卫生与公众服务部部长小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪是美国最受公众认可的疫苗怀疑者之一，他在周三上午回答众议院委员会的问题时，对疫苗采取了软化的态度，他说，“我不认为人们应该接受我的医疗建议。”
肯尼迪当天也在参议院委员会作证，为该部门的大规模裁员进行了辩护，并提出了特朗普政府的优先事项拟议预算.
肯尼迪在国会委员会的露面标志着他自1月底的确认听证会以来首次在国会作证，并迫使肯尼迪面对他所做的声明，批评者称这些声明是违反承诺的证据。
肯尼迪说他的“关于疫苗的观点无关紧要”
在众议院听证会上，肯尼迪避免分享他自己对疫苗的想法——这在以前引起了怀疑——而是听从管理国家卫生研究院和疾病控制和预防中心的医生。
当被民主党众议员马克·波坎问及他今天是否会为自己的孩子接种麻疹和水痘疫苗时，肯尼迪说“可能”会接种麻疹疫苗，但“我要说的是，我对疫苗的看法无关紧要。”
肯尼迪说:“我不想让人觉得我在回避问题，但我认为人们不应该接受我的建议，医学建议。”。
他说，他已经指示NIH主任Jay Bhattacharya试图“用可复制的研究，准确地列出利弊、风险和好处，正如我们所理解的那样”，让人们“做出决定”
他的评论标志着他在就任HHS国务卿之前对疫苗的强烈意见的背离。
在...期间他一月份的听证会，肯尼迪说他支持疫苗，尽管他拒绝明确地说疫苗不会导致自闭症，尽管许多现有的研究已经表明没有联系。然而，在三月份，HHS证实疾病控制中心将研究疫苗是否会导致自闭症.
在肯尼迪说人们不应该接受他的医疗建议后不久，一些公共卫生专家批评了这些评论——其中一位专家说，给人们提供指导“是[肯尼迪]的工作。”
“问题是，他的工作——他工作描述的第一行——是国家首席健康战略家。这是每一个卫生官员，联邦政府，州政府，地方政府领导的首要职责。那是他的工作，尽他所能给人们最好的建议。我相信，在我看来，他放弃了他的主要责任，”美国公共卫生协会执行主任乔治·本杰明在电话中对记者说，他和其他卫生领导人在众议院拨款委员会前对肯尼迪的证词作出了回应。
本杰明指出，事实上，肯尼迪似乎建议人们如何治疗麻疹，引导他们走向未经证实的疗法。
民主党人敦促肯尼迪削减开支:“你不能解雇90%的人，然后假设工作已经完成。”
众议院和参议院委员会的民主党人就削减HHS预算的问题向肯尼迪提出了质疑，双方进行了几次激烈的交锋。
4月，HHS开始解雇大约10，000名工人并将28个研究所和中心合并成15个新的部门。
包括过去几个月通过提前退休或延期辞职计划离职的约1万人，HHS的员工总数预计将从82，000人降至62，000人左右，约占其员工总数的四分之一。
民主党参议员塔米·鲍德温引用美国广播公司新闻上周的报道他向肯尼迪询问了关于削减疾病预防控制中心铅中毒预防项目的问题。
尽管该项目已被彻底摧毁，专家人员也被解雇，肯尼迪说，他认为铅中毒是一个“极其严重的问题”，并表示他不打算取消该项目。
Kennedy暗示HHS仍将使用拨给该项目的资金，但没有提供任何细节说明在没有任何专家人员的情况下工作将如何继续。
在另一场激烈的辩论中，民主党参议员帕蒂·默里(Patty Murray)向肯尼迪询问了对国家职业安全与健康研究所(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)的削减，包括主要在俄亥俄州和西弗吉尼亚州的复职。她说，西部各州还没有人复职，包括华盛顿州斯波坎的矿工安全研究办公室。
甘乃迪说:“在NIOSH的工作不会中断。”。“我们知道它的功能至关重要，我不希望看到它的终结。”
默里打趣道，“我只能说，你不能解雇90%的人，然后假设工作完成了。”
在早些时候的众议院听证会上，Kennedy继续坚持认为，HHS的大规模削减没有影响关键的卫生项目，他说，他没有扣留任何用于NIH救生研究的资金，并继续优先考虑Head Start，Medicare和Medicaid等支柱。
但在与众议院拨款委员会高级成员、民主党众议员罗莎·德劳罗(Rosa DeLauro)的紧张交锋中，她要求肯尼迪保证他不会削减国会批准和资助的项目，国会拥有宪法赋予的“钱包权力”。
肯尼迪说，他将花费拨款——这一再引起德劳罗的恼怒，他指出NIH削减了200亿美元。
Kennedy声称，他在HHS的目标是关注慢性病流行，并通过削减纳税人的成本，为那些依赖医疗保险、医疗补助和其他服务的人提供有效的服务。
“我们打算做得更多，用更少的资源做更多的事情。肯尼迪说:“我今天提交的预算支持这些目标，并反映了两个持久的美国价值观，同情心和责任感。
德劳罗抨击了肯尼迪和特朗普政府对HHS的削减，包括取消整个部门。
“部长先生，你正在破坏卫生与公众服务部及其关键机构的救生工作，而国会中的共和党人什么也不说，什么也不做，”德劳罗说。“因为这些削减，人们会死去。”
德劳罗还在听证会结束时慷慨激昂地请求肯尼迪停止削减项目，告诉他他没有权力反对国会在预算中的分配。
“你没有权力做你正在做的事情，”她说。
肯尼迪为麻疹爆发应对措施和麻疹疫苗立场辩护
肯尼迪指责对他的机构对麻疹爆发的反应的批评超过1000例根据疾病控制中心的数据，这是五年来的第一次。
在疫情期间，共有92名患者住院治疗德克萨斯州两名学龄儿童死亡。根据德克萨斯州卫生服务部门的说法，两人都没有接种疫苗，也没有已知的潜在疾病。
肯尼迪说:“今天，在控制麻疹疫情方面，我们在疾控中心的工作比世界上任何国家都做得好。”。
德劳罗回击说，肯尼迪将美国对麻疹的反应与其他国家的反应进行比较是不公平的。
“部长先生，你一直把美国和其他国家相提并论，把我们和欧洲相提并论，但你所指的欧洲是世卫组织欧洲地区，它有53个欧洲和亚洲国家，包括那些低收入国家...像罗马尼亚那样的疫苗接种率，而且从未消灭过麻疹，”她说。“如果你将我们与我们经常与之比较的西欧国家进行比较，比如英国，他们没有出现麻疹死亡病例。”
肯尼迪认为，美国比其他人口较少的美洲国家做得更好，包括加拿大和墨西哥。
德劳罗指责肯尼迪在麻疹疫情蔓延美国后推动疫苗怀疑主义
肯尼迪分享了关于疫苗的矛盾观点。在4月6日X上的一篇帖子中，肯尼迪说“防止麻疹传播的最有效方法”是接受麻疹、腮腺炎、风疹(MMR)疫苗。然而，在当晚晚些时候的一篇帖子中，他说超过300名儿童接受了抗生素和类固醇治疗，这两种药物都不是公认的麻疹治疗方法或治愈方法。
当民主党参议员克里斯·墨菲(Chris Murphy)告诉肯尼迪，部长在讨论麻疹疫苗时含糊其辞时，发生了一个特别激烈的时刻。墨菲提到了肯尼迪在列举疫苗的潜在危害之前吹捧疫苗有效性的例子。
肯尼迪对一连串的提问感到愤怒，打断了墨菲，声称他之前的评论是真实的。
当墨菲要求肯尼迪直接说出他是否建议人们接种麻疹疫苗时，肯尼迪在4月的一次采访中告诉CBS新闻，他确实建议接种疫苗，他说，“如果我知道有问题，我不会告诉人们一切都是安全有效的。我需要尊重人的智力。”
疫苗专家说，麻疹疫苗是持久的，在你年轻时注射两剂就足以提供终身保护，不需要加强剂。疾病控制中心其网站上的说明该机构“认为根据美国疫苗接种计划在儿童时期接受两剂麻疹疫苗的人终身受到保护，他们不需要加强剂量。”
美国儿科学会在多个国家进行了数十年的大量研究，证实了MMR疫苗的安全性和有效性笔记。此外，疫苗的安全性监测并不会在疫苗获得使用许可后终止。有联邦健康数据库，任何人都可以在其中报告疫苗的副作用或反应——官员们可以查看这些报告，并确定任何潜在的安全问题。
RFK Jr. says people should not take medical advice from him, defends HHS cuts during congressional hearings
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the nation's most publicly recognized vaccine skeptics, took a softened approach on vaccines when he answered questions before a House committee Wednesday morning, saying, "I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me."
