Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a barrage of criticism during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing Thursday over his administration's vaccine rollbacks, public health messaging cuts, and past inflammatory comments about Black children.
Kennedy opened by declaring that American children represent "the sickest generation in modern history." The claim contradicts public health data showing child mortality has declined sharply over recent decades and life expectancy has reached record levels.
Democrats quickly pivoted to vaccines, a central point of contention. Rep. Linda Sanchez of California repeatedly asked Kennedy whether President Trump approved the decision to end the CDC's pro-vaccine messaging campaign. Kennedy deflected, accusing Sanchez of spreading misinformation and pointing to global outbreaks rather than addressing the domestic measles emergency.
"I think you don't want to answer the question, because I think you know the terrible, terrible decisions that impact very, very real lives, especially the lives of children," Sanchez said.
Rep. Mike Thompson, also a California Democrat, was blunt. "Your dangerous conspiracy theories are undermining safe and effective vaccines," he said, noting that nearly 2,300 measles cases have occurred in just one year of the Trump administration. "Kids have died because measles is running rampant under your watch."
Kennedy faced particular scrutiny over his push to eliminate universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth. He claimed babies face "essentially zero risk" unless their mothers are infected, and asserted that all mothers are tested upon hospital arrival. Multiple lawmakers challenged this reasoning.
Rep. Judy Chu noted that roughly 14 percent of pregnant patients never receive hepatitis B testing, and tests produce false negatives. She also pointed out that infants can contract the virus from caregivers, since hepatitis B is highly contagious and survives on objects like nail clippers for up to a week.
Kennedy also claimed the hepatitis B vaccine lacks proper study and the risk profile is unknown, despite decades of documented safety and efficacy research.
A rare moment of bipartisan criticism emerged when Rep. Blake Moore, a Utah Republican, recounted how his wife was harmed by the administration's false claim that Tylenol use during pregnancy causes autism. She blamed herself for their 10-year-old's autism diagnosis after hearing the claim, Moore said.
Kennedy also came under fire for comments about Black children he made on the 19Keys podcast in June 2024. "Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, on SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence, and those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented, to live in a community where there'll be no cellphones, no screens," he said at the time.
Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama pressed Kennedy directly. "Have you ever re-parented, or parented, I should say, a Black child?" she asked. Kennedy claimed he didn't understand the phrase and doubted he had made the remarks, then refused to answer further.
Sewell pushed back sharply. "I am absolutely not making this up, Mr Secretary. Even today, Black children are removed from their homes at higher rates than white children, not because of their greater harm but because of longstanding bias and built-in institutionalism. For you to suggest that Black families are not capable of raising their own children is deeply offensive, sir." She entered the podcast transcript into the congressional record.
The hearing grew heated when Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada raised constituents' healthcare struggles. Kennedy told him to "calm down." Horsford fired back: "Don't tell me to calm down. Healthcare is personal to me. If you can't answer basic questions, then maybe come prepared next time."
Kennedy responded that Horsford had "started screaming" at him, adding, "People scream when they don't have much to say."
Kennedy also faced questions about Medicaid and Medicare cuts. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat, pointed out that the administration reinstated 850 agents and brokers suspected of fraud. Kennedy denied the account and instead focused on alleged fraud by home health aides, including family members paid through Medicare and Medicaid Services for care previously provided unpaid.
Kennedy also signaled plans to "reform" the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which issues recommendations on screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies. He labeled the body "lackadaisical and negligent for 20 years."
Kennedy holds no degree in medicine or public health, yet operates with authority typically reserved for those credentials. His tenure has already produced sweeping changes to vaccination recommendations and a measles outbreak that has spilled across state lines into Mexico.
Author James Rodriguez: "Kennedy showed up to defend cuts that are causing real harm, got caught in half-truths on basic public health facts, and when cornered by lawmakers offering hard evidence, leaned on dismissal and name-calling. That's not a defense. That's a retreat."
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