Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Clashes With Multiple Senators Over Vaccine Policies

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense scrutiny and sharp exchanges with Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy during a Senate Finance Committee hearing focused on vaccine policies. Bennet criticized Kennedy for firing the CDC’s vaccine advisory board and replacing it with vaccine skeptics, warning this could lead to outbreaks of measles and mumps as schools reopen, and demanded transparency on vaccine policy changes. Kennedy defended his controversial appointments and vaccine skepticism, including claims about mRNA vaccine risks and pushing back against accusations of misinformation. Cassidy confronted Kennedy over conflicting statements about COVID-19 vaccine safety and expressed concern about conflicts of interest among Kennedy’s nominees to vaccine advisory committees. The heated discussions highlighted confusion and operational challenges in COVID-19 vaccine distribution, with Kennedy disputing claims that vaccine access is being restricted. These debates underscore the ongoing turmoil and controversy surrounding federal vaccine guidance and leadership under Kennedy's tenure.