WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans and Democrats alike on Wednesday questioned the deep staffing cuts, analysis funding freezes and drastic coverage modifications that U.S. Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made in just a few brief months on the helm of the nation’s well being division.
Kennedy, who was to sit down earlier than the Senate’s well being committee later within the day, appeared at a Home appropriations listening to to defend the White Home’s requested funds for his company. The request features a $500 million increase for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative to advertise vitamin and more healthy existence whereas making deep cuts to infectious illness prevention, medical analysis maternal well being, low-income warmth help and preschool applications.
Kennedy described his downsizing of the sprawling $1.7 trillion-a-year company — from 82,000 employees to 62,000 — as vital cost-cutting measures which have diminished redundancies. He argued that he’s merely consolidating a number of current workplaces that work on ladies’s well being, minority well being and sexually transmitted illness prevention.
“When we consolidate them, Democrats say they’re eliminating them,” Kennedy mentioned.
However Democrats argued that a few of that consolidation will finally influence the work that the federal authorities is doing to cut back overdose deaths, examine causes of most cancers or supply suicide prevention providers to LGBTQ+ teenagers.
Rep. Madeline Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, pressed Kennedy on his plans to shutter the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Providers Administration, an company that oversees a nationwide suicide hotline, surveys People on their drug use yearly and offers funding and steerage for habit therapy facilities. Kennedy plans to fold it into his new Administration for Wholesome People.
“We call that shift and shaft,” Dean mentioned of Kennedy’s plans.
A number of Republicans, too, sprinkled hints of considerations about Kennedy’s strategy to the job all through the listening to.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee praised Kennedy for his work however raised considerations about whether or not the secretary has offered ample proof that synthetic meals dyes are dangerous for diets. Eradicating these meals dyes would harm the “many snack manufacturers” in his district, together with the makers of M&Ms sweet.
Rep. Mike Simpson, a dentist from Idaho, mentioned Kennedy’s plan to take away fluoride suggestions for ingesting water alarms him. The division’s press launch on Tuesday that introduced the Meals and Drug Administration plans to take away fluoride dietary supplements for kids from the market wrongly claimed that fluoride “kills bacteria from the teeth,” Simpson famous. He defined to Kennedy that fluoride doesn’t kill micro organism within the mouth however as an alternative makes tooth enamel extra resistance to decay.
“I will tell you that if you are successful in banning fluoride … we better put a lot more money into dental education because we’re going to need a lot more dentists,” Simpson added.
Democrat Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey requested “why, why, why” Kennedy would lay off almost all of the workers that oversees the Low Earnings Dwelling Vitality Help Program, which offers $4.1 billion in heating help to needy households. This system is slated to be eradicated from the company’s funds.
Kennedy mentioned that advocates warned him these cuts “will end up killing people” however that President Donald Trump believes his vitality coverage will decrease prices. If that doesn’t work, Kennedy mentioned, he would restore funding for this system.
Kennedy heads subsequent to to the Senate, the place many eyes will likely be on his dialogue with Republican Sen. Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana, who extracted various ensures from Kennedy about his strategy to vaccines.
Cassidy, a physician, harbored various considerations about Kennedy’s historical past of selling conspiracy theories or misspeaking about vaccines, he mentioned throughout a affirmation listening to earlier this 12 months.
“Can I trust that that is now in the past?” Cassidy requested Kennedy on the time.
Kennedy has since delivered a blended message on vaccines that public well being specialists have mentioned are hampering efforts to include a measles outbreak now in a minimum of 11 states. He is supplied endorsements of vaccinations however continued to boost questions on their efficacy or security. He is mentioned the childhood vaccine schedule will likely be examined in a examine of autism’s causes. He’s known as the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — a shot given to kids to supply immunity from all three ailments — “leaky,” though it presents lifetime safety from the measles for most individuals. He is additionally mentioned they trigger deaths, though none has been documented amongst wholesome individuals.
On the company, too, he is made strikes that assist the anti-vaccine motion. He employed a person who has revealed analysis that implies vaccines trigger developmental delays to supervise a examine on autism. And he is terminated some analysis and public well being funds devoted to vaccines.
Kennedy, who has rejected the anti-vaccine label, has repeatedly mentioned that he’s “pro-safety” and desires extra analysis on vaccines, though many years of real-world use and analysis have concluded they safely forestall lethal ailments in kids.
“His longstanding advocacy has always focused on ensuring that vaccines, and other medical interventions, meet the highest standards of safety and are supported by gold-standard science,” Well being and Human Providers mentioned in a press release. “As he did during confirmation, Secretary Kennedy is prepared to address questions surrounding this topic.”
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
