Senators from both parties sharply rebuked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a three-hour hearing Thursday, pressing him on his removal of top public health officials and abrupt changes to vaccine policy while stopping short of taking steps to force him from office.
The hearing, described by several lawmakers as tumultuous, featured heated exchanges in which Kennedy frequently raised his voice as senators demanded explanations for personnel decisions at agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and questioned the direction of federal vaccine guidance. Lawmakers said they were frustrated not only by the decisions Kennedy has made but by the tone of his responses as he defended those actions.
Several senators from both parties said Kennedy’s moves had alienated senior public health officials and unsettled agency operations. They pressed him for specifics about why the CDC director was removed and how recent policy shifts were determined, while also signaling concern about the stability of the department’s leadership and the potential public-health consequences of rapid changes.
Republican senators who had supported Kennedy’s confirmation acknowledged the awkwardness of the proceedings. The Senate’s Republican majority confirmed Kennedy to his post last year, and lawmakers pointed out that the same chamber that is now criticizing him is the one that elevated him to the Cabinet. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a polio survivor, was singled out in remarks noting exceptions among GOP ranks, but most Republican and Democratic senators voiced varying degrees of alarm.
Kennedy has long been identified with skepticism about vaccines, a reputation that helped shape his nomination and colored senators’ questioning during the hearing. Lawmakers repeatedly sought assurances about the department’s commitment to established public-health science and asked how forthcoming policy reversals would be vetted and communicated to the public.
Multiple senators said their frustration was exacerbated by what they described as a breakdown in relations between HHS leadership and career public-health officials. Kennedy defended his decisions at length, framing them as necessary changes, and at times responded indignantly to senators’ lines of inquiry.
The exchanges underscored a broader tension between congressional oversight and responsibility. Several senators noted the irony that, although they could publicly admonish Kennedy, they are also the body that confirmed him and retains the institutional authority to pursue removals or other remedies. None announced immediate moves to force his departure during the hearing.
Outside the hearing room, public-health advocates and former agency officials expressed concern over the atmosphere within HHS and the potential for policy instability. Some said the spectacle of the session — part grilling, part standoff — may deepen public confusion about federal health guidance at a time when consistent messaging is often cited as critical.
The hearing concluded without a clear resolution, leaving questions about personnel, policy and the department’s relationship with career public-health staff unresolved. Senators indicated they would continue oversight of HHS but gave no timetable for further action. Kennedy remains in his post as the administration’s lead on federal health policy.