On September 4, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance Committee in a hearing titled “The President’s 2026 Health Care Agenda.” Much of the hearing centered on Secretary Kennedy’s views on vaccines as well as on the upheaval in staffing that has occurred at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recent months, including the firing of the recently confirmed CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez.  

Secretary Kennedy faced sharp questioning from Senate Finance members on both sides of the aisle about the removal of Dr. Monarez from her position, cutting funding for mRNA vaccines, and limiting access to Covid vaccines by changing recommendations.  Notably, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) expressed frustration during the hearing about recent changes at HHS and expressed their support for science-driven, public health solutions. Senator Cassidy and Senator Barrasso are both medical doctors and cited their experience as physicians during the hearing. Senator Barrasso affirmed his support of vaccines broadly and cited Operation Warp Speed as an example of American ingenuity emphasizing, “if we’re going to make America healthy again, we can’t allow public health to be undermined.”  Senators on both sides of the aisle expressed concern and frustration at the unexpected dismissal of Dr. Monarez, just four weeks after becoming the first CDC Director to be confirmed by the Senate. 

Much of the discussion between the Secretary and Senators focused on the importance of keeping health agencies free from bias. Senator Cornyn (R-TX) asked “are you committed to trying to make sure that we use the best science and separate and eliminate politics as much as possible?” In response, Secretary Kennedy made a general promise to “eliminate the politics from science.” Though, the Secretary did not outline any specific steps that he would take when asked a follow up question on those safeguards by Senator Barrasso.  

Senators from both sides of the aisle spent considerable time questioning Secretary Kennedy about vaccines. Lines of discussion related to vaccines ranged from the science behind vaccines, recent changes to vaccine recommendations, and access issues that have arisen as a result of those changes. Many senators pointed to previous statements made by the Secretary throughout his Senate confirmation process with Senator Tillis noting “[You have said that] you will do nothing that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking vaccines. There seem to be several reports that would seem to refute that.” Additionally, Senators highlighted that the many recent changes in vaccine recommendations have created confusion and made it difficult for people in their communities to access vaccines. Senator Bill Cassidy read into the record two examples of individuals experiencing access problems. Covid vaccines are currently authorized for adults 65 and older, as well as younger individuals with at least one underlying condition. Senator Cassidy also expressed concerns about the individuals currently serving on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), noting that several new members had been paid witnesses, which could be considered a conflict of interest. While FDA has approved an updated Covid-19 vaccine formulation, ACIP has not yet issued a recommendation, a step that affects insurance coverage and pharmacists’ ability to administer the shots in many states. The Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet again later in September. 

Senator Cassidy, who is also chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, wrapped up his questions by stating “You also told Senator Wyden at the outset [of this hearing] that you didn’t want to take vaccines away from people. And as I conclude, I would like to say this: because of the conflicting recommendations made about Covid... I would say, effectively, we’re denying people vaccines.” Senator Warren (D-MA) further clarified that “If you don’t recommend [a vaccine], then the consequence of that in many states is that you can’t walk into a pharmacy and get one.” Secretary Kennedy repeatedly refuted the claims that the altered recommendations are impacting immunization access. When asked, Secretary Kennedy also stated that poor CDC data collection makes it impossible to know the true number of U.S. Covid deaths, saying he did not know the number. CDC’s website currently reports 1,231,440 Covid deaths since January 2020. 

NACCHO Government Affairs is monitoring administrative and Congressional activity, as always, and will continue to update members on relevant actions and proceedings through NACCHO Voice and News from Washington.