Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made his debut appearance as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, May 14th, addressing questions about his department’s budget cuts of billions of dollars, layoffs of thousands of employees, and measures taken to combat the rapidly spreading measles outbreak.
Kennedy testified in the morning before the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Health on his department’s proposal for the fiscal year 2026 budget, and later faced questioning at the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP).
The focus of Wednesday’s hearing revolved around the health-related spending plans proposed by the Department of Health under President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, which includes a reduction of $18 billion in NIH funding and $3.6 billion in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Regarding the layoffs, Kennedy stated in his opening remarks to the House subcommittee that, “Our layoffs are focused on adjusting the staffing levels at HHS to reflect the size of the department before the outbreak of COVID-19, during which the staff numbers increased by about 15%.” Since becoming Secretary of Health in February, Kennedy has already cut 10,000 positions, including those at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CDC, and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Kennedy informed the Appropriations Committee that these reductions will save taxpayers $1.8 billion annually and make the Health Department more efficient.
Critics, including Democrats, argue that these cuts weaken America’s public health infrastructure.
When asked about billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk’s involvement, Kennedy stated that the layoffs and cuts were his own decisions and not directed by Musk. He mentioned, “Elon Musk has helped us identify fraud and abuse within our department, but ultimately the decision rests with me, and in many cases, I have dissented.”
Regarding disease prevention and vaccines, Kennedy expressed at the hearing that as Secretary of Health, his top priority includes identifying environmental factors that lead to autism and addressing the rising incidence of chronic diseases.
Kennedy has long been skeptical about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. In a recent measles outbreak infecting over 1,000 individuals, most of whom were unvaccinated, and resulting in three deaths, some lawmakers believe that Kennedy’s advocacy for measles vaccination has been insufficient.
Rosa DeLauro, the top Democratic member of the House Appropriations Committee, accused Kennedy of “spreading baseless and dangerous vaccine skepticism, disseminating falsehoods and misinformation about autism patients.”
When asked if he would vaccinate his own children against measles today, Kennedy tactfully replied, “My views on vaccines are irrelevant to this; I don’t believe people should follow my medical advice.”
During the Senate hearing, when asked about recommending the MMR vaccine, Kennedy responded, “If I knew there were issues with it, I wouldn’t tell people it’s safe and effective.”
President Trump signed an executive order on Monday, instructing pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices to match what other countries pay, but analysts and legal experts suggest that this may be challenging to implement.
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont stated that the order is likely to be challenged in court and asked Kennedy if he would be willing to collaborate on drafting legislation. Kennedy replied, “I look forward to working with you to formulate legislation or take any possible measures to achieve this goal.”
(Reference: This article is based on reporting from Reuters)