Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JD, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary-designate, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 29 and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Jan. 30. Though both committees held hearings on the nominee, only the Senate Finance Committee will vote on whether to advance the nomination to the full Senate.
In several exchanges throughout both hearings, Kennedy expressed his commitment to prioritizing research into chronic disease, consistent with his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Kennedy noted long COVID and obesity as examples of conditions he would wish to prioritize for funding from the National Institutes of Health. In an exchange with Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Kennedy emphasized his commitment to investing in research on the root causes of gun violence.
During the hearings, Kennedy fielded numerous questions from committee members about his past claims regarding vaccine safety. Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), urged Kennedy to commit to not “impound, divert, or otherwise reduce any funding appropriated by Congress for the purpose of vaccination programs” among other actions, and Kennedy agreed.
Several senators also questioned Kennedy about his plans for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In a key exchange, Kennedy asserted that the Medicaid program is “not working for Americans” primarily due to recent coverage expansions. To address these challenges, Kennedy proposed transitioning Medicaid “to a value-based program, rather than a fee-based system.” Throughout the Finance hearing, several Democratic members challenged Kennedy’s assertion that the Medicaid program is not working as intended, with Sen. Ben Luján (D-N.M.) highlighting Medicaid enrollees’ reported satisfaction with their coverage. When asked if he would support cutting Medicaid or reducing the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, Kennedy noted, “President Trump has not told me that he wants to cut Medicaid — he’s told me to make it better” and that such cuts would be “up to Congress.”
At both hearings, Kennedy voiced support for health care innovation, particularly through telehealth and artificial intelligence. He also concurred with senators who raised concerns about rural access to care and escalating closures of rural hospitals, noting that additional investments are needed in care delivery infrastructure and the physician workforce to improve health care in rural communities.