RFK Jr. Defends HHS Overhaul as Democrats Denounce ‘Struggle on Science’

Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a defiant protection on Wednesday of his drastic overhaul of federal well being businesses, insisting to members of Congress that he had “not fired any working scientists” and was “not withholding cash for lifesaving analysis” regardless of proof on the contrary.

In back-to-back appearances earlier than Home and Senate committees, Mr. Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccination, additionally made clear that he didn’t suppose the well being secretary must be within the enterprise of creating vaccine suggestions. He ducked questions on whether or not, if he had younger youngsters right now, they’d be inoculated towards measles, chickenpox or polio.

“I don’t suppose individuals must be taking recommendation, medical recommendation from me,” the well being secretary stated.

After weeks of controversy about his plans for autism analysis, Mr. Kennedy additionally testified that federally funded research ought to focus solely on figuring out “environmental toxins” — a time period that Mr. Kennedy’s critics say is code for vaccines.

“I’m informed that there was a 20-to-1 analysis ratio for genetic causes over the previous 20 years,” he stated, including: “I imagine that was as a result of they didn’t need to take a look at the environmental publicity as a result of they have been scared. So I don’t suppose we must be funding that genetic work anymore.”

Mr. Kennedy had come to Capitol Hill, his first look there since turning into well being secretary, to advertise President Trump’s finances for the following fiscal yr. However his testimony devolved right into a sequence of fiery exchanges with Democrats, who wished to speak in regards to the mass layoffs and cuts to analysis funding he has already imposed.

Engineered partly by Elon Musk and his workforce on the Division of Authorities Effectivity, the remake of the well being division contains chopping 20,000 jobs — one-quarter of the well being work drive. It additionally collapses whole businesses, together with these dedicated to psychological well being and dependancy therapy, and emergency preparedness, into a brand new, ill-defined “Administration for a Wholesome America.”