Kennedy, who also testified before a Senate committee the same day, defended the massive cuts to the department's workforce and laid out his priorities for the Trump administration'sproposed budget.
Kennedy's congressional committee appearances marked the first time he testified before Congress since his confirmation hearings in late January, and forced Kennedy to confront statements he made that critics said were evidence of promises broken.
Kennedy says his 'opinions about vaccines are irrelevant'
During the House hearing, Kennedy avoided sharing his own thoughts about vaccines -- which have previously invited skepticism -- instead deferring to the doctors running the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Asked by Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan if he would today vaccinate his own children for measles and chickenpox, Kennedy said "probably" for measles, but that "what I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant."
"I don't want to seem like I'm being evasive, but I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me," Kennedy said.
He said he has directed NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya to try to "lay out the pros and cons, the risks and benefits, accurately as we understand them, with replicable studies," for people to "make that decision."
His comments mark a departure from his strong opinions about vaccines before taking office as HHS secretary.
Duringhis confirmation hearing in January, Kennedy said that he supports vaccines, although he refused to unequivocally say that vaccines don't cause autism, despite numerous existing studies already showing there is no link. However, in March, the HHS confirmed that the CDCwill study whether vaccines cause autism.
Shortly after Kennedy said people should not take his medical advice, some public health experts criticized the comments -- with one saying that giving people guidance "is [Kennedy's] job."
"The problem is that is his job -- the top line of his job description -- is the nation's chief health strategist. That is the top line of every health official, federal, state, local leader. That is his job, is to give people the best advice that he can. I believe that he's giving up on, in my view, his chief responsibility," Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told reporters on a call in which he and other health leaders responded to Kennedy's testimony in front of the House Appropriations Committee.
Benjamin pointed out that Kennedy has, in fact, seemed to advise people on how to treat measles, leading them toward unproven remedies.
Democrats push Kennedy on cuts: 'You can't fire 90% of the people and assume the work gets done'
Democrats on both the House and Senate committees questioned Kennedy about cuts to HHS -- with several testy exchanges.
In April, HHS beganlaying off about 10,000 workersand consolidating 28 institutes and centers into 15 new divisions.
Including the roughly 10,000 people who have left over the last few months through early retirement or deferred resignation programs, the overall staff at HHS is expected to fall from 82,000 to around 62,000 -- or about a quarter of its workforce.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, quotingABC News' reporting last week, asked Kennedy about cuts to the CDC's lead poisoning prevention program.
Though the program has been completely gutted and the expert staff has been laid off, Kennedy said he believes lead poisoning to be an "extremely significant concern" and said he does not intend to eliminate the program.
Kennedy suggested that HHS would still spend the money appropriated to the program -- but didn't offer any details on how the work would continue without any expert staff.
In another heated exchange, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray asked Kennedy about cuts to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, including the reinstatements that are mostly in Ohio and West Virginia. She said no one has been reinstated in the Western states, including at the Spokane, Washington, office that does research into miner safety.
"The work in NIOSH will not be interrupted," Kennedy said. "We understand it's critically important function, and I did not want to see it end."
Murray quipped back, "I would just say you can't fire 90% of the people and assume the work gets done."
