Senators chose to yell at Robert Kennedy Jr. rather than use their power to stop him
It’s practically unheard of for senators to spar with the nation’s top health official. But in the midst of an escalating three-hour hearing on Thursday, senators from both parties couldn’t hide their displeasure with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose fierce defense of his dismissal of top health officials, abrupt changes to vaccine policies, and even his continued tenure have been a public health low point—a reminder that while lawmakers may have objected to his handling of patients, they were the ones who installed and kept him in office.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found his place in President Donald Trump’s cabinet thanks to his reputation as a vaccine skeptic. In any case, Senate Republicans—with the exception of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, himself a polio survivor—confirmed him to his powerful post. During Thursday’s contentious hearing, the secretary raised his voice, expressing his apparent frustration and anger as lawmakers pressed him on why he fired the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and expressed concern about restricted access to COVID-19 vaccines. A large number of Democrats called for his resignation.
But the problem is: despite the bipartisan frustration with Kennedy’s tenure, nothing will remove him. The government faces a funding deadline at the end of the month, but there are no serious plans by Democrats or Republicans in Congress to tie Robert Kennedy Jr. or national vaccine policies to keeping the money flowing. Dozens of CDC experts have been removed, but they remain fired. And Americans who want a COVID booster shot are left in a quandary because hatred of Kennedy now limits coverage under insurance plans. Yet, despite the bitter hearing and their apparent frustration with many of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s decisions, Republican lawmakers, who are more aware than most, will continue to defend him because Trump controls Washington. Opposing Trump is a recipe for political collapse, and no Republican lawmaker—not even the physician who runs the health committee—would risk leaving.
“I’m saying, in effect, we’re depriving people of vaccines,” said Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and also a physician. Yet in the hours following the frantic hearing, Cassidy ramped up his campaign to award the president a Nobel Prize for his work on vaccines.
John Barrasso, another physician on the Senate floor, emphasized the core danger from within the government. “I’m a physician,” said the Wyoming Republican. “Vaccines work. Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to adhere to the highest standards on vaccines. Since then, I’ve become increasingly concerned.”
But when later asked about Robert Kennedy Jr.’s future, Barrasso deferred to the White House. “I have confidence in what the president of the United States is doing, and I wouldn’t hesitate to speculate,” he said.
Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who had hesitated to vote to confirm the appointment earlier this year, seemed uneasy about the situation.
“I’m concerned that we’re undermining the credibility of the CDC,” said Tillis, who is not seeking reelection. “We could be undermining the credibility of the American government in keeping children safe.”
Yet nothing changes, at least for now. Senate Majority Leader John Thune sidestepped questions Thursday about whether he still had confidence in Robert Kennedy Jr., as did Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, considered one of the most vulnerable Republicans on the ballot next year.
Kennedy offered a series of rambling thoughts on Thursday on everything from COVID-19 vaccines to antidepressants to hepatitis B. While senators tried to keep the debate focused on established science, Kennedy refused to close the loop. Retracted studies were at the forefront, and unity seemed everywhere. This frenetic, noisy, and absurd scene offered little new information and a fair amount of misinformation. Circular logic was as pervasive as it was problematic, coming from the man who runs the world’s largest health care institution. At one point, Robert Kennedy Jr. criticized mRNA technology—the cornerstone of COVID vaccines—as the “most lethal method” ever developed, while insisting that its introduction deserved a Nobel Prize for Trump.
Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, pointed out the inconsistencies. “When did you lie, sir?” she asked. “When did you tell this committee you’re not anti-vaxxer, or when did you tell Americans there’s no safe and effective vaccine?”
Kennedy looked confused. “Both are true,” he said. Pressed by Senator Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, Kennedy expressed utter contempt: “You’re talking nonsense.”
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, responded angrily to Kennedy: “You’re the Secretary of Health and Human Services. How can you be so ignorant?”
Senator Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from New Hampshire, was equally outraged: “Sometimes when you make an accusation, it’s an admission, Mr. Kennedy.”
For all that, it was just charades. Kennedy dismissed criticism of his firing of thousands of career employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He deflected questions about why he fired all members of the vaccine committee, repeating the discredited allegation of financial conflicts. Kennedy seemed completely at ease in an environment that didn’t acknowledge the facts. This bravado and bravado seemed at odds with red-state lawmakers heading into flu season with the COVID threat on the rise.
There was a widespread feeling among Republicans in Congress that the hearing had gone badly. But, as evidenced by the snarling senators as they moved around the chamber, the unshakeable fact is that Kennedy still enjoys Trump’s confidence. This is the kind of performance Trump loves. They are united by their shared disbelief in science and disrespect for expertise. It’s an added bonus that Kennedy showed contempt for the lawmakers.
As if to cap off a tense day, Kennedy pulled out his phone and flipped through the pages as the senators wrapped up their day. When asked if he wished to make any closing statements, Kennedy curtly declined. “I think I’ll spare everyone,” he said, “and let’s adjourn.”
