Kennedy digs in at explosive hearing

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HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday erupted into shouting, finger-pointing and accusations of malfeasance as a broader cultural fight over vaccine policy explodes across the U.S.

Amid heated questioning, Kennedy defended his recent firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez, which resulted in an exodus of senior officials. Kennedy tangled with lawmakers on everything from COVID-19, to his paring-back of access to vaccines and his claims about vaccine injuries.

One fiery exchange with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) captured the back-and-forth.

"I hope you tell the American people how many preventable child deaths are an acceptable sacrifice for enacting an agenda that I think is fundamentally cruel and defies common sense,” Wyden said.

"You've sat in that chair for…25 years while the chronic disease in our children went up to 76 percent and you said nothing,” Kennedy responded.

Ahead of the hearing, 11 of the 12 Democrats on the committee demanded Kennedy resign, saying he “endangers the lives of all Americans.”

This comes amid an accelerating red state-blue state divide over vaccines.

Vaccine skepticism was once more often a niche left-wing view but in recent years it's gone mainstream on the MAGA right.

Florida officials announced Wednesday they'll seek to make the state the first in the country without school vaccine mandates.

Meanwhile, a coalition of Western states led by Democrats announced a new public health alliance, saying they will provide “science-driven” advice on vaccines.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D), Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) are backing the West Coast Health Alliance, arguing “the CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science, ideology that will lead to severe health consequences.”

CDC TURMOIL

Much of the action in Washington on Thursday centered around Kennedy’s firing of Monarez, the former CDC director, who was confirmed by the Senate only weeks earlier.

Kennedy opened his remarks on Capitol Hill by saying the CDC needs “new blood.”

“We need bold, competent and creative new leadership at CDC. People are able and willing to chart a new course,” he said.

Monarez says she was fired for refusing to rubber-stamp vaccine recommendations from Kennedy’s hand-picked advisers, whom she described as vaccine skeptics.

In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal published Thursday, Monarez said she was let go after refusing to give in to pressure to “compromise science itself."

Monarez said Kennedy pressured her to resign or “face termination” after she refused to comply with some “troubling directives,” including the approval of recommendations from a “vaccine advisory panel newly filled with people who have publicly expressed antivaccine rhetoric.”

Kennedy disputed those claims, saying he fired Monarez because she was not a “trustworthy person.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is retiring next year, expressed exasperation with Kennedy.

“I don’t see how you go, over four weeks, from a public health expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials, a long-time champion of MAHA values, caring and compassionate and brilliant microbiologist, and four weeks later, fire her because, at least the public reports say, because she refused to fire people that work for her,” Tillis said.

VACCINES, COVID IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a former physician who is up for reelection next year, vented at Kennedy for limiting access to vaccines.

“I would say, effectively, we’re denying people vaccines,” Cassidy said.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said children will be less likely to get seasonal vaccines as a result of Kennedy’s newly remade vaccine panel at the CDC.

“It is... the American people’s health that’s on the line here,” Bennet said.

Tillis questioned Kennedy for canceling vaccine research efforts.

Kennedy responded that he thinks “parents should be free” to choose to get their children immunized.

In one fiery exchange, Kennedy accused Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) of having taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) scolded him.

“Every Republican got corporate PAC money for the........

© The Hill