RFK Jr. faces criticism from Congress about funds cuts to science and well being care : NPR

[ad_1] On Wednesday, Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifys earlier than the Home Appropriations committee within the morning and the Senate HELP committee listening to within the night.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent at the moment testifying on Capitol Hill, explaining President Trump's funds proposal for the Division of Well being and Human Companies for subsequent yr. NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin watched many hours of hearings at the moment - one within the Home, one within the Senate - and is right here to assist us perceive all of it. Hello there.

SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN, BYLINE: Hello, Juana.

SUMMERS: So, Selena, I do know the subject was presupposed to be the president's 2026 funds, and but, I perceive many different points got here up. Inform us extra.

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Oh, yeah, a number of points - so Kennedy's strikes on autism and vaccines got here up. So did the measles outbreak in West Texas and the 20,000-some workers that has been fired or taken buyouts from HHS. There have been some fiery exchanges, and initially of Kennedy's assertion within the Senate listening to this afternoon, he was interrupted by protesters who had been escorted out.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ROBERT F KENNEDY JR: The funds I am presenting at the moment helps these targets and displays...

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: RFK kills folks with AIDS. RFK...

(SOUNDBITE OF GAVEL BANGING)

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: The protesters had been saying, RFK kills folks with AIDS.

SUMMERS: Wow, that is exceptional. OK, Selena, what did you be taught from Kennedy at the moment?

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Nicely, one factor is that Kennedy mentioned Elon Musk and his group developed the blueprint for these cuts, the 20,000 people who find themselves - who've left the company. After which he carried out the plan with a capability to override issues. He talked about he prevented Head Begin from being reduce, for instance. That is an early youngster care program. Kennedy did appear a bit fuzzy on the specifics of what really was reduce and what number of of these cuts have affected companies. So many points that lawmakers talked about - like delays in funds to group teams and scientific trial points - he mentioned he needed to look into issues and get again to lawmakers.

He didn't have lots of readability about who was fired at HHS and why and what portion of these fired could be introduced again. Right here is an alternate Kennedy had with Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey. Kim mentioned he had talked to a hearth captain who labored at floor zero and was upset about HHS slicing the World Commerce Middle Well being Program.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ANDY KIM: Why was the workers reduce for this program? What are we to count on going ahead?

KENNEDY: I restored the workers to that program.

KIM: Why was it reduce to begin with?

KENNEDY: It was - you already know, it was a part of the general funds cuts.

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Kennedy mentioned the time it could have taken to forestall errors like this might have allowed inertia to set in. The company would have remained too huge and unable to assist the American inhabitants get more healthy, which he says is his huge objective.

SUMMERS: OK, let me ask you this. The problem of vaccines was an enormous concern throughout Kennedy's affirmation. How did that play out at the moment?

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Nicely, the chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana - he didn't make vaccines a giant a part of his questioning. I used to be waiting for that. However one other senator, Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, did, and it acquired contentious. Right here is a few of that alternate.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHRIS MURPHY: Are you really nonetheless recommending folks get the vaccine, or are you not?

KENNEDY: Senator, if I counsel you to swim in a lake that I knew there to be alligators in, would not you need me to let you know there have been alligators in it?

MURPHY: So are you recommending the measles vaccine or not?

KENNEDY: What I've mentioned, and what I mentioned in...

MURPHY: It does not sound like you're, if that is...

KENNEDY: Are you going let me reply, or are you going to maintain interrupting?

MURPHY: Are you, or are you not?

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Kennedy was requested a number of instances within the Home listening to and within the Senate listening to concerning the measles vaccine specifically, and he didn't clearly endorse it. He as a substitute mentioned that he did not suppose folks must be getting their medical recommendation from him.

SUMMERS: Nicely, Selena, did it appear to be lawmakers are going to push again on the route that Kennedy is taking the division?

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Kennedy acquired lots of pushback from Democrats, and he acquired some robust questions from Republican lawmakers - and naturally, they maintain the bulk in each the Home and the Senate. A number of Republicans appear to - actually involved concerning the plan to chop again on biomedical analysis. You realize, lawmakers from Oklahoma and Maine, as an illustration, introduced this up. That funding has been an enormous financial driver in these communities. However the image Kennedy stored portray is that NIH has been investing within the flawed locations, not doing high quality science. And generally, Kennedy looks as if he is standing...

SUMMERS: OK.

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: ...Behind the large sweeping modifications to his company.

SUMMERS: NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin, thanks.

SIMMONS-DUFFIN: Thanks.

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