Senate hearing on Thursday welcomes Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for testimony
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Under Fire in Senate Finance Committee Hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found himself in the hot seat this morning during a contentious exchange in the Senate Finance Committee. The hearing, which took place under a rush deadline, saw Kennedy engaged in a heated debate with Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon.
The focus of the discussion was Kennedy's recent changes to public health and health policy, which have sparked concerns among Democrats and public health groups. Kennedy has replaced a key vaccine advisory panel with a handpicked roster of individuals with a history of anti-vaccine activism, a move that has been strongly criticised.
Senator Wyden, who is a physician and a strong advocate for vaccines, asserted that Kennedy's actions could have harmful consequences for public health. In response, Kennedy challenged Wyden's assertion, stating that he was not receiving letters expressing concerns about his changes.
The exchange was interrupted by a protester, who disputed Kennedy's actions, stating, "You're killing millions of people." The transcript of the exchange was provided by NPR and may be updated or revised in the future.
The controversy surrounding Kennedy's actions has led to calls for his resignation from several Democratic lawmakers, public health groups, and over a thousand current and former HHS employees. Three top CDC officials resigned in protest after Kennedy's appointment, and the new CDC director, Susan Monarez, was pressured to resign last week but refused, leading to her firing by the White House.
In a surprising turn of events, Kennedy won the vote of Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who is also on the Finance Committee, by promising he wouldn't change the CDC vaccine advisory panel. However, Kennedy broke that promise by firing everyone on the committee and replacing them.
In response to the growing calls for his resignation, Kennedy offered to put his mailbag against Wyden's mailbag in a debate. This offer was not well received, as it was pointed out that the persons who made a similar offer in the past, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy during the 1960 U.S. presidential debates, were not met with success.
The West Coast Health Alliance, a coalition of California, Washington, and Oregon, has been launched in response to Kennedy's actions. The alliance aims to coordinate their own health guidance and vaccine recommendations, bypassing Kennedy's policies.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether Kennedy will heed the calls for his resignation or whether he will stand firm in his actions.
