Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies, fielded questions from Congress on Wednesday referring to funds cuts, vaccines, Medicaid and different points.
He testified earlier than the Home Committee on Appropriations within the morning and the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions Committee within the afternoon to debate the administration’s proposed funds. These appearances mark Kennedy’s first testimony earlier than Congress since his affirmation hearings in late January.
Listed below are some key takeaways:
1. Vaccines
Kennedy confronted quite a few questions on his controversial views on vaccines. This consists of from Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin), who requested if he would vaccinate his children at present for measles. Kennedy stated he “most likely” would for measles, however then said that his “opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.”
“I don’t assume folks needs to be taking medical recommendation from me,” he stated, including that he’ll lay out the professionals and cons of vaccines. He additionally wouldn’t touch upon if he would vaccinate his youngsters for hen pox or polio at present.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) stated she is “horrified” that Kennedy is not going to encourage households to vaccinate their youngsters for measles, hen pox and polio.
“Vaccines are one of many foundations of public well being,” she stated. “Vaccines, sure, save lives, and the truth that the Secretary of Well being and Human Companies refuses to encourage youngsters to be vaccinated is a tragedy.”
Within the Senate listening to, Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Connecticut) additionally took pictures at Kennedy for his views on vaccines. Murphy argued that he didn’t comply with via on guarantees he made throughout his affirmation listening to, together with that he wouldn’t scale back funding appropriated by Congress for vaccination packages. He stated Kennedy canceled $12 billion in grants to the states which can be used to manage and observe vaccines, to which Kennedy requested, “When did I do this?”
Murphy additionally pushed Kennedy on if he would suggest households to get their youngsters vaccinated.
“I’m not going to simply inform folks the whole lot is protected and efficient. If I do know that there are points, I have to respect folks’s intelligence,” Kennedy responded.
2. HHS layoffs and cuts
Throughout her opening feedback, DeLauro, who’s rating member of the Home Appropriations Committee, got here out swinging on the administration’s cuts to HHS, NIH, CDC and FDA.
“With you on the helm, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are destroying the crown jewels of our well being system: the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention and the Meals and Drug Administration,” she stated. “On the NIH, the world’s largest funder of life-saving biomedical analysis, you and Elon Musk have fired or pushed out practically 5,000 personnel, together with among the world’s most preeminent scientists.”
She added that Kennedy is “eliminating scores” of CDC prevention packages, similar to for HIV, tobacco, and gun violence.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) additionally questioned HHS cuts, notably referring to Alzheimer’s. She is the writer of the BOLD Act, which educates suppliers on Alzheimer’s and promotes earlier analysis.
“I’ve labored very exhausting to be sure that HHS has the assets to hold out this regulation, which was only recently prolonged,” Collins stated. “I’m involved that the reductions in drive of roughly 10,000 employees throughout the HHS will utterly undermine this act.”
Kennedy stated that he’ll work with Collins, and that Alzheimer’s runs in his household.
3. Medicaid cuts
Rep. Josh Tougher (D-California) pressed Kennedy on the proposed Medicaid cuts, noting that it could depart 50,000 folks in his group with out medical health insurance.
“Why do you assume {that a} group like mine doesn’t deserve entry to that very same primary well being care supplied by Medicaid that you just benefited from?” Tougher questioned, referring to dependancy therapy that Kennedy acquired up to now.
“I don’t know in the event you perceive this, or whether or not you’re simply mouthing the Democratic speaking factors, the cuts to Medicaid are for fraud, waste and abuse,” Kennedy stated.
Kennedy additionally argued that Medicaid is for poor youngsters, moms and the disabled, and that adults who’re able-bodied and refuse to volunteer or get a job shouldn’t be eligible for Medicaid. Tougher shot again that the overwhelming majority of individuals on Medicaid are working, and that including crimson tape will forestall folks from accessing Medicaid.
Previous to the hearings, affected person advocacy organizations echoed these feedback on Medicaid work necessities.
Picture: MikeyLPT, Getty Pictures