During the earlier House hearing, Kennedy continued to maintain that widespread cuts at HHS have not impacted key health programs, saying he has not withheld any funding for lifesaving research at NIH and continues to prioritize pillars such as Head Start, Medicare and Medicaid.
But in a tense back-and-forth with Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, she demanded Kennedy's assurance that he would not cut programs that have been approved and funded by Congress, which has "the power of the purse" ascribed to it in the Constitution.
Kennedy said he would spend appropriated money -- which drew repeated exasperation from DeLauro, who pointed to $20 billion in cuts to NIH.
Kennedy asserted that his goal at HHS is to focus on the chronic disease epidemic and deliver effective services for those who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and other services by cutting costs to taxpayers.
"We intend to do more, a lot more with less. The budget I'm presenting today supports these goals and reflects two enduring American values, compassion and responsibility," Kennedy said.
DeLauro slammed Kennedy and the Trump's administration for the cuts to HHS, including the elimination of entire divisions.
"Mr. Secretary, you are gutting the life-saving work of the Department of Health and Human Services and its key agencies while the Republicans in this Congress say and do nothing," DeLauro said. "Because of these cuts, people will die."
DeLauro also finished the hearing with an impassioned plea for Kennedy to stop cutting programs, telling him he does not have the authority to go against what Congress allocated in the budget.
"You do not have the authority to do what you are doing," she said.
Kennedy defends measles outbreak response, measles vaccine stance
Kennedy rebuked criticism of his agency's response to the measles outbreak, which hassurpassed 1,000 casesfor the first time in five years, according to the CDC.
A total of 92 patients have been hospitalized over the course of the outbreak andtwo school-aged children died in Texas. Both were unvaccinated and had no known underlying conditions, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
"We are doing a better job at CDC today than any nation in the world controlling this measles outbreak," Kennedy said.
DeLauro hit back, saying that Kennedy's comparison of the U.S. response to measles to the response of other countries was unfair.
"Mr. Secretary, you keep comparing the U.S. to other countries, compare us to Europe, but the Europe you are referring to is the WHO European region, [which] has 53 countries in Europe and in Asia, including those with low ... vaccination rates like Romania and that has never eliminated measles," she said. "If you compare us to western Europe countries that we often compare ourselves to, like Great Britain, they have seen no measles death."
Kennedy argued that the U.S. is doing better than other countries in the Americas with smaller populations, including Canada and Mexico.
DeLauro scolded Kennedy for promoting vaccine skepticism in the wake of a measles outbreak spreading across the U.S.
Kennedy has shared contradicting views about vaccines. In a post on X on April 6, Kennedy said that the "most effective way to prevent the spread of measles" is to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. However, in a post later that evening, he said more than 300 children have been treated with an antibiotic and a steroid, neither of which are recognized treatments or cures for measles.
A particularly heated moment occurred when Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy told Kennedy that the secretary has equivocated when discussing the measles vaccine. Murphy noted instances in which Kennedy has touted the effectiveness of the vaccine before listing its potential harms.
Kennedy, angry at the line of questioning, interrupted Murphy, claiming his prior comments were true.
When Murphy pressed for Kennedy to say directly whether he recommended the measles vaccine for people, Kennedy, who told CBS News in an April interview that he did recommend the shot, said, "I am not going to just tell people everything is safe and effective if I know that there's issues. I need to respect people's intelligence."
Vaccine specialists say the measles vaccine is durable and two doses in your youth is sufficient for lifelong protection without the need for a booster. The CDCnotes on its websitethat the agency "considers people who received two doses of measles vaccine as children according to the U.S. vaccination schedule protected for life, and they do not ever need a booster dose."
Numerous studies over decades across multiple countries have confirmed the safety and efficacy of the MMR vaccine, the American Academy of Pediatricsnotes. Additionally, monitoring for the safety of a vaccine does not end after the shot has been licensed for use. There are federal health databases in which anyone can report side effects or reactions following a vaccine -- officials are then able to review these reports and identify any potential safety issues.
