedy of undermining healthcare, research, and public trust.
- The debate revolves around staffing cuts, budget freezes, and transformative policies enacted by Kennedy.
- Kennedy has been criticized for jeopardizing vaccinations, investigations into cancer, and oral health.
- Kennedy insists the reforms aim to create a more effective department, focusing on promoting healthier lifestyles.
- Lawmakers have questioned Kennedy's understanding of his own department during heated exchanges in Senate and House hearings.
- According to Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Kennedy has been unable to answer specific questions about staffing reductions.
- Kennedy claims he hasn't been given the opportunity to respond in detail and sometimes questions the lawmakers' health policy knowledge.
- Kennedy testified to explain the department's staff downsize and to champion the White House's budget request.
- The budget proposal includes a $500 million boost for Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative while slashing funds for infectious disease prevention, medical research, and maternal health programs.
- Kennedy admits persuading the White House to reinstate funding for Head Start, a preschool program for low-income families.
- Lawmakers share stories of job losses and budget limitations affecting their constituents.
- One Washington state mother, Natalie, faced treatment delays for Stage 4 cancer at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center.
- The president's budget proposes a nearly $20 billion cut to the NIH, which Murray claims will lead to more stories like Natalie's.
- Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman voices concerns about Kennedy's intention to lay off nearly all the staff in charge of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
- The program provides heating aid to needy families and is on the verge of being eliminated from the agency's budget.
- Kennedy claims that experts have warned him these cuts could lead to fatalities, but Trump believes his energy plan will reduce costs.
- Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski states that such savings would arrive too late for her state's residents.
- While several Republicans commend Kennedy for his work promoting healthy eating, they express worries about a lack of concrete evidence that artificial food dyes are hazardous for diets.
- Removing such food dyes would harm businesses like the makers of M&M's candy in these lawmakers' districts.
- Republican Rep. Mike Simpson expresses concern about Kennedy's intention to remove fluoride recommendations for drinking water.
- Simpson corrects Kennedy, explaining that fluoride doesn't kill bacteria but rather makes tooth enamel more resistant to decay, and states that if fluoride is eliminated, more dentists will be needed.
