Additional Coverage:
WASHINGTON — HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense questioning from Democratic lawmakers Wednesday during back-to-back congressional hearings on the agency’s proposed budget and recent mass layoffs. Kennedy’s past statements on vaccines dominated the hearings, sparking heated exchanges.
While the hearings were intended to address the HHS budget and layoffs, the focus quickly shifted to Kennedy’s stance on vaccines. Amidst ongoing measles outbreaks nationwide, Kennedy offered hesitant support for the MMR vaccine but also repeated unsubstantiated claims about its safety and effectiveness.
During the House Appropriations Committee hearing, Kennedy stated he would “probably” vaccinate his children against measles today, but insisted his personal opinions on vaccines were irrelevant. Later, in a tense exchange with Sen.
Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kennedy appeared to question the safety of the measles vaccine, despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary. Sen.
Murphy accused Kennedy of “consistently undermining” the measles vaccine by publicly questioning its efficacy and safety.
Kennedy defended his position, stating his commitment to sharing “the truth” about vaccines, even if it contradicted established scientific consensus. He reiterated his belief that the public deserves to know about any potential “issues” with vaccines.
The Secretary also made a factually incorrect claim that only the COVID-19 vaccine had undergone placebo-controlled trials. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, later corrected Kennedy’s statement for the record, citing several other vaccines that have been evaluated against placebos.
Public health experts expressed concern over Kennedy’s statements. Dr. Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association emphasized the importance of the HHS Secretary providing accurate health information, given his role as the nation’s chief health strategist.
Beyond vaccines, lawmakers also pressed Kennedy on the details of the HHS layoffs and proposed budget cuts. Several Democrats expressed frustration with Kennedy’s apparent lack of knowledge about the impact of the cuts, particularly on clinical research and programs for domestic violence survivors.
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) criticized Kennedy’s inability to answer specific questions about his agency.
Kennedy presented a proposed HHS budget of approximately $93 billion for fiscal year 2026, a 26% reduction from the current budget. This proposal, along with House Republicans’ efforts to cut Medicaid funding, drew criticism from lawmakers concerned about the potential impact on healthcare access for millions of Americans. Kennedy acknowledged that the proposed Medicaid cuts could result in a significant loss of health insurance coverage.