() 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.
