RFK Jr. will reportedly not appear before Senate subcommittee

RFK Jr. appears before the Senate Finance Committee in February on his nomination as HHS secretary.

Photo: Senate Finance Committee screen shot

The chairman and the ranking member of a Senate subcommittee have asked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to participate in a hearing on the reorganization of HHS, but Kennedy reportedly will not appear.

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to Kennedy dated April 1, inviting him to testify before the committee on Thursday, April 10.

"During his confirmation process, Kennedy committed to coming before the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis upon request from the chair," according to HELP.

Kennedy's team confirmed receipt of the request but did not confirm attendance, committee staff told STAT. 

It's unclear if or when Kennedy will appear. After this week, the Senate breaks for two weeks, returning on April 28.

WHY THIS MATTERS

On April 1, the same day as the HELP letter, Health and Human Services employees began receiving notices that their jobs had been eliminated. Some reportedly arrived at work to find they were no longer employed.

Kennedy, acting on Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plans, announced cuts of roughly 20,000 jobs to shrink HHS down to about 62,000 positions. About 10,000 people were laid off and another 10,000 were expected to take early retirement and voluntary separation offers. 

The HELP hearing, titled "An Update on the Restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services," was to discuss the reorganization of HHS.

"We are following up on the commitment you made during the confirmation process that as secretary you would come before the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis, upon request of the Chair," the letter said. 

THE LARGER TREND

Kennedy – President Donald Trump's nominee for HHS secretary – was confirmed to lead the department in February, in a 52-48 Senate vote that fell mostly along party lines. Those opposed to his appointment – including Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky – voiced concern over Kennedy's controversial views on vaccines.

During Senate subcommittee hearings, Cassidy, a physician, also voiced concerns over Kennedy's vaccine statements. Cassidy wanted Kennedy to give "yes or no" answers around his support of immunizations for measles, COVID-19 and hepatitis B. Kennedy said several times that he supported vaccines and is not "anti-vaccine" but "pro-safety."

In February, when the Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 to affirm Kennedy's nomination, Cassidy's affirmative vote was pivotal as it would have taken just one Republican to scuttle Kennedy's nomination to the full Senate.

Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org