Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is about to face a congressional gauntlet, with vaccines likely to be a major topic even as he tries to shift the focus elsewhere. The health secretary sits for the first of seven hearings Thursday, his first Hill grilling in more than seven months, with lawmakers poised to probe his department's budget, staff churn, and an attempt to sharply reduce recommended childhood vaccines that is currently hung up in the courts, reports the Washington Post. The hearings continue into next week. Kennedy's prepared opening remarks for Thursday don't mention the word "vaccine," notes Axios. Instead, they focus on food policy, from phasing out synthetic dyes to rewriting dietary guidelines, and pricing deals with drugmakers.
"Our children are the sickest generation in modern history—and decades of failed policies, captured agencies, and profit-driven systems caused it," Kennedy plans to say. "Parents across this country demanded change—and we are delivering it." Democrats plan to cast his first year as disorderly and push him off the tighter "affordability and nutrition" message he's adopted ahead of the midterms. Republicans are more split: Some back his "Make America Healthy Again" nutrition crusade and whole-milk push, while others worry about his stance on pesticides and vaccines.
A marquee clash looms with Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who helped confirm Kennedy but has since broken with him on immunizations. Budget fights are also brewing, with key senators already resisting a proposed $5 billion cut to the NIH and a plan to consolidate health agencies.
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