Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was subjected to an intense bipartisan grilling session on Wednesday while testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on the HHS budget, his first appearance before a congressional committee since being confirmed as President Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary. Kennedy’s personal and often controversial medical views, including his penchant for vaccine skepticism, came up repeatedly.
In one exchange, Democratic representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin questioned Kennedy about his past assertion, during his confirmation hearing, that his own children were vaccinated and asked if Kennedy would give his children the measles vaccine in today’s setting. The secretary conceded that he would likely vaccinate for measles but notably said that Americans should not look to him for medical advice, despite him being one of the nation’s top health officials.
“What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant,” Kennedy said.
He continued, “I don’t want it to seem like I’m being evasive, but I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.”
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI): “If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?”
Health and Human Services Sec. RFK Jr.: “Probably for measles. … But I don’t think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me.” pic.twitter.com/VyAO1F8AwX
— The Recount (@therecount) May 14, 2025
Pocan pushed back. “But that’s kinda your jurisdiction because CDC does give advice,” he said. Kennedy then gave a similar answer when Pocan asked if he would vaccinate for chicken pox or polio.
“I don’t want to be giving advice to people,” the secretary said.
Representative Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican and former dentist, raised Kennedy’s opposition to fluoridated water. “I am concerned about the fluoride issue. I’ve seen the benefits having been a practicing dentist for 22 years,” Simpson said.
The congressman noted that Kennedy congratulated Utah and Florida for passing legislation to remove fluoride from the states’ water supply. “They can do what they want, but we’d better put a lot more money into dental education because we’re going to need a whole lot more dentists,” Simpson said.
Kennedy reiterated his stance that studies have shown fluoride to have ill effects on children’s health, saying a recent report found a correlation between doses of fluoride and lower IQ. “It’s an issue that we all need to be concerned with,” he said.
Rosa DeLauro, the Connecticut congresswoman and ranking member of the committee, went after Kennedy over the Trump administration’s extensive cuts to federal agencies, asking if he intends to go after other funds doled out by Congress, such as the administration’s planned multimillion cuts to NIH.
“Ranking member, if Congress appropriates to me the money, I’m gonna spend the money. You have the power of the purse here,” he said.
“Thank you for reiterating that, but I’m not sure the administration has internalized that,” she said.
DeLAURO: Are you planning to break the law by impounding congressionally appropriated funds?
RFK Jr: If you appropriate the funds, I’m going to spend them
DeLAURO: We have! You’re cutting the NIH by $18 billion. The Congress appropriated those funds. How then can you justify… pic.twitter.com/OTgYCcNMOt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2025
In an exchange with Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Kennedy said he was heavily involved in the decisions around cuts in the federal health agencies and that he even advised against some suggestions. “Elon Musk gave us help in figuring out where there was waste, fraud, and abuse in the department, but it was up to me to make the decision,” Kennedy said. “And there are many instances where I pushed back and said, ‘We don’t want to; that would hurt us to eliminate that group.’”
Kennedy is set to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions later Wednesday afternoon. The panel is led by Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana senator and former physician who publicly grappled with his decision to support Kennedy’s nomination despite his disputed views.
