U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doubled down on false claims about vaccines during his Senate testimony, as senators grilled him on his sweeping changes to immunization policy and federal health agencies.

Washington

RFK Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to discuss the president's health agenda, where he faced pointed questions about his recent changes to the CDC vaccine advisory committee. He defended his decision to replace all members of the committee and install new ones, arguing that the current vaccine schedule contributes to the over-medicalization of children. 

The hearing included a heated exchange with Senator Michael Bennett, who questioned whether vaccines would remain free and accessible under the new panel. RFK Jr. also denied accusations from the recently dismissed CDC director, who claimed he asked her to pre-approve recommendations from the new advisory committee. The session was marked by contentious debate over vaccine policy and agency leadership.

RFK Jr. faces intense questioning from Senate committee

Welcome back, RFK Jr. before Senate Finance today on the president's health agenda for the coming year. Let's get to Angelica Peebles with the latest. Hey, Angelica. Hey, Carl. Well, today we're hearing a much different tone from RFK Jr. than we did hear from him during his confirmation hearings earlier this year. And at that time, he was very careful about his language around vaccines, and today he's much more defiant. So right out of the gate, he accused the childhood vaccine schedule of contributing to the quote over medicalization of American children. He defended firing all the members of that CDC advisory committee that creates the vaccine schedule and installing new members. And that overhaul was the subject of one particularly heated exchange with Democratic Senator Michael Bennett, who asked whether vaccines will continue to be free and accessible after Kennedy's handpicked panel makes judgments about them. I am simply trying to say that the people that you have put on that panel after firing the entire- You're evading the question. No, I'm asking the questions here, Mr. Kennedy. You're evading that question. I'm asking the questions, Mr. Kennedy. I'm asking the questions for Mr. Kennedy on behalf of parents and schools and teachers all over the United States of America who deserve so much better than your leadership. That's what this conversation is about, Mr. Chairman. Senator, they deserve the truth, and that's what we're going to give them for the first time in the history of that agency. Also accused the CDC director that he just fired of lying about the circumstances of her firing. This morning in an op-ed, she said that Kennedy asked her to pre-approve recommendations from that overhauled vaccine advisory committee. Kennedy denied that accusation, saying that he never said that to her. So it's been a very contentious morning, guys.

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Breakdown