APTOPIX Senate HHS

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Finance hearing to examine the budget request for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Health and Human Services on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Washington.

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Vaccines, budget cuts and affordability: Takeaways from RFK Jr.’s gauntlet of congressional hearings

Vaccines, budget cuts and affordability: Takeaways from RFK Jr.’s gauntlet of congressional hearings

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has concluded a marathon of budget hearings with federal lawmakers. Throughout a week of hearings, he deflected blame for measles outbreaks and dwindling vaccination rates and touted several initiatives that he says are making health care more affordable. Kennedy was tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget, which would cut more than 12% of funding from Kennedy’s department. In response to bipartisan concerns about funding reductions, Kennedy said they were “painful.” As the week wore on, and with Democrats coming out swinging, Kennedy became more defiant, even at times screaming his rebuttals. Experts said his claim that the federal government isn't cutting Medicaid doesn't align with the facts.