Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Faces Bipartisan Rebuke at Heated Senate Hearing

During the hearing of the Senate Finance Committee there was a moment of bipartisan unity, as lawmakers from both parties were quick to press Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. inside a rollicking hearing about Kennedy’s radical revisions at the CDC — and his renewed attacks on vaccines. Kennedy appeared to have finally dismissed taking the middle ground after years of trying to do so, and he leaned into some extremist rhetoric, and stuck to his erroneous thoughts that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines kill people — comments which quickly rejected by Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

Kennedy appeared to be at the Hill after an eventful week, including, most notably, firing CDC Director Susan Monarez; his newly implemented restrictions of provider access to COVID vaccines; and, mass resignations of senior CDC staff. He seemed resolute at the hearing, stating that “my views have never been clearer”: “mRNA vaccines [cause] significant adverse reaction[s],” to Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). He repeated the same claim to Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), disregarding the repeated warnings that public health/policy leaders pushed back on Kennedy for the harm these warbling comments could cause – and continued unrepentant.

Republicans Split with Kennedy on Operation Warp Speed

While Kennedy applauded President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed as “Noble worthy,” Senate Republicans were quick to point out the duality. For example, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) pressed Kennedy about his legal history. As the lead attorney for Children’s Health Defense, Kennedy filed lawsuits to restrict access to COVID vaccines– lawsuits that would seemingly contradict his public accolades to the expanded access of vaccines.

Cassidy produced a viral post from Erick Erickson– conservative radio talk show host whose wife has Stage 4 Lung cancer. As Erickson pointed out, she couldn’t get a shot “because of the current mess at HHS.” Cassidy was blunt: “We’re basically preventing people from getting a vaccine.”

Other Republicans, including Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), also challenged Kennedy about his response to a measles outbreak in Texas where he recommended inhaled steroids instead of vaccination. Barrasso reminded Kennedy of his pledge confirmation to uphold scientific rigor and was “deeply concerned” with where the CDC was heading under Kennedy.

Vaccine Advisory Panel Shuffle Sets New Alarms

At the crux of the controversy is Kennedy’s action to replace the entire vaccine advisory committee at CDC, with people known to have anti-vaccine positions. Although Kennedy insists the action was to eliminate conflicts of interest, Cassidy pointed out the first panel had less than 7% potential conflicts—compared to the new appointees who were mostly paid expert witnesses in lawsuits against vaccine companies.

Cassidy asked, “Isn’t being paid to testify against vaccine makers a conflict of interest?” Kennedy replied, “It may be a bias, and if that bias is disclosed, it’s OK.” That did not settle well with most present.

Sen. Tillis noted Kennedy’s proclivity to contradict his stated commitments—not just by firing the CDC director, but by cancelling $500 million in mRNA vaccine research and kicking career scientists off federal vaccine programs. “You said you were going to empower the scientists,” Tillis said. “I just would like to see proof, of where you have done that.”

Leadership Crisis at CDC Leads to Calls for Resignation

Susan Monarez’s termination became a flashpoint. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Monarez alleged she was instructed to preapprove recommendations made by a vaccine advisory panel, comprised mostly of vaccine skeptics. When Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) asked Kennedy if he believed Monarez was truthful about it, Kennedy flatly denied Monarez’s allegation. “So she is lying to the American people in the Wall Street Journal?” Wyden followed up. “Yes, sir,” Kennedy concluded.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also confronted Kennedy about the firing. Kennedy later claimed he terminated Monarez after asking whether she was a “trustworthy person” and indicating he received a “no” response. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), expressed incredulity to the dynamic asking, did Kennedy honestly believe the CDC director admitted she was not trustworthy? Kennedy insisted, “She said, ‘No.'”

The fallout has been significant. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the National Center for Immunization at the CDC, resigned last week after learning about the agency’s updated vaccine guidance through social media. According to reports Daskalakis requested the data associated with the newly released guidance, and he was told there was none.

Meanwhile, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) confronted Kennedy about hiding the rationale behind the FDA’s narrow vaccine recommendation now only permitting vaccines for people over 65 or those with certain high-risk conditions. When faced with facts, Kennedy accused Hassan of “making stuff up to scare people,” and said she “lied.”

With the unprecedented chaos at the CDC, rising bipartisan scrutiny, and collapsing trust amongst agency staff, there are now louder calls from legislators for Kennedy to be fired. Whether he is or isn’t, one thing was made clear during Thursday’s hearing, the nation’s public health leadership is undergoing an unprecedented reckoning.