Hearings to examine the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of California, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Committee on Finance

2025-01-29

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee held a hearing to evaluate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Committee members questioned his record on vaccines, his past anti-vaccine statements, and his support for Medicaid and public health initiatives. The hearing highlighted concerns over his credibility, particularly regarding claims about measles in Samoa and his advocacy for anti-vaccine theories. Witnesses, including Senator Wyden and others, challenged his views on public health, vaccines, and medical research, underscoring the need for bipartisan trust in health institutions. Kennedy emphasized the importance of addressing chronic diseases and improving access to health care through reforms in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and telehealth. The committee ultimately urged caution in confirming him, citing inconsistencies in his positions and a lack of experience in managing large federal agencies.

Participants

Transcript

Good morning.  This hearing will come to order.  I thank my colleagues and Mr. Kennedy for being here today.  Mr. Kennedy, congratulations on your nomination.  Throughout this process, Mr. Kennedy, you have been accessible to members and staff on both sides of the aisle and have demonstrated strong commitment to fulfilling the responsibilities of this role.   The Department of Health and Human Services oversees our nation's largest healthcare programs, providing coverage for nearly two in every five Americans.  Improving Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, among other initiatives, presents challenges, especially in the face of a rapidly aging population, stubbornly high costs, and persistent barriers to access.   However, this also provides us an opportunity to deliver bold, transformative solutions.  As a committee, we share a commitment to advancing common sense, bipartisan policies that improve the delivery of health care in this country.  This committee has worked to realign incentives in the prescription drug supply chain.   to enhance access in rural communities, to expand the availability of telehealth and improve the broken clinician payment structure.  Across these and other issues, I look forward to working with the administration to continue pursuing meaningful reforms that serve the American people more effectively and more efficiently.  Too often, patients encounter a healthcare system that is disjointed and is a dysfunctional maze.   complex and bureaucratic chutes and ladders have become the norm.  Meanwhile, even as healthcare spending climbs, outcomes across a range of conditions continue to decline.  Mr. Kennedy, if confirmed, you will have the opportunity to chart a new and better course for the federal approach to tackling both the drivers and the consequences of our ailing healthcare system.