RFK Jr. continues a Capitol Hill listening to blitz : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3750x2508+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2c%2F5d%2Fa7decfb3417c8540685fbc17a478%2Fap26111614741368.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3750x2508+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2c%2F5d%2Fa7decfb3417c8540685fbc17a478%2Fap26111614741368.jpg" class="img" alt="Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sits at a dais. An audience is visible behind him, as is a large digital screen. The words "Energy & Commerce" and "Will Begin Shortly" are large and legible on the screen." fetchpriority="high"/> Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seems earlier than the Well being Subcommittee of the Home Vitality and Commerce Committee on Tuesday. He has two extra congressional hearings on Wednesday. Jacquelyn Martin/AP conceal caption

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP When Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made dramatic, sudden modifications to the childhood vaccine schedule with out enter from outdoors advisers, he didn't seem earlier than lawmakers to reply questions.

When the U.S. capped off 2025 with extra measles instances than the nation has had in three a long time, he didn't come to Capitol Hill to reply lawmakers' questions.

He additionally did not come to clarify the unprecedented choice to withhold $250 million in Medicaid funds from Minnesota, a blue state that has been a frequent goal of the Trump administration.

Whereas the occasion in energy is just not required to name hearings, Kennedy has made consequential, norm-shattering modifications to the Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) that beckon congressional oversight.

Lastly, up to now week, lawmakers have had many hours to query Kennedy via seven hearings in numerous congressional committees and subcommittees. The subject for all is ostensibly the division's finances request for 2027, however within the 5 hearings to this point, questions have ranged from rural well being to the brand new nominee to guide the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) to hospital drug-pricing coverage.

On Wednesday, Kennedy finally ends up his blitz of hearings at two consequential Senate committees: Finance and HELP, which stands for Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions.

Cassidy and Kennedy have historical past A key member of each of these committees is Sen. Invoice Cassidy, R.-La. In February of final 12 months, Cassidy solid the tie-breaking committee vote to advocate Kennedy for the place of well being secretary. Cassidy is a doctor who helps vaccines, and Kennedy has a protracted historical past of anti-vaccine activism.

Simply earlier than the vote, Cassidy defined his choice on the Senate ground, saying: "Mr. Kennedy and the [Trump] administration dedicated that he and I'd have an unprecedentedly shut, collaborative working relationship." He stated he had secured a dedication that the 2 of them would converse a number of instances monthly, that they'd collaborate on hiring choices at HHS and that Kennedy would work throughout the present vaccine coverage methods. "Apart from he and I assembly usually, he'll come earlier than the HELP Committee on a quarterly foundation if requested."

Little or no of that has come to move. Kennedy has not are available usually to testify earlier than the HELP Committee, regardless of calls for from Democratic lawmakers. He has additionally made dramatic modifications to federal vaccine insurance policies that Cassidy has condemned.

The 2 males's conflicts have spilled into the general public. Kennedy's allies on the Make America Wholesome Once more PAC have endorsed a challenger to Cassidy in his Republican major in Louisiana. On a CDC webpage with a subheading that reads "Vaccines don't trigger Autism," a footnote explains that the phrase "has not been eliminated attributable to an settlement with [Cassidy] that it might stay on the CDC web site." The content material on the web page displays Kennedy's decades-long insistence that there's a attainable hyperlink between vaccines and autism, a declare that has been debunked by in depth analysis and main well being organizations.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3936x2632+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2F15%2Fff2528ee4d54b189f6fc0a52ac34%2Fap26111614763661.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3936x2632+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2F15%2Fff2528ee4d54b189f6fc0a52ac34%2Fap26111614763661.jpg" class="img" alt="Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is shown in a close-up photograph." loading="lazy"/> Kennedy on Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Jacquelyn Martin/AP conceal caption

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Jacquelyn Martin/AP Within the hearings to this point, Republicans have been typically pleasant to Kennedy, whereas Democrats have hammered him on vaccine skepticism, maternal well being and Inexpensive Care Act premium prices.

Trump's opinion? Looming over Kennedy's appearances is his standing with President Trump. Kennedy and his priorities weren't talked about within the State of the Union handle this 12 months, in distinction to many mentions in Trump's earlier 12 months's handle to Congress. And Trump has fired three members of his Cupboard within the final seven weeks: Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem, Legal professional Common Pam Bondi and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Requested Tuesday within the Home Vitality and Commerce Committee's Well being Subcommittee whether or not the Trump administration had instructed him to say much less publicly about vaccines, Kennedy stated no. He additionally stated he was unaware of polling by a Republican agency suggesting his place on vaccines is unpopular and politically hazardous for the occasion heading into the midterm elections.