September 05, 2025
HHS Secretary Grilled About Medicaid, CDC Firings, and Vaccines Throughout Contentious Listening to
Throughout a tense listening to on Thursday, members of the Senate Finance Committee pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his place on plenty of points, together with Medicare drug value negotiation, vaccine skepticism, latest firings on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), and Medicaid funding for rural hospitals.
“Because the committee gathers right now, the US is within the midst of a well being care calamity. The most important cuts to American well being care within the historical past of our nation, and they’re approaching like an avalanche,” mentioned Rating Member Ron Wyden (OR) throughout his opening remarks. “Robert Kennedy’s tenure is up to now marked by three calling playing cards: One is chaos at federal well being businesses, leaving docs, households and the complete nation confused and frightened; corruption that advantages Robert Kennedy, Donald Trump, and their buddies on the expense of taxpayers; and better well being prices for households.”
Secretary Kennedy declined to straight reply many questions through the listening to and even asserted – with out proof – that some members have been “making issues up” or have been appearing as shills for pharmaceutical firms, which he often critiqued all through his testimony.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) identified that this stance is incompatible along with his assist for the Republican tax regulation, which gave a serious windfall to the pharmaceutical trade by exempting sure medication from Medicare value negotiation: “So my query to you Mr. Secretary is how do you justify claiming to tackle Large Pharma whereas supporting a invoice that shields medication like Keytruda and different most cancers medication from Medicare negotiation?”
Kennedy indicated he isn’t absolutely dedicated to Medicare drug value negotiation, saying this system and the Inflation Discount Act have been “well-intentioned however have been poorly structured.” He additionally continued to indicate a lack of awareness about how Medicare works. He was unable to say precisely how a lot Half B and Half D premiums will improve for enrollees subsequent yr nor might he provide you with any specifics about how he’ll hold well being care prices down for seniors when requested for particulars.
Sen. Peter Welch (VT) implored Secretary Kennedy to take motion to decrease drug costs. “Senator Cortez Masto spoke concerning the laws that we now have that may reverse the $5 billion handout to Large Pharma within the ‘One, Large Lovely Invoice,’ and after I depart right now with Senator Wyden we’re going to go to the ground and search unanimous consent to move our laws that may reverse that giveaway,” mentioned Sen. Welch. “I ask you to place your coverage and your physique the place your mouth is and be a part of us in supporting that invoice to revive value negotiation energy so these pharma costs can come down from being the very best on this planet to one thing inside the vary of cause.”
Medicaid funding for rural hospitals was of specific concern for a number of committee members, together with Sen. Mark Warner (VA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) and Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (ID). Kennedy falsely claimed that “there have been no Medicaid cuts” within the new tax regulation and insisted that Republicans’ $50 billion rural hospital fund can be sufficient to offer aid. However consultants have already mentioned the fund will solely cowl a couple of third of what rural hospitals will lose to Medicaid cuts.
Senators questioned Secretary Kennedy about shakeups on the CDC, together with his unprecedented resolution to fireside all 17 members from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and substitute them with people who’ve unfold vaccine misinformation. In addition they sought to make clear the circumstances surrounding his latest ouster of Former CDC Director Susan Monarez.
“Secretary Kennedy’s testimony solely heightens our issues over his capacity to correctly handle well being take care of seniors and all People,” mentioned Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “He’s placing our medical insurance and care in danger. We urge him to concentrate on bringing down well being care prices and assist evidence-based science or promptly resign.”
