RFK Jr. faces lawmakers on HHS budget amid layoffs
Share this @internewscast.com


() Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is testifying before both chambers of Congress on Wednesday and is expected to face questions from lawmakers over his first months leading the agency.

Since his confirmation as the nation’s top health official, Kennedy has fired thousands of workers, consolidated the nation’s health infrastructure, canceled scientific funding grants and sent mixed messages on the measles outbreak.

Kennedy appeared before the House Appropriations subcommittee Wednesday morning and is scheduled to speak at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee at 1:30 p.m. EDT.

The explicit purpose of both meetings is to discuss the Trump administration’s proposed budget and a $500 million request from the Department of Health and Human Services to boost Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.

President Donald Trump’s budget proposal also outlines cuts to maternal health, infectious disease prevention and preschool programs.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., railed against the administration’s proposed $33 billion cuts to the department in her opening remarks, saying Americans would “die of needless and preventable deaths,” if the proposal were adopted.

DeLauro also warned that “by promoting quackery, we are endangering the health of the American people with pseudoscience, fear-mongering and misinformation.”

Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., told Kennedy that Congress wants to partner with him and that “we share your goal to ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ and we look forward this morning to your testimony.”

Kennedy said he intends to make “the Trump HHS not just the most effective, but also the most compassionate in U.S. history.”

Kennedy said the budget would consolidate programs on addiction and mental health, promote healthy nutrition and activity habits and equip the FDA to expand its food safety efforts.

He said HHS plans on stepping away from research that focuses on “radical gender ideology.”

The hearings follow months of anticipation. Kennedy was expected to appear before the Senate committee in April amid massive changes in HHS.

Questioning is expected to shift from finances to Kennedy’s departmental shake-up and controversial focuses on autism, food dyes and fluoride, among other topics.

Kennedy plans to “share his vision on how HHS’ transformation will improve health outcomes, eliminate redundancies to save the American taxpayer, and streamline operations to improve efficiency and service,” HHS said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Study Reveals Drinking Sugar Could Be More Harmful Than Eating It

PROVO, Utah (KTVX) — Drinking your sugar may be worse for you…

UFO Whistleblower Applauds Trump’s Drone Task Force Initiative

() The Trump administration’s emphasis on drones is a step in the…

After 6 Years Apart, Dog and Owner Joyfully Reunite: ‘My Heart Skipped a Beat’

CLEVELAND (WJW) — It was supposed to be a fresh start. In…

Colonial Past Influences US Territory’s Voting and Citizenship Conflicts

WHITTIER, Alaska – Nestled between glacier-filled mountains and the serene Prince William…

California Professor Files Lawsuit Against University for Suspension Due to Online Comments on Gaza

A professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco has…

Leaders of the Proud Boys File Lawsuit Against DOJ over January 6 Charges

Five leaders of the Proud Boys convicted of spearheading the Jan. 6,…

Stay Weather Aware This Weekend: Possibility of Strong and Severe Storms

Saturday and Sunday will be  Storm Team 3 Weather Aware days due to…

Farewell Event Honoring Local Participants in Miss Tennessee Competition

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Miss Tennessee competition happens next week…

Russian Drones and Missiles Strike Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine, Leaving 3 Dead, Officials Report

KYIV – Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv was the focus of a…

Augusta Kicks Off Official Citywide Clean-Up Initiative

AUGUSTA, Ga () – Operation City Clean-Up is designed to offer meaningful…

The Tradition Behind Sharpening a Giant Pencil in a Minneapolis Neighborhood Every Year

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) More than 1,000 people gathered Saturday in a scenic Minneapolis…

Footage Captures Newborn Dolphin’s First Breath at Chicago Zoo with Assistance from Mother’s Companion

CHICAGO – Early Saturday morning, a bottlenose dolphin at a Chicago zoo…