SPOKANE, Wash. — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced hours of intense questioning from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including sharp criticism from Washington Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray over his vaccine policies and recent leadership changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The hearing, originally scheduled to focus on the Trump administration’s 2026 health care agenda, instead became a contentious examination of Kennedy’s approach to vaccines and his decision to fire the former CDC director just one week prior.
Several Democratic lawmakers called for Kennedy’s removal from his position during the heated session.
Senator Cantwell delivered harsh criticism of Kennedy and what she characterized as efforts to dismantle the American health care system. The exchange between Cantwell and Kennedy grew tense when discussing mRNA vaccine technology.
“The mRNA is meant to help us prepare for the next influenza or pandemic,” Cantwell said during the hearing.
Kennedy interrupted, responding: “I am happy to have a discussion with you but you are so wrong on your facts.”
Cantwell fired back: “You’re interrupting me, and sir, you’re a charlatan. You’re the ones who conflate chronic disease with the need for vaccines.”
Following her questioning, Cantwell displayed a chart showing the history of vaccines and their positive health impacts since their introduction in the 20th century.
Senator Patty Murray also criticized Kennedy’s actions, taking to the Senate floor to express her concerns about his leadership of the health department.
“One of the first things he did, right off the bat was fan the flames of a measles outbreak by ignoring the science and peddling the quack treatments and spreading falsehoods for vaccines,” Murray said.
Kennedy defended his controversial decisions to restructure government health agencies, including his personnel changes at the CDC.
“That’s why we have to fire people at CDC. They did not do their job,” Kennedy said during the hearing.
The health secretary also faced criticism for stating he did not know how many Americans died from coronavirus during the pandemic. Kennedy questioned both the data surrounding COVID-19 deaths and whether COVID vaccines actually saved lives.
The contentious hearing concluded with a remark from Kennedy to the assembled lawmakers: “I think I will have mercy on everybody here and let us adjourn.”
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