Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a barrage of bipartisan criticism on Thursday during a fiery Senate Finance Committee hearing, where lawmakers pressed him over sweeping changes to US health agencies and his contentious vaccine policies.
The three-hour session underscored growing unease about Kennedy’s leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which he has headed since February.
Democrats accused him of spreading misinformation and restricting access to vaccines, while even some Republicans questioned his judgment.
The hearing came just a week after Kennedy abruptly fired Susan Monarez, head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a dispute over vaccine guidance. He also dismissed 600 CDC staffers and earlier replaced the government’s independent vaccine advisory panel with new appointees, several of whom are vaccine critics.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Thursday, Monarez alleged she was ousted for refusing to rubber-stamp recommendations from the new panel. Senator Ron Wyden, the committee’s ranking Democrat, challenged Kennedy on those claims.
Kennedy denied the accusation, insisting he asked Monarez to resign after questioning her trustworthiness. “She said no,” Kennedy told lawmakers.
The exchanges grew heated as Senator Maggie Hassan accused him of blocking vaccine access. “You’re just making stuff up,” Kennedy snapped, prompting Hassan to retort: “Sometimes when you make an accusation, it’s kind of a confession, Mr. Kennedy.”
Several senators pressed Kennedy on his stance regarding Covid-19 vaccines. Senator Mark Warner asked how many lives the shots saved during the pandemic. Kennedy initially said he did not know due to “data chaos” under the Biden administration, but later acknowledged the vaccines saved “quite a few” lives.
Republican lawmakers struck a more cautious tone. Senator Thom Tillis said Kennedy’s actions did not “match up” with his earlier promises and gave him a list of questions to answer later. Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician whose vote was pivotal to Kennedy’s confirmation, sharply questioned his decision to limit booster approval to only adults over 65 and people with health conditions.
“Effectively, we are denying people vaccines,” Cassidy charged.
“You’re wrong,” Kennedy shot back.
The scrutiny comes at a turbulent moment for HHS. Just weeks earlier, a gunman opened fire at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, killing a police officer. Investigators said the shooter blamed the Covid vaccine for making him suicidal. In the aftermath, hundreds of HHS officials accused Kennedy in a letter of fueling public mistrust in science.
Critics also point to the nation’s worst measles outbreak in decades, which many link to vaccine hesitancy. While Kennedy has endorsed measles shots as essential, he has also made false claims about their safety and efficacy.
For Kennedy, Thursday’s hearing revealed a widening gap between his assurances and his actions leaving both parties questioning whether his leadership is stabilising US public health or undermining it.
Erizia Rubyjeana
About the Author
