White Home officers rallied to the protection of Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who confronted an onslaught of criticism from Democratic senators and skepticism from some Republicans throughout a fiery listening to Thursday.
“Secretary @RobertKennedyJr is taking flak because he’s over the target,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on the social platform X. “The Trump Administration is addressing root causes of chronic disease, embracing transparency in government, and championing gold-standard science. Only the Democrats could attack that commonsense effort.”
Taylor Budowich, a deputy chief of employees within the White Home, claimed Democrats appeared “uninterested in health or human services, just parrots of a failed medical orthodoxy that has made America less healthy. Great hearing and preparation by the Sec.”
Vice President Vance mentioned senators trying to “lecture” Kennedy whereas supporting hormone remedy for youngsters had been “full of shit and everyone knows it.”
Democrats accounted for a lot of the testy exchanges with Kennedy throughout his appearances earlier than the Senate Finance Committee listening to.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) mentioned Kennedy had “elevated conspiracy theorists, crackpots, and grifters to make life-or-death decisions about Americans’ health care.” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) raised his voice and told Kennedy that parents and teachers “deserve so a lot better than your management.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Kennedy over why he fired the not too long ago confirmed head of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).
However Republicans additionally joined in at instances in pushing Kennedy, notably over vaccines.
Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.), a doctor, requested Kennedy if he thought President Trump deserved the Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Velocity, which accelerated the event of COVID-19 vaccines and remedy throughout Trump’s first time period. When Kennedy answered affirmatively, Cassidy pressed him about his opposition to mRNA know-how and why his company lower greater than $500 million in contracts for mRNA analysis.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), additionally a skilled doctor, mentioned he was “deeply concerned” concerning the rhetoric round vaccines, saying they’re efficient and confidence in public well being cannot be undermined.
Thursday’s listening to got here after the ouster of former CDC Director Susan Monarez and the departure of a number of different prime officers on the company. Kennedy has additionally changed the officers on the advisory panel that opinions vaccines with people skeptical of vaccinations.
Kennedy has lengthy voiced opposition to vaccines, although he has pushed again on being labeled “anti-vaccine.” He has spent a long time selling the speculation that childhood vaccines have led to a rise in autism and persistent diseases, regardless of research repeatedly displaying in any other case.
