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6d ago

RFK Jr. Faces Congressional Scrutiny Over HHS Cuts and Vaccine Stance

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defends sweeping budget cuts and reorganization while declining to recommend vaccines during hearings on Capitol Hill.

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U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as he attends a press conference in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during an event in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before a House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

Overview

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before key House and Senate committees, defending the Trump administration's $94 billion HHS budget proposal, which includes significant cuts to NIH and CDC funding.
  • Kennedy cited a court order preventing him from discussing details of the HHS reorganization, which has led to 20,000 job cuts and over 100 lawsuits challenging its legality.
  • During a measles outbreak with over 1,000 cases and three fatalities, Kennedy refused to recommend vaccines, stating his opinions were irrelevant and that people should not take medical advice from him.
  • Protesters disrupted the Senate hearing, accusing Kennedy of undermining public health, while lawmakers from both parties pressed him on the impact of cuts to health research and public health programs.
  • Kennedy argued that the reorganization and budget cuts aim to eliminate waste and improve efficiency, but critics warned of long-term harm to public health and research efforts.