Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his controversial record leading the nation’s health department, as Democrats argued his changes on vaccines threatened public health in America and pushed back against his proposed budget cuts.
On Thursday, Kennedy kicked off a marathon of seven congressional hearings where lawmakers grilled him for the first time in more than seven months. The hearings will continue through next week.
Kennedy’s health department has recently undergone a major leadership shake-up, and he’s leaned into his messaging around food and nutrition as GOP pollsters warn of the political risks of vaccine skepticism ahead of the midterms. But for roughly four hours Thursday morning, lawmakers quizzed him on vaccines, fraud in federal government programs and the budget request for his department. Another hearing is occurring Thursday afternoon.
Kennedy highlighted efforts to phase out synthetic food dyes, overhaul dietary guidelines and strike deals with pharmaceutical companies.
“Our children are the sickest generation in modern history — and decades of failed policy, captured agencies and profit-driven systems have caused it,” Kennedy said at Thursday morning’s hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee. “Parents across this country demanded change — and we are delivering it.”
Here are four takeaways from the hearings so far.
Kennedy stays largely on message — so far
Kennedy is known for speaking off the cuff, sharing conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine claims. But in recent months, he has adopted administration talking points around affordability and nutrition as the upcoming midterm elections loom — and he’s stayed on message in podcasts and on a national “Take Back Your Health” tour.
Lawmakers confronted Kennedy about his past controversial statements. In a fiery exchange, Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Alabama) referred to comments he made on a 2024 online show suggesting Black children who are on medications such as Adderall and SSRIs should be “re-parented.” Kennedy said he’d like to hear the recording (the recording shows him saying such remarks).
Democrats argued Kennedy is not doing enough to combat fraud, while Republicans praised his efforts and Kennedy blamed President Joe Biden’s administration for not doing enough to crack down on fraud.
Kennedy largely stayed on message during the first few hours of the hearing. He got testy with Democrats, at one point accusing them of giving speeches for fundraising purposes instead of letting him answer questions. Several Democrats made a point to praise Kennedy’s family legacy before criticizing him, leading Kennedy at one point to note “I’m a lifelong Democrat.”
Democratic lawmakers are looking to exploit any perceived daylight between the secretary and the administration, and force him off message over hours of hearings. The party is also seeking to argue Kennedy has led a chaotic first year amid leadership turnover at the agencies he oversees, according to multiple Hill aides.
In past congressional hearings, Kennedy also has appeared confrontational with members of Congress, personally attacking senators and blaming them for America’s life expectancy crisis. White House officials have quickly highlighted made-for-TV moments on social media, and Democrats are preparing how to better handle his attacks that have centered on campaign funding and pharmaceutical influence, according to one Hill aide.
The most anticipated showdown is with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), the chairman of the Senate health committee who cast the deciding vote to make Kennedy secretary but has since clashed with him on vaccine issues. That hearing will be Wednesday, and comes as President Donald Trump has endorsed Cassidy’s primary opponent during this year’s reelection.
Democrats quiz Kennedy on vaccines
A federal judge last month blocked Kennedy’s sweeping changes to the childhood immunization schedule and his reconstitution of a federal vaccine advisory panel. A 13-page statement posted ahead of the Thursday afternoon hearing does not mention vaccines nor immunizations, nor do prepared remarks for the morning hearing.
Questions around vaccines have led to some of the most revealing and heated moments at congressional hearings last year.
On Thursday, Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-California) said the country’s rising measles outbreaks horrify her, arguing Kennedy’s past anti-vaccine rhetoric has contributed to them. She asked whether he agreed with doctors that the measles vaccine could have saved the life of an unvaccinated child who died of measles complications in Texas.
“It’s possible, certainly,” Kennedy replied.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved to eliminate a long-standing recommendation for all newborns to receive a hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth, which public health experts have credited with dramatically reducing infections. The move is on hold by a federal judge.
Rep. Judy Chu (D-California) criticized the decision, telling a story of a friend and city council member in her district who died of liver cancer. Kennedy, who has repeatedly questioned why newborns should receive the shot, called hepatitis B a “terrible disease,” but said the vaccine has not been safety tested and parents should be allowed to question its risk profile. Health authorities say the shot is safe.
Kennedy nods to his MAHA movement
The Make America Healthy Again movement that Kennedy champions has faced some rough patches in recent weeks.
The confirmation of Casey Means, Trump’s surgeon general nominee who wrote the book widely considered the bible of the MAHA movement, has stalled. Key movement leaders were upset over the administration’s embrace of a widely used weedkiller.
The White House recently hosted top MAHA advocates for a listening session on pesticides and other issues important to the movement, featuring top policy advisers and a brief meeting with Trump. The MAHA advocates said they were happy the White House made a concerted effort to listen to them.
Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada) got into a particularly feisty exchange with Kennedy, pressing him if he was consulted on EPA rollbacks on protections against heavy metals. Kennedy said he hadn’t been and that it wasn’t his agency. Kennedy went on to remark as Horsford raised his voice, “People scream when they don’t have much to say.”
During the hearing, Kennedy said he plans to remake membership of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a move that has been expected since last year. The panel of independent experts provides recommendations for health screenings and other preventative care. The group’s recommendations often determine what is covered by insurance.
Republicans also widely praised his efforts on nutrition.
“The greatest thing that your administration has done is bring highlighting to the fact that food is medicine,” said Rep. Greg Murphy (R-North Carolina), a physician.
Kennedy defends budget cuts
Many of the congressional hearings are ostensibly to discuss the White House’s budget request for the health department, though lawmakers typically take the opportunity to quiz the secretary on myriad issues.
The White House’s fiscal 2027 budget somewhat mirrors the cuts that Trump proposed last year, as well as seeking to consolidate several agencies into the Administration for a Healthy America. But lawmakers last year mostly snubbed the requests.
In a notable exchange with Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin), who pushed him on how the Trump administration could cut programs meant to help children’s nutrition, Kennedy said he wasn’t happy about the cuts.
“Nobody wants to make the cuts,” he said, but pointed to the nation’s debt as a necessary reason to do so.
In response to another Democratic lawmaker’s question on potential cuts, Kennedy said, “we now having to tighten our belt,” accusing Congress of racking up a large national debt.
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