RFK Jr. wavers on vaccines, says not to heed his medical advice

RFK Jr. faced a bipartisan committee of House representatives, charged with questioning him on proposals for sweeping funding cuts to health care and scientific research.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a committee of Democrats and Republicans Wednesday that the public should not heed medical advice from him, after skirting questions on whether or not he would vaccinate his children.

Kennedy faced a bipartisan committee of House representatives, charged with questioning him on proposals for sweeping funding cuts to health care and scientific research for the 2026 fiscal year, and on how he is operating his department.

The group of lawmakers probed Kennedy’s approach to his job, some arguing that he has endangered vaccine uptake, cancer research and dental health over just a few months in office.

But Kennedy stood by the Trump administration’s efforts to redraw the boundaries of the US$1.7-trillion-a-year agency, promising it would create a more efficient operation focused on promoting healthier lifestyles among Americans.

“There’s so much chaos and disorganization in this department,” Kennedy said during the hearing.

“What we’re saying is, let’s organize in a way that we can quickly adopt and deploy all these opportunities we have to really deliver high-quality health care to the American people.”

The health secretary, who has already downsized his department from 82,000 to 62,000 staff, defended the Trump administration’s proposed budget for next year, which includes a $500-million funding boost for his Make America Healthy Again initiative and its intention to slash funding to infectious disease prevention, medical research and maternal health initiatives.

The health secretary navigated scrutiny from both sides of the bench, with Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey questioning why he plans to effectively eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4.1 billion in heating assistance to families in need, including those living in remote areas.