RFK Jr. defends his health agenda and Trump's proposed budget cuts in hearing

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a hearing of the House Committee on Ways and Means on Capitol Hill on April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. Heather Diehl/Getty Images

Heather Diehl/Getty Images

In his first appearance on Capitol Hill this year, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his record in running the Department of Health and Human Services.

On Thursday, Kennedy testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, playing up his agency's accomplishments on a range of issues — from drug price negotiations to the new dietary guidelines — and did his best to sidestep criticism of his controversial actions on vaccines.

"We're ending the era of federal policies that fueled the chronic disease epidemic and replacing them with policies that put the health of Americans first," Kennedy declared in his opening remarks to the committee.

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During testimony, Kennedy also took questions about the Trump administration's proposal to cut his agency's budget in the coming fiscal year by close to $16 billion, which would amount to a 12.5% cut from last year.

Kennedy received a mostly warm reception from Republicans on the committee who asked him how his agency is handling fraud at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, rural health care and other issues of interest in their districts.

Meanwhile, Democrats took the opportunity to grill Kennedy on the upsurge in vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, under his watch and the weakening of the childhood vaccine schedule. (Kennedy's efforts to overhaul the vaccine schedule is currently blocked by the courts.)

"Kids have died because measles is running rampant under your watch," said Rep. Mike Thompson, a Democrat from California, as he recalled being a school-aged child when polio was still a threat, "Your dangerous conspiracy theories are undermining safe and effective vaccines."

Last year, the U.S recorded more than 2,200 measles cases and could easily surpass that this year, with more than 1,700 infections recorded so far.

In one particularly tense exchange, Rep. Linda Sánchez, a Democrat from California, pressed Kennedy on the death of an unvaccinated child from measles during an outbreak in Texas last year. When she asked whether the measles vaccine could have saved the child's life, Kennedy replied: "It's possible – certainly."

Sánchez went on to press Kennedy about his priorities, including the CDC's decision to end a public awareness campaign to promote the flu vaccine. NPR first reported on that decision in February 2025.

"You suspended this pro-vaccine messaging campaign, but somehow you're spending taxpayer dollars to drink milk, shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock?" Sánchez quipped, citing a recent, eyebrow-raising promotional video released by HHS that depicts the two men working out.

On the proposed budget, Rep. Gwen Moore, a Democrat from Wisconsin, asked about the sizable proposed cuts to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, WIC, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, and how that conflicted with Kennedy's goals to reduce rates of chronic disease in children.

Kennedy said "he was not happy" with the cuts.

Since taking on the job, Kennedy has pushed the idea of creating a new agency — the Administration for a Healthy America, or AHA — by reorganizing and consolidating the Department of Health and Human Services.

This latest budget proposal calls for establishing AHA.

Kennedy is scheduled to appear in front of another House committee at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday.