▶ 0:22:24Before I begin, I want to welcome everyone here, particularly our witness. Um, two things that I want to point out to both sides of the aisle. First of all, we are going to use this gavvel today. We are going to limit people to five minutes. So, please be aware of that. I'm going to be fair on both sides, but I do want to let all of you know that we're going to try to limit it to five minutes. Secondly, this committee, this subcommittee in particular, prides itself on the quorum.
▶ 0:22:49So, I want to encourage everyone to be respectful of each other as well as with our witness, and I'm sure he'll do the same. So, thank you all for being here. The chair now recognizes himself for five minutes for an opening statement. It's my pleasure to begin today's hearing by welcoming the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health. Thank you, Secretary Kennedy, for coming before the committee to discuss the fiscal year 2026 budget for the US Department of Health and Human Services.
▶ 0:23:20In 2023, our nation spent an estimated $4.9 trillion on health care. That's nearly 20% of our gross domestic product. And when it comes to per person healthcare spending, the United States far surpasses every other nation in the world. And yet, America's health outcomes still lag behind our peers. Life expectancy in the US is lower than in other developed economies, and rates of infant and maternal mortality, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are higher.
▶ 0:23:49At the same time, public trust in government health agencies has eroded. The results of our record-breaking spending speak for themselves, and that's unacceptable. The system isn't just expensive, it's failing the very people it's meant to serve. Currently in the United States, three and four adults experience one or more chronic conditions. In 2013, no state had adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%.
▶ 0:24:14Fast forward to 2023, 23 states had 35% or higher adult obesity rates. According to the CDC, in my home state of Georgia, 35% of adults are obese and one in 10 adults are living with three or more chronic conditions. During my time as a pharmacist, I saw firsthand the toll that dietreated chronic diseases can have on individuals and families due to rising health care premiums, out-of- pocket cost, and miswork.
▶ 0:24:42The financial impact is astronomical, not to mention how taxing the physical, emotional, and mental burdens can be. Just looking at the impact of diabetes, the United States spends more than $327 billion dollar each year combating the disease with 237 billion spent on medical costs and another 90 billion in productivity losses. America needs a new prescription, a clear, bold vision for the future. We can no longer afford to simply throw more money at this problem and hope for change.
▶ 0:25:13It is time to break from the old ways and embrace innovative, courageous ideas that will truly make America healthy again. I'm looking forward to the hearing to hearing more about how HHS is working to improve healthc care access for American patients and reduce provider burnout by leading on necessary changes to fix the broken health insurance priorization process. I'm also looking forward to hearing more about your agency's plan to reduce unnecessary animal testing.
▶ 0:25:42So many of us here today are committed to a more efficient drug development process, and I'm encouraged by the FDA's roadmap to reduce animal testing and pre-clinical safety studies through the use of innovative 21st century science. As a supporter of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 and the lead author of the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, I'm excited to see that under your leadership, Mr.
▶ 0:26:08Secretary, the Department of Health and Human Services is building off these proposals and leading the charge for the development of safe, effective treatments and therapies without unnecessary animal suffering. I look forward to hearing additional details of the secretary's proposal and to continuing the dialogue between HHS and the Energy and Commerce Committee as we begin the budget process in earnest. Again, I appreciate you being here today.
▶ 0:26:34I look forward to hearing how the proposed HHS budget will advance President Trump's mission of making America healthy again. I now recognize the gentle lady from Colorado, Representative Dette, for five minutes for an opening statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. HHS and its crown jewels. Agencies like the NIH and FDA have championed amazing breakthroughs that until this year have accelerated, making us the undisputed world leader in curing disease.
▶ 0:27:03The cancer death rate in the US dropped by 34% from 1991 to 2022. We now have an antiviral that cures heepsi in 95% of the cases. And globally, vaccination has saved 154 million lives since 1974. These achievements were driven by federally funded biomedical research and by public health professionals serving at the at HHS.
▶ 0:27:31Sadly, the Trump administration, beginning with DOA's shocking and mystifying cuts, is imperiling our health and that of future generations. The department has created chaos by indiscriminately firing new employees, pushing established experts into retirement, and implementing poorly conceived reductions in force. These cuts were done haphazardly and without regard to HHS needs, present or future.
▶ 0:27:58In addition to inexplicable chaotic layoffs, the department has frozen and slashed grants, politicized science, and added bureaucratic red tape. While some work has been reinstated, in large part due to court orders, every member in this room on both sides of the aisle has heard from public health organizations and research universities in their districts about the abrupt halting of funding.
▶ 0:28:24I don't have time to go over all the important funding cut just at the University of Colorado, but it includes a researcher studying whether and how airborne contaminants including glyiah phosphate impact k chronic kidney disease and another looking into whether viral infection accelerates Alzheimer's disease. Research labs are closing. Americans are dying waiting for care.
▶ 0:28:48Promising clinical trials are being delayed and scientific research which is the lifeblood of our communities is stopping. I think we all read the article in the Washington Post last week about the Georgia man with metastatic cancer whose treatment in a clinical trial has been delayed because of a lack of essential lab personnel. Thanks to the chaos this administration has caused, his life is on the line. Why make these cuts? It's inexplicable.
▶ 0:29:18Many research cancellations appear not to be driven by concerns rooted in science, but in biases completely unrelated, unrooted in evidence, such as the secretar's animus towards MNR RNA technology. He ignores that CO 19 vaccination prevented 3.2 million deaths in the US between December 2020 and November 2022.
▶ 0:29:42Under the secretary's leadership, the MAHA commission, which met once behind closed doors and conducted an opaque process without public input, released an errorridden report that misrepresented researchers work, made up sources, and included AI hallucinated information. In looking at chronic disease and how environmental factors influence it, the secretary has identified some real problems.
▶ 0:30:08Those problems demand rigorous study and I know I and all my colleagues stand ready to work collectively to address them. But the federal workers who were unceremoniously fired could likely have helped develop a useful and informative report. The secretary is here today to defend his fiscal year 2026 budget. This budget is a roadmap to continue the chaos of the past several months and a blueprint for a sicker and poorer America.
▶ 0:30:38This budget seeks to cut the NIH by 40%. What that means is less NIH funded research, fewer high-quality studies, and a shrinking base of scientific talent in the United States. NIH funded research underpinned nearly every single drug approval in the US from 2010 to 2019.
▶ 0:30:59In this budget, the secretary calls for eliminating programs to prevent death and disease, such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program, the Tobacco Prevention Control Program, and with what you said, Mr. Chairman, the Safe Motherhood and Infant Health Program. This budget would also train fewer health care providers, even as our population ages. It deeply cuts workforce development programs, including those that place doctors in underserved areas.
▶ 0:31:28We need more doctors, not less. I started by talking about our successes. These victories were driven by the very programmers, researchers, and public health professionals this budget seeks to cut. As a result, I fear the US is quickly losing its international position as the leader in public health and biomedical innovation. The decline this budget fuels will cost American jobs and it will cost American lives.
▶ 0:31:53I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the capital to reject this budget and work together to pro promote the health and build on our greatest success stories. I yield back. The gentle lady yields. The chair now recognizes the chairman of the full committee, Chairman Guthrie, for five minutes for an opening statement. Thank you. Thank you, uh, Mr. Secretary, for being here today. Thank you, Chairman Carter, for the time. And I'd like to welcome you to the Energy and Commerce Committee, and it's good to have you with us today.
▶ 0:32:21Uh HHS has become the largest spender of our federal departments and whether at the pharmacy counter, doctor's office, or or dinner table, HHS work impacts Americans every single day. The core mission of HHS is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans. But Americans are increasingly frustrated by a system that has become inefficient and too expensive. That is why President Trump's pledge to make America healthy again resonates with voters across the country.
▶ 0:32:50The American people spoke loudly and clearly when they rejected business as usual November and already in the first few months the administration has taken significant strides to challenge the stat status quo. The budget we'll be discussing today rethinks how HHS accomplishes the mission of enhancing the health and well-being of all Americans. Like many other departments across the federal government, HHS has ballooned over the past four years.
▶ 0:33:16In fiscal year 24, HHS was responsible for 25% of federal spending. While increasing resources to our health departments might make sense during a once in a-lifetime pandemic, using that increase as the new baseline for HHS should not be how everything how it operates. As I've said many times this year, it is the mission of HHS that matters most, not the bureaucracy.
▶ 0:33:40If this administration has ideas on how to more effectively and efficiently deliver on the missions Congress has directed HHS to undertake, it is our duty to thoughtfully examine them. This does not mean blindly accepting them, nor does it mean opposing ideas that go against the grain just because they're new. While some of the bigger proposal had consumed headlines, there are countless examples that reflect this administration's mission to modernize.
▶ 0:34:05The FDA's recent announcement about harnessing AI to help streamline review and approval processes speaks to this administration's commitment to embracing innovation to greatly benefit the American people. An innovation that's coming. I uh Mr.
▶ 0:34:20Secretary, I was in Boston and and saw in a little Seline bag cells that when implanted into a human produces insulin on demand and they were saying there's a cure for type 1 diabetes within the next within this decade or having family members that have suffered with Alzheimer's. There are great strides in Alzheimer's this decade. We want to all work together to make sure we increase this momentum momentum.
▶ 0:34:46But I'd also say CMS recent ACA marketplace program integrity rule represents administration dedicating to com combating widespread race fraud and abuse plaguing our health care system. The rule will save American taxpayers up to 12 billion in 2026 alone and lower patients premiums by an average of 5%. Fighting the chronic diseases crisis by investing in its root causes as well as working to strengthen the safety and quality of our nation's food supply are prime examples of common sense steps that are long overdue.
▶ 0:35:17As HHS continues to carry out its vital mission, communication and collaboration with Congress will be essential to ensure lasting success. I am confident that everyone in this room wants to say our health care system that is driving us to be the healthiest America we can be regardless of disagreements on the best way to get there. I would also like to take a moment to thank uh a personal privilege to welcome my friend Gary Anders back to the committee.
▶ 0:35:43Gary was our staff director when I first joined Energy and Commerce and congratulate him on his new role uh as the assistant secretary of health and human services. Secretary Kennedy, we look forward to our discussion today. Thank you for being here and I will yield back. Will the gentleman yield? I I just want to to agree. Uh Mr. Andre was the staff member who pretty much dragged 21st century cures over the finish line for then Chairman Upton and myself. And we're really happy to see you here, Gary. Thank you.
▶ 0:36:18I yel back. Gentleman yields. The chair now recognizes the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Paloma for five minutes for an opening statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here. And good to see Gary as well. Congratulations. For the past six months, the Trump administration has created chaos within our health system by cancelling funding grants, rescending billions of dollars in obligated funding, firing thousands of civil servants, and eliminating entire agencies and programs within HHS.
▶ 0:36:49Today's hearing is important because it finally provides us the opportunity to get some answers from Secretary Kennedy. But for months, we've been demanding answers on the administration's actions that seriously threaten the health and well-being of the American people. And many of these actions have been illegal. But Secretary Kennedy has refused to provide this committee any justifications for his actions. And I find that unacceptable.
▶ 0:37:11I express deep concerns with your nomination, Secretary Kennedy, and somehow, unfortunately, you've exceeded my expectations in the worst possible ways. You're actively undermining vaccines, the greatest public health achievement in modern history. Earlier this month, you unilaterally fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the medical experts who developed vaccine recommendations, and appointed eight antivaccine people.
▶ 0:37:38It's clear that you do not intend to uphold the commitments you made to the Senate during your confirmation process to not take away people's access to vaccines. Instead, I believe you intend to use your position to advance your dangerous pseudocience agenda and put the lives of Americans as especially children at risk. The chaos has not been limited to vaccines.
▶ 0:37:58The Trump administration cut nearly $3.8 8 billion in grants from the National Institutes of Health, creating extreme uncertainty for medical researchers across the country and threatening future medical innovation. Things are so chaotic at NIH that more than 340 of its top scientists signed a letter to the NIH director detailing unprecedented waste, abuse, and illegality at NA at NIH under the Trump administration.
▶ 0:38:24And this was an unprecedented action by these employees who must feel they have no other options this at this point other than to go public. In addition to widespread grant cancellization, tens of thousands of civil servants have been fired across HHS. And Secretary, you've claimed that these staffing cuts have not interfered with program operations. But we know for a fact that that's not true. Entire offices and centers have been eliminated because there's no staff left to run them. Grantees and stakeholders can't get answers to their basic program questions.
▶ 0:38:54Staff at FDA and CDC have had to brought back have been brought back just to keep programs running and deadlines at FDA are being missed. And these decisions have been made indiscriminately without any regard in my opinion for their impact on the health and well-being of the American people. And now, Secretary Kennedy, you've proposed a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes drastic and devastating cuts to our health agencies.
▶ 0:39:17The administration proposes a 54% cut to the CDC, threatening the AY's ability to protect the health of the American people. It proposes a 20% cut to NIH, which will seriously threaten our ability to conduct medical research into new life-saving treatments and cures. And it proposes an 11% cut to the FDA, decimating our ability to prove safe and effective drugs and and medical products and keep our food supply safe.
▶ 0:39:44The secretary has also proposed a reorganization of HHS that would not only eliminate important programs but entire agencies like SAMA. And this action will seriously undermine our ability to continue to make progress against the opioid crisis. And all these actions decimate our public health infrastructure. And they come at the same time that Republicans are pushing their big ugly bill that would take healthc care away from 16 million Americans so they can give giant tax breaks to their billionaire friends.
▶ 0:40:11The Republican bill is the largest health care cut in American history, ripping health care away from tens of millions of Americans, increasing costs on everyone else, and forcing the closure of hospitals and nursing homes. It'll have dire consequences for our entire healthcare system, and I believe people will die.
▶ 0:40:27Now, there's a lot to cover today at this budget hearing, but I just want to say um I do believe the secretary must appear here again very soon for an oversight hearing on the unprecedented and troubling chaos he's created at the vaccine panel and its impacts on people's access to life-saving vaccines. These disturbing actions warrant investigation. I hope Chairman Guthrie will join us in getting answers on behalf of the American people. I have about a half a minute left. Let me just say I don't say any of these things, Mr.
▶ 0:40:54secretary out of any, you know, not liking you in in some way. And and I know I probably shouldn't say this, but you know, President Kennedy was my hero when I was growing up. Um RFK, I worked on his campaign before he was assassinated. Um Joe Kennedy was my friend, had the office next to me when I was first elected. Patrick Kennedy, still a friend. The younger Joe Kennedy was a member of our committee. I thought did a great job. You know, I admire I admire your family.
▶ 0:41:24I admire your work that you did uh on the environment. Um but it's just very upsetting at this point to me. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The gentleman yields. This concludes members opening statements. The chair would like to remind members that pursuant to committee rules, all members opening statements will be made a part of the record. We want to thank our witness for being here today and taking the time to testify before the subcommittee. Our witness today is of course the Honorable Robert F.
▶ 0:41:51Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Per committee custom, the witness will have the opportunity for a fiveminute opening statement followed by a round of questions from members. Light on the timer in front of you will turn from green to yellow when you have one minute left. I now recognize the Honorable Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for five minutes to give an opening statement.
▶ 0:42:22Thank you, Chairman Carter, and thank you, Vice Chairman Dunn. Thank you, Ranking Member Dette, and members of the committee. I'm honored to appear before you today to present the Department of Health and Human Services fiscal year budget for 2026. debilitating disease, contaminated food, toxic environments, addiction, mental illness affect families across every race, class, and political belief.
▶ 0:42:52When my team and I took the helm at HHS, we set out with clear goals. First, to make America healthy again with a special focus on ending chronic disease Second, we committed to delivering more efficient, responsive, and effective service to over 100 million Americans who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and other HHS programs.
▶ 0:43:16Third, to achieve these goals while cutting costs for taxpayers, we intend to do more, a lot more, with less. The budget I'm presenting today supports these goals and reflects two enduring American values, compassion and I invite the committee to unite around these ideals with me.
▶ 0:43:40The United States remains the sickest developed nation and yet we spend 4.5 trillion annually on health care, two to three times more per capita to comparable nations. Clearly something is structurally wrong with our with our approach. Furthermore, our health care costs are steadily increasing at a rate of 2% greater than the economy.
▶ 0:44:04This is If we don't staunch this trend, we will ransom children to bankruptcy, servitude, and disastrous health consequences. Yes, and exploding debt is a social determinant of health. We won't solve this problem by throwing more money at it. We must spend smarter. We will shift funding away from bureaucracy toward direct impact. Some things at HHS will not change.
▶ 0:44:33We will preserve the legacy programs like Medicare and Medicaid and the foundation of the MA as the foundation of the Maja Vulnerable populations, seniors and veterans deserve consistent access to care and I will make sure they receive Today, 83 million Americans, urban and rural, lack adequate access to primary care physicians.
▶ 0:44:58We will prioritize these families, especially Native Americans and Alaskan We will protect IHS as funding, streamline its operations, and give the tribes more autonomy in managing their Let me be clear. We intimate intend to make the Trump HHS not only the most effective but also the most compassionate in US history.
▶ 0:45:24While our official official budget statement outlines many priorities, I want to highlight a few. First, we will consolidate programs to better tackle mental health and addiction. These issues now rival chronic disease and their impact. HHS will aggressively combat the opioid crisis, especially the spread of synthetic drugs like fentanyl. We will empower state, local, and tribal leaders to create effective solutions.
▶ 0:45:53Second, we will address nutrition, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles. The president's budget requests 94 billion in discretionary funds to support these priorities, including the administration for a healthy America.
▶ 0:46:09AHA will oversee initiatives such as prevention innovation program which targets chronic disease and childhood abuse obesity through access to nutrition service and physical activity and reducing dependence on medication.
▶ 0:46:27Third, we will equip FDA to expand its food safety e efforts through research, regulation, inspection, and education to remove harmful chemicals from food and packaging and explore how to clo close close the generally recognized as safe with a grass loophole. Fourth, we will fund cutting edge research at the NIH while cutting risky or non-essential studies.
▶ 0:46:52that includes ending gain of function experiments and research based upon radical gender At the CDC, we will return to core missions, tracking diseases, investigating outbreaks, and sustaining public health infrastructure while cutting waste. Fifth, we will eliminate DEI funding and redirect resources toward real poverty reduction.
▶ 0:47:19We will move beyond lip service to communities of color and take meaningful action to address their Six, we will strengthen cyber security and health IT. The AI revolution has arrived and we are using this technology already at HHS to manage healthcare data more efficiently, secure and securely and to increase the speed of drug approvals. Finally, we will rebuild public trust.
▶ 0:47:47trust that eroded through the years of industry capture, waste, and misplaced We will launch a new era of transparency and public service, creating an honest, science-driven HHS that answers to the president, to Congress, and the American people. I look forward to working with Congress to pursue this mission together as a bipartisan cause. Let's work side by side to make America healthy again. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. The gentleman yields. I thank you for your testimony.
▶ 0:48:18I would also like to remind members that they are limited to five minutes of questioning. Again, as I stated, and as I stated before, we're going to adhere by that. Today, we will now begin questioning, and I recognize myself for five minutes. Mr. Secretary, our national debt is one of the greatest threats to our country. We all recognize that. And Americans are still reeling from the debilitating effects of the Biden Harris administration.
▶ 0:48:43But rather than address the cause of this uncontrolled spending, the Biden Harris administration chose to double down. And as a result, we're facing a debt crisis of our own making. The United States is on an unsustainable fiscal path with a gross national debt of $36.2 trillion, equating to over $270,000 per household.
▶ 0:49:02If we don't work to bring down our debt and address waste, fraud, and abuse, and it's going to cost Americans dearly, especially in the health care space with an aging population, we all recognize that we can no longer afford to simply throw more money at this problem and hope for change. That's why we look forward to HHS's transformation to make health make America healthy again. Mr. Secretary, can you explain your vision on how the proposed reorganization can make the department more efficient and effective for patients and providers?
▶ 0:49:31Uh yes, Mr. Chairman. Um our cuts are designed to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, redundancies. Uh to streamline the department during the Biden administration, we added uh 38% to the budget of my and American health in Disha. In other words, the health of the American people actually declined precipitously.
▶ 0:50:01Oh, throwing money at it. You know, in we spent the equivalent in this agency of 250 um billion dollar $250 billion in current in current dollars. Today, we spend 1 four5 trillion on just on chronic disease. And we spend the the budget of the agency is a little over 1.7 trillion.
▶ 0:50:30And we've gone from 11th in in a lifespan in 1986 to 49th today. We are today the sickest country in the world. We have the highest death rate during COVID of any nation on earth. We and that's because of our chronic disease epidemic. That's because we had the highest chronic disease burden of any country in the world. Throwing money at this agency has not worked. We need to realign the agency.
▶ 0:50:59We need to recalibrate its trajectory so that it transforms our health care system from a sick care system into a health care system. Can you elaborate some on how HHS has already taken steps to do just what you described? Uh we well first of all very few of the studies that were being done by NIH were being done on chronic disease. NIH should be telling us what are seed oils doing to our children?
▶ 0:51:30What are what are uh corn what is corn syrup doing to our children? What are food dyes doing to our children? What is the packaging and microplastics doing to our children? Those what are pesticides doing to our children? None of those studies were being done. Studies that were being done by NIH and many let me give you an example of the few that I cut.
▶ 0:51:55There was a study, a $2.2 million study from Boston University to study the effects of ex exogenous testosterone therapy on communication in gender diverse speakers. We got a $3 million study at the University of Pennsylvania that studied antiv vaping social media campaigns targeted towards sexual gender minorities, teens between 13 and 18.
▶ 0:52:22He got a million dollars from the University of Mission to study sexual fluidity and longitudinal changes in alcohol misuse. And that's just an example of thousands of studies like that that we're doing nothing to improve American health. Thank you. And we're going to change that. We're going to have have gold standard science. We're going to have replicated studies. We're going to publish our data. We're going to publish our peer review.
▶ 0:52:50And we are going to for the first time in 30 years return NIH to evidence-based science. Thank you for that. And Mr. Secretary, I'm going to submit some questions also for you to answer to highlight a couple of kids who are living with ultra rare mitochondrial disorders like Hope with MLS syndrome and Jackson with Bar syndrome that needs your help in accessing life-saving medications.
▶ 0:53:17I know that you are committed to helping with orphan drugs and helping with rare diseases and and we want I've got some questions about that. Also, um if you get a chance later on, I'd like for you to address um what was done yesterday with the prior approvals. I think that was very significant. But I'm out of time. At this time, I'm going to recognize I'm going to yield back and recognize the gentle lady from Colorado, ranking member Dette, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr.
▶ 0:53:43Secretary, members of this subcommittee sent you letters seeking information on February 13th, February 28th, March 13th, March 20th, March 25th, April 1st, April 3rd, April 9th, April 10th, April 11th, April 28th, April 29th, May 28th, June 10th, June 11th, June 17th, June 22nd, and June 23rd, to which we have re received no response from your agency whatsoever. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to enter these into the record, please.
▶ 0:54:13Without objection. Thank you. On June 16th, a a federal judge ruled a large swath of NIH grant terminations illegal and void and vo and and vacated them, requiring that the grants resume. These grants deal with science that is disfavored by this administration.
▶ 0:54:32As we just heard from the witness, Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, said that the administration's explanations for terminating the grants were quote bereft of reasoning virtually in their entirety. End quote. He added, quote, I've sat on this bench now for 40 years, and I've never seen government racial discrimination like this. End quote. Mr. Secretary, I have a yes or no question. Does the department intend to comply with Judge Young's ruling? Yes or no?
▶ 0:55:01I I will comply with the law. Yes or no, sir. I'll comply with the law. Thank you. As reported uh in your opening statement, Mr. Secretary, you said that you're committed to reducing bureaucracy, but as reported in the Washington Post on April 17, 2025. HHS imposed a new layer of bureaucratic review by which every dispersement has to go through political appointments at HHS.
▶ 0:55:27Hospitals, universities, and community health organizations have told me and the other members lately that funds are stuck at HHS due to this so-called defend the spend initiative. I asked this about you about this in the April 23rd letter over two months ago to which you have not responded and I'd like some answers. Yes or no. Did HHS conduct a costbenefit analysis on the dis defend the spend procedures?
▶ 0:55:55Uh, I don't know anything about Washington Post article. Um, in letters, you don't know whether you did a costbenefit analysis, right? I don't know. I know that I don't know anything about that Washington Post article. I don't Do you know anything about the defend the spend about what? The defend the spend initiative that your agency has. You don't know about it? Um, Mr. Mr.
▶ 0:56:19Chairman, I have an article here uh dated April 17, 2025 about the defend this spend initiative. I'd like unanimous consent to enter it into the without objection. Now, in um Mr. Mr. secretary.
▶ 0:56:33On ju on June hundreds of NIH scientists sounded the alarm on how this administration has wasted millions of research dollars, injected politics into science, and damaged the public trust. 68 Nobel laureates signed this letter. On June 10th, we sent you a letter. Of course, we haven't gotten a response with our concerns that you or your staff might retaliate against them for telling the truth.
▶ 0:57:03So, here's my question. Will you commit today that neither you or anyone else at HHS will take any retaliatory action against the brave scientists that work at NIH? This should be an easy answer because it's illegal. I can commit that we are absolutely science at NIH. So you commit you will not take any the Biden administration chair Mr. Chair Mr.
▶ 0:57:30Chairwoman the Biden administration politicized the science and I just gave you I just gave you three of thousands examples of how they did that. Excuse me sir I asked you a simple question. Will you commit to not taking retaliatory action against the NIH scientists that signed the letter about the research dollars yesterday? know anything about that letter? You don't know about the letter? Nothing? No, I don't know anything about that letter.
▶ 0:57:57There's the We already put that we we already put that our our question in the record. I'd like a response. Now, um in my last few minutes, um in our letters dated February 28th, April 1st, and May 28th, to which you did not respond, we have some questions about reductions in force. How many HHS employees received RIFF notices since you were sworn in? I think around 10,000. 10,000.
▶ 0:58:23Did you personally approve those layoff decisions of each one? I approved of the policy. Thank you. You opposed the policy. Uh your NIH director, Jay Badacharia, told employees, quote, I actually don't have any transparency into how those decisions were made and I was quite upset about that. It would have been nice to have some say. I guess I'll follow up with more written questions. Mr. Chairman, thank you. The general lady yields.
▶ 0:58:52The chair now recognizes the chairman of the full committee. Chairman Guthrie for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Over here on this end, um, so what? So, we talked about the reduction in force. So, I'm going to ask you, I'll do three questions real right quick and let you answer. So, what is the status of the reduction in force or any potential reorganization? And are you able to discuss the details of this potential action or does the legal situation limit what you're able to do today?
▶ 0:59:20And then what does the path forward look like if the injections cleared? The you know with that issue now the reduction fors are uh under and we're under a court order not to talk about them. So if the injunctions lifted the path forward or can you talk about that as well? So what would happen if the path forward if the injunction is lifted? What happened with if if the injunction is lifted? Oh what would the path forward to be look like?
▶ 0:59:50If the injunction is lifted, what was the rest of your question? What would the path forward look like? The path forward what what would be what do you see HSS becoming if the if the injunction lifted with the reduction of force in place the you know the people who are subject to the injunction force are on administrative leave and they will remain on administrative leave until the injunction is lifted. At that point, we will make decisions.
▶ 1:00:21And you know, in some cases, we've um there have been gaps in our ability to perform our duties. I've brought people back. I've brought 722 people back to uh CDC. I brought 220 people back to NIH because we were not able to perform our our job. And I brought uh 313 people back to NYOSH.
▶ 1:00:47uh for the World Trade Center, for the Cleveland office and the Morgantown office, they were doing important work that we did not uh that was critical and but um but the the people have been terminated are people who are involved in administration. Um there are tremendous redundancies in my department and I I'll just give you a couple of examples of that. We had nine separate offices for women's health.
▶ 1:01:15We had eight separate offices for minority health. We had 41 chief information officers. We have 1,400 external affairs staff, 40 procurement departments using four different contracting systems, nine human resource departments, eight finance departments, 40 separate opioid programs, 42 maternal health programs. And so what we tried to do is consolidate those.
▶ 1:01:43And the people who were let go were people who were not uh involved in primary care or in uh in in delivery of care. They were redundant administrative offices that have been added to over the past eight years and where we've added we've increased that by 17% and we were going back to the preiden era levels and that's what the riffs are intended to do.
▶ 1:02:10So, and as you saw gaps in some of those decisions, you were brought people back to fill the gaps to complete the mission that you want HHS to do. So, that's that. So, thanks for doing that. So, uh, one other question. I only have about a minute and a half left, but one of my biggest priorities over time has been innovation. We talked about Boston and what's going on there with type one and and Alzheimer's and others. President Trump finalized the Medicare coverage of an innovative technology rule just before the end of his first term.
▶ 1:02:38President Biden modified the inset rule but significantly restricted access to the program and by extension restricted President Biden's administration restricted access to breakthrough technology. Will CMS modify the Biden administration's policy and do you have a timeline from when we can expect modifications on MSIT?
▶ 1:02:58We're doing more than any I think probably any other cabinet department to drive NI to drive AI and new technologies into the health care system into our department. We're using it in every aspect of our health department. You saw my press conference yesterday with Chris Clum.
▶ 1:03:18He's a billionaire who's walked away from a billion-dollar business in Silicon Valley to come and revolutionize uh AI in our department. We're doing that at every level of our department. We have the best people in the world working for us. And we're going to transform the American health system over the next four years and make it the leading health system in the world because of the technology that we're bringing in. And we have the best people working for us.
▶ 1:03:46We've been able to recruit and attract people of unprecedented caliber to our agency to facilitate that and it's one of the things that I'm most excited about. Thank you. Well, my time just expired and I appreciate you being our yield back. The gentleman yields. The chair now recognizes the ranking member of the full committee, Representative Palone, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Kennedy, quite frankly, I I think you're trying to defend the indefensible.
▶ 1:04:16There's no way that this budget or the actions you have taken thus far as Secretary are going to make this country healthier. And you keep talking about waste at the agency, but I mentioned in my opening there are 340 top scientists who signed a letter to the NIH director detailing unprecedented waste, abuse, and illegality at NAH under the Trump under the Trump administration.
▶ 1:04:40And you know, the thing that really disturbs me the most is this anti-science agenda that I think it's it's it's clear to me uh that the vast majority of scientists and medical professionals, you know, think your views on vaccines are dangerous, are not supported by scientific evidence.
▶ 1:04:56I'd like to ask the chairman I'd like to ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from 63 medical and public health groups and a letter from the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstitricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Physician. All raising grave concerns, Mr. Chairman, about the secretary's actions to undermine vaccines. Can you tell me the date of that letter, Congressman? No, I'm not asking a question. I have some to ask. Okay.
▶ 1:05:26Cuz I think that letter was sent about a week after I got in. Chairman, I haven't got any other questions. I'm just asking unanimous consent to enter these into the record. Without objection. Thank you. I the secretary, Mr. Secretary, the science is not on your side. I I just really think that people are going to die as a result of your actions and congressional Republicans actions. But you keep mentioning transparency during your testimony. You said it over and over again.
▶ 1:05:50Uh but you promote I consider unfounded and unscientific therapies and conspiracy theories without data or evidence. And all of this has been done behind closed doors without any public engagement despite despite your pledge to lead with I think you called it radical transparency. So let me ask you about yes or no though about this radical transparency that you say you expound.
▶ 1:06:15You do you believe that keeping Congress informed of your decisions and promptly answering inquiries from members of Congress fits within your promise for radical transparency? Just yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Now, since you became secretary, I have sent you 10 letters on a variety of topics, including the devastating workforce and program cuts at HHS. You've answered none and your staff have given no indication that you intend to answer despite being asked repeatedly.
▶ 1:06:44And this in my opinion is the opposite of radical transparency. I call it radical radical obstruction of congressional oversight. So again, yes or no. Do you commit to providing a written substantive response to all questions posed in each of these letters no later than August 1st? And if not, give me a date. We've gotten an unprecedented number of letters from Congress. Literally thousands upon thousands. Okay. But I'm only asking for a date.
▶ 1:07:12Can you answer them as fast as we can and all those letters will be answered? I haven't gotten a single answer to any of them, Mr. Secretary. Oh, there like I said, we have gotten thousands of letters from Congress. You said that you want to be transparent. You've said that Congress in responding to us is important. So, can you give me a date? If not, I'm going to assume I'm never going to hear back. I said August 1st. August 15th. Tell me.
▶ 1:07:41I'm not going to tell you a date because Well, then I don't think I'm ever going to get a response and I think your suggestion that somehow you're being transparent is simp is simply not true. Now, one last question. You have made a number of major decisions about vaccines and I you know, again, there's been no public comment process or public accountability on that either. What What are you afraid of?
▶ 1:08:02I mean, with regard to vaccines, are you just afraid of receiving public comments on proposals or you just think these are fringe views that are contrary to the views of most scientists and you're and and and that the public comments will reflect this? You say you want transparency, but there's been no public process for any of this. We have a public process for regulating vaccines. It's called the ASEP committee, and there it's a public meeting. There will be fired that meeting. You fired the ASP.
▶ 1:08:30fired people who had conflicts with the pharmaceutical industry. Oh, I mean that's that industry that okay committee has been a template for medical malpractice for years. I I look I I I can't the bottom line is here we have no transparency. We have no respons. You feel no responsibility to Congress whatsoever. And you just continue this ideology that's anti-science, antivaccine.
▶ 1:09:01That's all I see. I see nothing else. And I don't think I'm ever going to get a response. And so I'm going to have Will the gentleman yield? I my time is up. Well, I'm I No, I I this is a Mr. Chairman. This is the committee of gentlemen. The gentleman has yielded. The chair now recognizes the vice chair of the committee of the subcommittee for five minutes of questioning. Dr. Dunn. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Secretary Kennedy, for being with us today.
▶ 1:09:26I want to begin by commending you for the work your department and the administration has done to make improvements in the health of the American people and to be responsible stewards of our tax dollars. Uh time and time again, we heard from the prior administration mismanagement across the department. But I'm particularly concerned about the damage inflicted to public trust in our health institutions.
▶ 1:09:51Unsurprisingly, when faced with sweeping mandates, the American public responded with skepticism and mistrust. I know you've already taken steps to uh restore public trust in our health institutions. Do you see those as being successful in the near future or over what timeline? We're going to restore public trust, Congressman, vice chairman, uh, by restoring truth.
▶ 1:10:16We're going to tell the truth to the American people, and we're going to use evidence-based science, gold standard science, as I said, we're going to use replication. If I can take a minute just to respond to something that Congressman Balone said, and I'll address you, Congressman And 15 years ago, you and I met. You were at that time a champion for people who had suffered injuries from vaccines. You were very adamant about it.
▶ 1:10:46You were the leading member of Congress on that issue. Since then, you've accepted $2 million from pharmaceutical companies in contribution, more than any other member of this committee. And your enthusiasm supporting the old ASIP committee, which was completely rife and pervasive with pharmaceutical conflicts seems to be an outcome of those contributions. Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Point of order. Point of order.
▶ 1:11:15The chair recognizes point of order. gentleman is impuging the reputation of a member of Stop the clock. Can you stay Stop the clock for a second. Can you Can you state the point of order? Yeah. He was impugning Mr. Palone. Mr. Chairman, I I didn't hear it. Did the judge Oh, you weren't paying attention. That's why. Well, you know, it's hard to pay attention here when we're not getting any responses. Okay.
▶ 1:11:42My understanding now is that the secretary said something about me taking money from pharmaceuticals. Is that what he says? Well, he's not fighting. He he he the secretary implied that Mr. Palone would would not fight for vaccine victims because he took money from the pharmaceutical industry. You know, again, he needs to take back those words. Okay, here we go. Here we go. Taken down. This, Mr. Secretary, this is a valid point of order, I'm told.
▶ 1:12:11So I I'd ask you if you would please take back those words. Uh I they're retracted. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Now ladies and gentlemen, we're going to continue on with the decorum that I mentioned earlier in this hearing and what we're going to do is to go to Dr. Dunn to finish up his time of questioning. Dr. Dunn is recognized. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:12:35Uh so the department's fiscal year 26 proposed budget includes 750 million for strategic national stockpile as the Republican lead on the pandemic and all hazards preparedness act papa we call it. I believe that a strong national stockpile is critical to ensure we're prepared to respond to emergencies. Do you see this stockpile as uh being adequate or $750 million budget being adequate for that sir?
▶ 1:13:04Well, we're I'm very very gratified about congressional for reappropriating PPA, which is absolutely critical for our pandemic Um the stockpile I think has now 17 billion dollars worth of uh of Um I have to check those numbers, but I'm pretty sure that that's uh that's it. And I we could be doing better.
▶ 1:13:34We um the stockpile was uh did not distinguish itself during COVID. It didn't have many of the things that we needed during CO and we're doing a review of that right now. Make sure that the stockpile is adequately stocked. Keep us informed and we'll help you with that. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. You've long been an advocate of addressing mitochondrial h health. Kind of an interesting edgy area. Uh that's illumined earlier by the questions from Chairman Carter.
▶ 1:14:03The Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa has validated the compassionate use data for uh amiotrophic lateral sclerosis Parkinson's disease and has generated new positive data using mitochondrial transplantation for Alzheimer's. They've also entered into formal agreement with Walter Reed to use this experiment with this treatment for traumatic brain injuries. And now NASA is entering into a similar agreement to study mitochondrial health issues associated with space travel.
▶ 1:14:32Secretary Kennan, do you intend to continue these efforts to study mitochondrial? Yes, sir. Yeah. I mean, that's going to be mitochondrial dysfunction is the heart and soul of the chronic disease epidemic.
▶ 1:14:47And you know we now know that uh Alzheimer's disease which was once thought to be uh have have a have a number of hypothesis about its ideology but Alzheimer's disease is now characterized in the medical literature as type three diabetes because it's recognized that mitochondrial dysfunction is not just causing disease in children but it's also causing a disease in adults and the cause of It
▶ 1:15:17is clearly uh uh our food as one of the principal causes and we are absolutely later laser focused. I I'm afraid our time has expired but thank you very much for your answers. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Dr. Ruiz, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh earlier, Secretary Kennedy, you said you wanted to instill trust using truth, evidence-based gold standard science. Uh but Mr.
▶ 1:15:48Kennedy, in late May, the so-called quote presidential commission to make American healthy again released what HHS described as a quote groundbreaking assessment that purported to identify the key drivers behind childhood chronic disease. Improving the health of America's children is a goal I share, and I recognize this is a passion of yours, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 1:16:08That is why I was struck to learn that the report was riddled with mistakes, misconstring and intentionally or not misstating key references, data, and evidence that either do not exist or are not accurately reflected in the report. When journalists reached out to many of the authors of the studies included in the MA assessment, numerous researchers and academics stated that they never wrote the papers as cited or the papers cited didn't even exist altogether. Mr.
▶ 1:16:38Chairman, I want to submit these three news reports on these misited uh documents from notice from May 29th and May 30th. Without objection, uh M. Secretary Kennedy, you're listed as the chair of the commission. Did you read the report and fact check its sources prior to publication? All of the facts? Did you read the reports and did you yourself fact check them, sir? I did not fact check. You did not fact check.
▶ 1:17:05Then why then as has been widely reported excuse me sir I'm speaking why then did the report include a citations to sources that don't even exist h how does that happen under your leadership sir all of the foundational assertions in that report are accurate they did not exist how can they be accurate if they did not exist sir some of the citations were you know in fact my understanding even once the report even once the report was updated more authors
▶ 1:17:36and researchers came forward stating that their research was misconstrued. This is quite unbelievable, sir. In fact, I was a premed at UCLA. They have a great premed program. If somebody turned this in as an undergrad to their professor at UCLA, they would have received an F, sir. An F for the misinterpretation, the falsehoods, the denials, and also citing references that don't even exist. That's lying and dishonest.
▶ 1:18:06Sir, my concern is that you and this administration are undertaking vast changes to our federal public health system and using purported facts and gold standard evidence that you claim to have as justifications for your decisions, actions, and frankly your dis decimation of our nation's public health infrastructure. Yet what you are relying upon isn't real.
▶ 1:18:34It isn't datadriven and it isn't based in fact, science or reality. Sir, it's wrong. As a secretary of one of the most consequential departments within our federal government, mischaracterizating data is not just some typos in a report that gets put on a shelf. Instead, your words and your words of your department carry significant weight. Do you agree? very significant way were wrong. That was a mistake.
▶ 1:19:03They were corrected within 24 hours. Yeah. But there were wrong still even after that and they're wrong still today. There were no words carry significant weight. There were no erroneous. Do you believe your words carry significant weight? There were no erroneous actual concern. Do you believe that the secretary of the department of health and human services plays an important role in upholding scientific integrity? Yes. Okay.
▶ 1:19:28So then in fact what is most striking about this is that you've also threatened to bar governmental scientists and researchers from publishing in top medical journals. You've barred them from publishing in top reputable medical journals and instead proposed quote creating our own journals in house.
▶ 1:19:51The idea that we would limit the ability for federal researchers to publish in the most preeminent medical journals and instead have HHS just publish more reports like their MA failed assessment lacking the scientific rigor, accuracy or peer-reviewed criteria that are required by leading journals should worry us all for the future of medicine and innovation. Sir, you mentioned that building trust was a priority number seven. You have failed already in building that trust.
▶ 1:20:20How can we trust you when in your report under your leadership when you're the chair of this report has false information and makes up research that didn't even exist? So chairman yield back the reminder of my time. Gentleman yields. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Griffith, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:20:47I would remind everybody that Galileo got an F during his day and age and that sometimes people who are trying to do cutting edge work don't get the response they expect from this leading scientists of the day. I also would encourage you uh Mr. Secretary to give my Democrat colleagues answers to their questions.
▶ 1:21:06Uh, but I would note that Chairman Guthrie and I never got answers from SAMA that we started asking in April of 2023 and the Biden administration has never gotten us those answers and at one point Secretary Basera took a year to answer questions for the record and you haven't even been in office that long.
▶ 1:21:27So, uh, when we go through this process, while I would like to see it quicker, and I do think that both sides of the aisle need to get answers, uh, it takes some time sometimes to get the correct answers so that you don't get accused later of having false answers or getting Fs on those answers. Now, I'm going to move to my questions. It's my understanding your proposed reorganization uh of the agency the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NYOSH may be housed under proposed administration for a healthy America within HHS.
▶ 1:21:58I am supportive of ensuring all agencies under HHS are functioning efficiently. But I would like to emphasize that the coal workers health surveillance program within NYA is very important for the constituents of my district and across coal country. This program does many things to help detect and mitigate black lung disease by providing black lung screenings, certifying bre-ading physicians to analyze black lung from screenings, and uses their resources to help individuals receive black lung benefits.
▶ 1:22:27I have many black lung clinics in my district and and around the coal country in central Appalachia that serve thousands of coal miners. Will you commit to working with me to ensure that the current benefits NASH provides for Black Lung will not be negatively impacted by any of the reorganizations taking place and and that we will continue work to continue the important work that they do. Yes, absolutely. And I've spent a lot of time in southern Virginia, West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky.
▶ 1:22:56I know the importance of these programs, those NYASH program and and it's why that's the reason that I reinstated the Morgantown office and the Cleveland office specifically for the reasons that you're talking about and I can assure you that this will be a priority for me. I appreciate that. I will say too that I I heard you talking about um pesticides. I'm particularly concerned about Uh and I'm also concerned about microplastics.
▶ 1:23:23But we've got to do the scientific research so that we're not throwing the baby out with the bath water that we actually know what we're talking about. Uh but I do share your concerns in those areas. In your testimony, you mentioned the but that the budget refocuses the unaccompanied alien children program on its core mission of sheltering unaccompanied alien children while also protecting them from child trafficking and labor exploitation. I have been very vocal on this issue since I first went to the O intake at Fort Bliss a number of years ago.
▶ 1:23:51At this location, immigration authorities conducted uh no collaboration with law enforcement to sufficiently vet sponsors of unaccompanied minor children. We must do and implement real background checks, not just a search on the internet, FBI fingerprinting.
▶ 1:24:08Uh, and if we can't do live home studies, which would be required, at least in the Commonwealth of Virginia, where I practiced in the domestic arena for a number of years, and if we're not going to do live home studies, let's at least implement a process where we notify the local school divisions or child welfare agencies when a child is placed with a sponsor in their jurisdiction.
▶ 1:24:31because right now or pri prior to this administration they were being just placed and nobody in the local community knew they'd been placed there. So then none of the child welfare agencies or the school systems knew to be looking for that child and uh will you work with me to make sure that we improve the system or if you already have a plan can you explain it to us? We already have we already have a system in place for protecting those children and because my time is running out I got one more to get to. If you can just share that with me later I would appreciate it.
▶ 1:25:00I I can share very briefly right now. Well, I'm about to run out of time. It's a problem. Chairman won't gather me down. So, if you can do that later, that'd be great. I am concerned about FDA embracing flexible authorities that we've given them. You did some stuff yesterday to get flexibility. I'm very concerned about Huntington's uh in particular. I have two families that I know personally who are afflicted with this disease. I want to make sure that we have a a good process of flexibility at the FDA.
▶ 1:25:24when there aren't other treatments available, it's worth taking the risk on something new that has some promise and being flexible. Would you agree with that, sir? Yeah, we are fasttracking. We are we're expanding the use of of uh compassionate use. We want to get medicines that get that medicine out there as fast as we can. I appreciate that. I'm sorry I had to cut you off, but we're all running on time. I yield back. The gentleman yields. The chair now recognizes the gentle lady from Michigan, Representative Dingle, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. chair.
▶ 1:25:54And like many here, Mr. Secretary, I have many questions. I'm going to go to an issue we agree on in a minute. How are we going to lower drug prices? But before I do that, I want to invite you to come to the University of Michigan, which is one of uh the nation's leading recipients of NIH funding. You mentioned it here, but didn't talk about how much they're driving innovation and keeping the United States at the forefront of biomedical research.
▶ 1:26:18Every week that I'm home, I meet with a group of scientists who are doing liver uh cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, brain cancer, diabetes, burn pits, and mental health. Groundbreaking that's just frozen. And we're going to lose a generation of researchers. And I want you to hear about their work and how worried about they are because this country has led for the last decades in innovation and technology and we cannot lose that.
▶ 1:26:44So please can we work together to make sure the research that has to happen does? Congressman and I will work absolutely with you. You can call me in my office if you have a study that has been cut that I have a lot up and we'll talk about them and I'll get you answers on all of them. Deal. Thank you. But now uh let's talk about an issue we agree on which is lowering how are we going to lower drug prices? The issue of lowering drug prices for American consumers.
▶ 1:27:12This is why Democrats worked so hard to pass the Inflation Reduction Act and create the Medicare drug price negotiation program which provided you, the secretary, with the authority to negotiate pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for the Medicare program. Do you support the drug price negotiation program and commit to using the tools and authorities provided to you under the law to drive down prescription drug costs for the American? I mean, we're using every tool that's that's given to us.
▶ 1:27:42And President Trump has ordered me to do something that no other president has, which is uh to establish across the board most favored nations so that we're not paying more than Europeans are. We're in negotiations right now today with the drug companies over that. We're going to be able to lower drug prices during this administration more than any administration in history. So, you know, I agree with you.
▶ 1:28:10Just for the record, I offered that amendment in committee when we were doing record. Thank you, Congresswoman. And every Democrat voted for it, and I love my friends, but they voted against it. Just going to make that point. But can you All right. Well, then let's work together on it. Deal. But can you tell me how I want to understand how you intend to get drug manufacturers to comply and lower their US prices? Will you require manufactur manufacturers to align their US prices with those overseas? And if so, how will you enforce it?
▶ 1:28:40How do I We We're going to get it. We have uh we have a number of sticks and we have a number of carrots. All right. We want to work with you. We got to do it. I I'm happy to go into detail. I'm with you. It's a very complex negotiation. I know that. And it's going to take not only cooperation with the drug companies, but cooperation with the European Committee community, with Canada, with Japan, with uh with And we're working on all that right now. And we got to get our Republican colleagues to support us.
▶ 1:29:10Do you expect to reach manufacturer agreements on a negotiated price by November 1 as required by the statute on time for seniors to be able to benefit from these lower drug prices at the pharmacy counter by January 1, 2027? We are on time at this point. I I don't know. That at this point bothers me. So can we just work together to ensure it's done by November one? Absolutely. I look forward to it. Do too.
▶ 1:29:38Do you commit to rejecting administrative changes to the IRA that are contrary to your stated goal of driving down prescription drug prices for the American people? Well, we are going to drive down prescription drug prices. I don't know what provisions you're talking about. If it's the negotiation provisions, as I said, we we are doing that right now. Thanks. And let me ask you because we're going to run out of time.
▶ 1:30:01How does this commitment to lowering drug prices square with the administration's proposal to extend the period that small molecule drugs are excluded from negotiation from 9 to 13 years thereby keeping drug prices higher for Medicare beneficiaries for an additional four year of these drugs? I'm not sure what your question is. Well, you've made it you you're some of the companies that we want to lower those drugs.
▶ 1:30:28You've excluded them from negotiations from 9 to 13 years on their patent. So that's going to keep it higher for Medicare beneficiaries. We're not going to be able to negotiate on a lot of drugs that seniors are taking. Well, I mean, we're neg we're negotiating all drugs across the board. So, I mean, our I'm going to hold you to that. We're going to work together because we got to lower the cost of drugs for the American people. Thank you. And I yield back. Thank you. Gentle lady yields back.
▶ 1:30:55The chair now recognizes a gentleman from Florida, Representative Bill Arachus, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it very much. Thanks for holding this hearing, and I I want to thank you, uh, Mr. Secretary, for your service to our country and thanks for being here today. Uh, Secretary Kennedy, one of the areas I've been passionate about is the need for the US to continue leading the world in developing innovative life-saving treatments. And I know you are, too.
▶ 1:31:24So this is uh particularly important and challenging in the area of rare disease and ultra rare disease where cures and treatments can be much harder because of the economic and regulatory hurdles uh to developing treatments for these very small populations.
▶ 1:31:44One important tool in promoting this uh drug development is the FDA's rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program, which has led to the approval of over 50 treatments for 39 different rare pediatric diseases, 36 of which had no FDA approval treatments before the program began.
▶ 1:32:07I was very pleased to see the president's FDA budget allocate funding for this priority review voucher program and I have bipartisan legislation that would fully reauthorize the program for years to come. So the question is uh Mr. Secretary, will you commit to working with me to ensure this critical uh PRV incentive is retained for American innovators to develop new treatments for children with rare diseases?
▶ 1:32:36And can you elaborate on any additional initiatives that HHS foresees implementing to further accelerate the approval of lifesaving treatments? Yeah, I mean this is a another priority for us. Um, I've met two weeks ago with the CEOs and investors in the uh from the biologic space which are developing rare disease drugs.
▶ 1:33:02I was down in South Carolina about a month ago with Senator Tim Scott uh inaugurating a innovative program to provide um cickle cell uh disease to every person on Medicaid in South Carolina. There's 356,000 black Americans who have cickle cell. It's an agonizing disease. It's just one of those diseases that we're talking about.
▶ 1:33:31In the big beautiful bill, um there's a provision that will relax some of the uh regulatory impediments for getting approval from FDA for rare diseases. And I urge you to take a look at that and and support it. Um and you know we're and Marty McCary now as the director of FDA is on a listening tour around the country meeting with the innovators who are developing rare disease innovations.
▶ 1:34:01We are going to try to fasttrack that approval. We're using AI fasttrack it. We're using an expansion of the compassionate use exemptions to uh to expand it. It's something that we talk about every day at H. Very good. Thank you. I have a question and 95% the rare diseases 95% did not have treatments as you know or cures. So uh I I really thanks for making that a priority. I look forward to working with you.
▶ 1:34:31Another question. And I'm also encouraged to hear about the announcement last week to launch the commissioner's uh national priority voucher program which aims to increase drug development in the areas the FDA deems to be in support of use uh national interests which is so important.
▶ 1:34:49We saw this mechanism work successfully with the operation warp speed and other efforts that the Trump administration, the Trump administration has done to get red tape and bureaucracy out of the way and instead focus on accelerating gold standard science to develop cures. So the question is I know I don't have a lot of time.
▶ 1:35:10Can you speak further on the need for the national priority voucher program and how HHS HHS will broadly ensure US leadership and innovative treatments and that those treatments are developed here in America. We are already we're using that program now extensively. We're very excited about it because it crashes through the red tape. It may it facilitates a very rapid approval of these drugs.
▶ 1:35:40We've already applied it to a number of new drugs and uh it's something that we're going to uh as I said use extensively. So I appreciate your support on that and uh I'm happy to work with you on it. Well, I really appreciate very much. I don't have a lot of time so I'll probably yield back. But thank you again for thinking outside the box. That's what it takes. The gentleman yields. Gentlemen, the gentleman yields.
▶ 1:36:06The chair now recognizes the gentle lady from Illinois, Representative Kelly, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Secretary Kennedy, for appearing before our committee. I'm pleased to see a focus on food as medicine and the well-being of all Americans in the FY26 budget, an issue of mutual interest and concern.
▶ 1:36:26I'm deeply troubled, however, by so many things happening at HHS under your leadership, especially your ill-informed decision to reverse existing recommendations for pregnant women and healthy children to receive the CO 19 vaccine. The chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases described your decision as really concerning and taking away choice. The American College of Obstitricians and Gynecologists and the March of Dimes have also opposed your decision.
▶ 1:36:57Chairman, I have two items to insert into the record. Uh ACOG statement on HHS recommendations regarding the COVID 19 vaccine during pregnancy or the COVID vaccine during pregnancy and also RK RFK Junior says CO shots no longer recommended for kids and pregnant women. Without objection. Thank you. Due to my limited time, I ask that you please respond to my questions with a yes or no. Mr.
▶ 1:37:23Secretary, does HHS COVID 19 vaccine web page reflect the department's view on COVID 19 vaccines? We Yes, first of all, we what you said was wrong. We're not depriving anybody of choice. If a pregnant woman wants the CO 19 vaccine, she can get it. no longer recommending it because there was no science supporting that recommendation. There's study after study that shows uh adverse events.
▶ 1:37:53One study, 27 adverse events during pregnancy from that. I'm going to interrupt you because I need to reclaim. Another study shows an increase in miscarriage. There's no safety data for it. So, we're not going to recommend true. We don't have safety. We have a pediatrician that is on this committee. Not true. Um, I'll go back to does HHS COVID 19 vaccine web page reflect the department's view viewpoint on COVID 19 vaccines? Please, yes or no? I didn't understand the question.
▶ 1:38:21You're asking if if the HHS's COVID 19 vaccine web page reflect the department's viewpoint on COVID 19 vaccines? I I imagine it does. I haven't seen the website. You haven't seen HHS's CO 19 vaccine? Well, no, I I haven't read the entire Well, it's kind of troubling that you're unaware of what your own department's website states on the safety and efficacy of the vaccination. Let me read it directly to you.
▶ 1:38:51COVID 19 vaccines are safe and effective, and COVID 19 vaccines are available to everyone six months and older. Getting vaccinated vaccinated is the best way to help protect people from COVID 19. Get vaccinated if you haven't. Chairman, I have the paper copy of the website to insert into the record. COVID vaccine Excuse me. Without objection. Okay.
▶ 1:39:20And again, yes or no. As I said, yes or no. Within the past 45 days, has the CDC recommended COVID vaccinations, vaccinations for people at high risk? Yes or no? For people at high time. Yes.
▶ 1:39:36So, in fact, on May 12th, 2025, CDC stated in its interim clinical considerations for the use of COVID 19 vaccines in the United States, and I quote, co COVID 19 vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older in in the US. CDC goes on to state that vaccination is especially important for a number of certain groups of people, including pregnant women, in order to protect themselves and their infants.
▶ 1:40:02Uh, also I'm inserting into the record the following copy of Congressman, we don't recommend COVID vaccines for pregnant women or for children. Excuse me. We do not recommend it for pregnant women or children. I think I just read especially important for a number of certain groups of people including pregnant women in order to protect themselves and their infants.
▶ 1:40:25I'm inserting into the record the following copy of the website May 12, COVID 19 vaccines and vaccinations. Mr. Chairman, without objection, it appears CDC was not consulted. Given that it took days for them to update their immunization schedule to reflect your new policy, I'd like to insert into the record a Washington Post story reiterating this CDC blindsided as RFK Jr. changes COVID 19 vaccine recommendations. Without objection. Okay.
▶ 1:40:55Once again, yes or no. Did you consult CDC before changing vaccine policy related to CO 19 vaccine as it relates to pregnancy? We absolutely consult CDC on every policy regarding vaccination. That is different than what I yield back. Gentle lady yields. The chair now recognizes a gentleman from Texas, Representative Krenshaw, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here.
▶ 1:41:22um saw you were in my district recently for an iron man uh in the Woodlands. You might be asked for a lot of commitments today. Maybe uh maybe one I'll ask of you is to get a good workout in with me at one point. Um I have a couple issues I I care about a few actually. Direct primary care being one of them. So I'd like to start with that. I think we need direct primary care for a lot of reasons and I've expressed those reasons on this committee many times. It's an affordable flat fee for full access to your primary care physician of your choice.
▶ 1:41:51And I I believe it's the future model for primary care. Uh but for some reason, it's it's it's barely touched Medicaid. And that's a problem I've tried to fix. Uh got a b we have a bipartisan bill that has done that, the Medicare Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act. It would make it clear in federal law that states could reimburse direct primary care providers directly. It passed the House last year, but never made it through the Senate. as many good things do not.
▶ 1:42:17Uh, I just would would like to ask you, will you work with us and with CMS to to issue guidance or maybe launch a pilot program allowing state Medicaid programs to integrate direct primary care models into their benefit design? Yes. And in fact, Congressman Gr uh the there was a direct primary care provision in the big beautiful bill that was part under the a HSA provision. I believe that provision was approved by Congress.
▶ 1:42:46It passed out of this out of this house and then was moved by the Senate. We are trying to convince the Senate to keep it in at some point. Well, with your support, maybe they'll keep it in. That's great to hear. Um, and I I appreciate your support on that issue. I want to talk about regenerative medicine also. Uh, it's a transformational medicine and therapy. I I think you'd agree with this. These aren't hypothetical solutions. um you know they're they're using the patients own cells uh to to their autotogus cell therapies.
▶ 1:43:16They're using the patients own cells to um to do some pretty amazing uh therapies and and and outcomes for for people. As secretary, what steps might HHS take to modernize that regulatory architecture for regenerative medicine, particularly for cell and tissue therapies that don't they don't neatly fall into existing biologic classifications. and I introduced legislation which passed the house yesterday actually that gives the FDA the opportunity to use the best science to update that policy.
▶ 1:43:46Uh would you work with us on on getting that done? Yeah, absolutely. And I had another round table on cell and gene therapy up in uh and at FDA headquarters with all of the leaders in that industry. Uh it's something Marty McCary is deeply interested in. Jay Bachara is uh you know we want to keep the United States the hub the scientific hub for development of cell and gene therapy.
▶ 1:44:14It is the medicine of the future and uh and we're absolutely committed to it. I appreciate that. Uh, another interest of mine. I think we've had some legislative success as well. Um, in these past couple years was on the use of u, uh, psychedelics for assisted therapy for conditions like PTSD, depression, addiction.
▶ 1:44:34Uh, what steps do you plan on taking to to accelerate that domestic research, clinical trial access and and the safe deployment of these kind of therapies for for trauma related disorders? Uh we are we are launching clinical trials now on that at FDA. I think there are 11 clinical trials at the VA going on at this point. Um particularly for our service members, retired service members.
▶ 1:45:02It's critically important that we make sure that uh the science on this is solid and you know the preliminary results are very very encouraging and it's something that we want to pursue. Mar has told me that we don't want to wait two years to get this done. These are people who badly need some kind of therapy.
▶ 1:45:25Nothing else is working for this line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting and we are working very hard to make sure that that happens within 12 months. That that that's great to hear. Um just to to put to put on your notes as well, you know, the FDA did draft uh issue draft guidance on on the clinical guidelines for these therapies two years ago. Uh finalizing that I think would be helpful for for the industry. Okay. So, they they have been forwardleaning.
▶ 1:45:55Uh but I think finalizing that would be helpful for the industry. Uh I'm running out of time, but maybe for the record you could help us with this. Um in in my bill in section 723 of the FY24 NDAA, that's where we got the uh the the money and the mandate for the DoD to to do these clinical trials.
▶ 1:46:15And um part of their own guidance was to work with NIH and and I'd like to figure out how that relationship is looking and what NIH is doing along with the Department of Defense. Gentlemen, we've brought on personnel to liaison directly with VA. I talk with Doug Collins about it all the time. It's something that both of us are deeply interested in. All right. The gentleman's time has expired. We now represent uh rather recognize Representative Baragan from California. Uh thank you Mr. Chair.
▶ 1:46:46Thank you Mr. Secretary for being here today. Uh you mentioned that one of the focuses is to end chronic disease epidemic. Um so I want to talk about Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's devastates millions of Americans across this country. It robs loved ones of their memories, their independence and ultimately their lives. Today almost 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease and that number will double by 2060. I believe the NIH is doing research that is critical to the development of Alzheimer's disease treatments.
▶ 1:47:15Do you agree with that assessment? Yes or no? We are completely committed to solving the problem of Alzheimer's. Do you agree that the NIH's research is critical to the development of Alzheimer's disease? I do. The issue is complicated. Okay. If you if you want a real answer to that question, I'm happy to give it to I have a limited I have limited time.
▶ 1:47:35So you said that you think it's critical yet um you are proposing to cut $1.7 billion dollars from the NIH's National Institute on Aging, which is the primary federal agency that supports and conducts Alzheimer's and dementia That that's a lot of money, Mr.
▶ 1:47:57secretary for you being committed to ending an epidemic like Alzheimer's and saying that you believe that NIH uh does uh critical work that is a ton a ton of money. I want to turn to Alzheimer's disease research centers. Are you a are you familiar with Alzheimer's disease research centers? Uh no I can't say that I am. Okay. Okay.
▶ 1:48:21Well, let me let me tell you that the uh research centers, 35 NIH funded Alzheimer's research centers were helping families across the country. They support things like research, diagnosis, brain donation, and caregiver services. Um they were really critical and they are very critical across this country in all states, red states, blue states, purple states.
▶ 1:48:47As of May 13th, 13 of the 35 centers have lost federal funding due to delays and uncertainty and I ni at the NIH. 13. That's a lot of them, Mr. Secretary. Are you aware of that? Uh, I am not, but I will look into it. I really appreciate that you will look into that because states like Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee have lost millions and millions of dollars.
▶ 1:49:15And I'm talking about red states and purple states, not just blue states. Um, and so now it's irrelevant to us whether it's in a blue or red state. Well, sometimes it doesn't feel that way. That's why I say that. Now we're seeing layoffs, uh, frozen brain banks and halted research. That's almost 70 that's almost 40% of our Alzheimer's research centers in crisis. So, I want to ask that we insert into the record a number of articles.
▶ 1:49:42Alzheimer's disease research center struggle as one-third lose their federal funding and a second article of life-saving Alzheimer's research delayed by Trump funding cuts. Mr. Chair, into the record. Okay, I'm going to move on. I'm going to assume that's a yes because my time is going. Okay. With no objection. So, Mr. Secretary, 14 of the centers that remain have their funding that's up for renewal in 2026.
▶ 1:50:10The budget you proposed, as I mentioned, is going to cut $1.7 billion from the NIH's national aging um the Institute of Aging, which is the metal the main federal um agency supports it. What I would like is for you to commit that you are going to fund fully fund the NIH's um 14 centers whose renewal and up is in Will you commit?
▶ 1:50:38Uh, I can tell you that we have not cut any clinical trials on Alzheimer's. I'm telling you that we I'm just telling you there was 35 and you guys have already cut 13 of them because of the funding. This was congressionally approved dollars on a bipartisan basis. It's there is almost nothing more bipartisan than Alzheimer's funding. Okay.
▶ 1:51:03money was approved, congressionally approved dollars, and your agency has cut 13 of 35. I'm simply asking for a simple commitment, and that is from the 14 that remain. Okay. Did you at least commit to fully funding those? I'm happy to work with you on this, Congresswoman. I don't know that what you're saying is true. is something that I'll have to confirm and I'm happy to work with you on it.
▶ 1:51:33Well, I appreciate that you're going to work with with me on that. Um, but it is troubling that the the head of the department doesn't know about these drastic cuts to something like Alzheimer's, which is so very very critical. Again, I don't know what what you're telling me is true, but I'm happy to work with you on it. General meeting's time is expired. I now recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Dr. Joyce. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator Secretary Kennedy, for being here. Uh, thank you for your commitment to serving our country.
▶ 1:52:04I appreciate your recent commitments to unlocking American science that we know will lead to additional breakthroughs. The Orphan Drug Act, which was passed the year that I graduated from medical school, has been a huge incentive driving innovation and delivering new cures and new treatments to American patients.
▶ 1:52:26Unfortunately, the inflation reduction act has reduced incentives for innovators to conduct this critical research, particularly for orphan products that treat rare diseases and ultra rare diseases. A recent NPC report has shown that since the IRA's enactment, clinical development for orphan drugs that received multiple designations went down by nearly 50%.
▶ 1:52:53My legislation, the Orphan Cures Act, would address this flawed incentive in the law and let American innovators return to pursuing breakthroughs in rare diseases. And I'm proud that this bill was included in the build in the big beautiful bill currently being considered in the Senate.
▶ 1:53:11Secretary Kennedy, will you commit to working with me and the committee to ensure incentives for innovators are put in place to pursue gold standard science for rare disease treatments and for their cures? Uh yes, Congressman Joyce, and I want to thank you for your leadership on this issue. It's a critical area.
▶ 1:53:32As you said, the uh Biden administration the in the inflation reduction act inserted regulatory impediments to make it to disincentivize the developments of these kind of With your help, we've developed a repair a fix for that and the big beautiful bill and I look forward to working with you on getting that passed. Thank you, Secretary Kennedy.
▶ 1:53:56In 2022, when the IRA was passed, it included a narrow orphan drug exclusion protecting these drugs from government price setting scheme. Unfortunately, CMS misapplied the timing for price setting eligibility, starting the time frame from its initial orphan approval date, rather from the day that it is no longer exempt. And in this case, timing is indeed everything.
▶ 1:54:22A plain text reading of the statute shows CMS was wrong and the Biden administration refused to fix their Secretary Kennedy, will you commit today to work with CMS to correctly apply the timing of a drug's price setting eligibility so that this pres provision does not negatively impact innovation and in turn negatively impact American patients? I look forward to working with you on that, Congressman. Thank you. We look forward to working with you as well.
▶ 1:54:52Secretary Kennedy, to switch to another topic, under the Biden administration, we saw a consistent decline in the reimbursements paid to physicians under Medicare Part B. These cuts have led to more practice consolidation and increased hospital and insurer ownership of doctors. In turn, this has negatively impacted access to care for our nation's senior citizens and driven up out-ofpocket costs. How do you view these concerns?
▶ 1:55:21And will you commit to working with me and other physicians in Congress on how we can fix this erosion of reimbursement and strengthen the private practice overall? Yeah, I mean, that's only one of the perverse incentives in our system that are contributing to the crisis in uh in primary care. And one of the specific charges that President Trump has given me is to increase primary care access.
▶ 1:55:52And one of the ways that we need to do that is to make uh make sure that primary care physicians are getting livable wages. And uh and I look forward to working with you on that. In America right now, the primary care physician is underpaid and undervalued.
▶ 1:56:13Your commitment to making sure that these doctors who are the frontline caring for patients day in and day out are adequately compensated is important not just to American medicine but ultimately important to the American patient. I thank you for that commitment. Mr. Chairman, my time has expired and I yield back. The gentleman yields. The chair now recognizes the gentle lady from Washington State, Dr. Shrier, for five minutes of questioning.
▶ 1:56:43Secretary Kennedy, on May 27th, you posted a 60-second video on your ex account unilaterally changing vaccine recommendations without consulting the customary panel of experts. As a pediatrician, I find that extremely alarming. So, I thought we would talk a little bit about some vaccinereventable diseases. Secretary Kennedy, and these are yes or no questions. Have you ever treated measles? Do I what?
▶ 1:57:13Have you ever treated No. Well, I have. Let me tell you how miserable it is. These kids have high fevers, struggling to breathe, and they are crying. They suffer. Great news is that there is a vaccine to prevent it. Secretary Kennedy, again a yes or no question. Have you ever treated bacterial menitis? No. Well, I have. These babies are so sick. They come into the ER with high fevers. They are floppy.
▶ 1:57:43And we have to figure out why. Do you know how we figure out if a baby has menitis? Excuse me. Do you know how we figure out if a baby has spinal menitis? How many Uh, I'm going to explain how we how we figure out and determine if a baby has menitis. We insert a needle between vertebrae until the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord drips out into a test tube. It's called a spinal tap.
▶ 1:58:14We used to do lots of them. Fortunately, we don't have to do very many of these anymore because we have three vaccines that prevent childhood menitis. These are miracles. Secretary Kennedy, yes or no? Have you ever treated pertasus or hooping cough? No, I've had it. Well, I have.
▶ 1:58:38And in infants, in fact, the one I treated weeks old came in because the baby just stopped breathing and turned blue. Let me tell you how scared those parents were. And I've treated a bunch of older kids with it. They cough so hard they vomit. They run out of air. They break ribs. And if you don't catch it before two weeks, antibiotics don't even work. They cough for months with broken ribs.
▶ 1:59:08And that is why it is called a 100 day cough. But you know what's great? There's a vaccine that prevents this. Of course, here's the thing. Vaccines only work if you actually give them. And we know your record on this. We rely on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of experts to recommend which vaccines people should get at which ages and the like.
▶ 1:59:36Now, I know Senator Cassidy had concerns about your views on this. And so when he voted to confirm you as Secretary of HHS on February 4th, he explained that decision by saying on the Senate floor that quote, "If confirmed, you will maintain the CDC's advisory committee on immunization practices without changes." But then two weeks ago, you fired all 17 experts
▶ 2:00:07on that very committee. Mr. Secretary, question for you. Did you lie to Senator Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts? I never made that agreement. So, are you saying that Senator Cassidy lied when he was on the Senate floor? Lied to the American people. I didn't see that statement by Senator Cassidy. I've only heard it from you. But if he said that I agreed to it, it would be inaccurate.
▶ 2:00:34I made an I made an agreement with them and he and I have talked many times about that agreement. Uh my time. I just want to tell you that for most of us sitting here right now, um we believe Senator Cassidy more than we trust you when it comes to vaccinations. It sounds to me like you gave him the answer he needed to hear in order to get his confirmation vote and then as soon as you were secretary, you turned around and did whatever you want.
▶ 2:01:03You fired all 17 members. I'm complying with all the agreements that I Mr. Secretary Cassidy, you're now on the record. You lied to Senator Cassidy. You have lied to the American people. You have lied to parents about vaccines for 20 years. And I also want to be clear that I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccinereventable illness at your feet. I yield back. The gentle lady yields.
▶ 2:01:33The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Ohio, Representative Balderson, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, thank you, Secretary Kennedy, for being here today. As the co-chair of the digital health caucus, along with my friend and colleague, Representative Kelly, uh, I believe digital tools can play a huge role in improving the health of Americans.
▶ 2:01:54However, for those for for these tools to serve the American people, we must continue to ensure accessibility and statutory protections for consumer wellness technologies. Secretary Kenny, my first question is is that there is a tremendous amount of research that shows that greater engagement with one's health leads to better outcomes.
▶ 2:02:15In recent years, American innovators have created and improved wearable devices so that not only are consumers able to better engage with their health through monitoring data, but they are able to share that data with providers. I believe American consumers in line with the 21st Century Cures Act should be able to access these innovative wellness tools. Secretary Secretary Kennedy, do you agree that consumers should continue to have access to these tools? Absolutely.
▶ 2:02:43In fact, we're about to launch one of the biggest advertising campaigns in HHS history to encourage Americans to use wearables. It's a way of uh people can take control over their own health. They can take responsibility. They can see, as you know, what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates, and a number of other metrics as they eat it.
▶ 2:03:10and they can begin to make good judgments about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way that they live their lives. We think that wearables are a key to the MA agenda, making America healthy again, and we are going to we my my vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Following up on my previous questions, what steps will you take?
▶ 2:03:38And you just said that you're going to do a big announcement uh next week uh to access digital health tools to track, monitor, and improve their health while also ensuring appropriate patient data privacy, security, and protections. In dealing with some of that, I have had questions come up uh when I've spoken to medical groups about wearables and and the privacy. Do you have anything reassuring for that or would that be part of the announcement?
▶ 2:04:04Well, as I said, we, you know, we're going to do a major advertising campaign encouraging Americans to wear m wearables. I've I've personally had friends who've utterly changed their lives just from wearing a glucose meter, and they've lost weight, they've lost their diabetes, diagnosis, and you see this happen again and again. really has a miraculous impact on uh on health in our country.
▶ 2:04:33And you know, it's a it's 80 bucks a month and you know, we're exploring ways of of making sure that um that those costs can be paid for. It's a it's, you know, the the OMIC is costing $1,300 a month, right? If you can achieve the same thing with an $80 wearable, it's a lot better for the American people. Great. Great to hear. Um my office and I myself are also doing the same thing.
▶ 2:05:01Um I think we share the same belief that digital health tools including teleaalth and remote patient monitoring are steps in the right direction in ensuring healthcare access. Specifically, I've been a strong advocate for the use and coverage of remote patient monitoring. During your time as secretary, what progress do you hope to see in terms of access to and improvement of remote patient monitoring tools?
▶ 2:05:29I remote patient monitoring you mean like AI and AI nurses is that what okay yeah I mean that we are working on that we as I said before we've brought people into this agency who are um the greatest uh the greatest technical expertise probably of any agency except maybe the defense department the CIA in the United States government.
▶ 2:05:58Uh I'm very encouraged by the caliber of people we've been able to attract to the agency and that's one of the things we're doing. It's important keeps people out of emergency rooms. It's critically important for rural health care. Um, and and for people who can't travel, for elderly Americans who can't leave their homes, but they can they can find out what's happening to their health without going to see a doctor or to go to an urgent care or an emergency room.
▶ 2:06:27I agree with that and I've been working with the federally qualified health centers um doing some pilots with that. So, Mr. Chairman, thank you, Secretary Kennedy. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. The gentleman yields. The chair now recognizes a gentle lady from Massachusetts, Representative M. Tran, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. During your confirmation, you told Senator Baraso that rural hospitals are closing at an extraordinary rate.
▶ 2:06:53You called them economic drivers, lifelines in our communities, and you gave your word to protect them. Republicans on this committee also promised they wouldn't support a bill that led to more closures. Yet, here we are. The Republican tax bill slashes Medicaid and the ACA by over a trillion dollars, leaving 16 million more people uninsured and driving up uncompensated care.
▶ 2:07:18At the same time, it guts provider taxes and state directed payments, the few tools that states have to keep hospitals afloat. Cutting coverage and cutting payments, well, that's a perfect storm for closures, Mr. Secretary. So, yes or no? With Republicans in Congress set to cut more than a trillion dollars and counting from our health care system, will hospitals be forced to cut services or close altogether? We're not cutting coverage for any American patient.
▶ 2:07:50Well, it sounds like you don't want to admit the reality that your department I'm happy to explain if you want to give me a chance. Well, that's part of my next question. And I want to hear what your funding mechanism looks like because hospitals across the country have warned that this bill is what they referred to as a death nail. Even before Republicans in the Senate doubled the cuts in provider taxes and state directed payments, bringing estimates of hospital uncompensated care alone to more than $443 billion.
▶ 2:08:19Hospitals are raising a huge warning flag that the big ugly bill will result in closures and service reductions across the country in all our communities. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record several of their statements and analyses. Mr. Secretary, if you claim the hospitals in our districts that are already operating in the red and serving mostly Medicaid and Medicare patients are going to survive, then where exactly is that money going to come from?
▶ 2:08:49What is your plan to keep them open and deliver the same level of service? Well, the issue of state directed payments I think as you understand is a complicated one because the essential agreement under Medicare is that the states will pay a certain amount and the federal government will pay a certain amount. States have learned to game that some states have learned to game that system. the federal government.
▶ 2:09:16If you could just get to the part where when that stream, that revenue stream is cut, how are you going to ensure that services aren't cut and hospitals don't close? I mean, many times there's just no alternative on the table for a funding mechanism. So, what's your plan? Well, that is a decision ultimately that's got to come from Congress. So, that's going to be up to you. But what I would say to you is that I would like to work with you on this because it's a complicated issue. It's not just that. It's not that simple.
▶ 2:09:46Are we I'm happy to work with you on this, Mr. Secretary, but this is going to happen in the next couple of weeks. And if there isn't a funding mechanism in place, if there isn't an act of Congress to replace that revenue stream, hospitals are going to close. People are going to die. When hospitals are pushed to the brink, they cut maternity wards. They cut mental health. They cut emergency rooms. That's who they cut first. This isn't hypothetical. It's already happening.
▶ 2:10:14From 2011 to 23, dozens of hospitals in states like Iowa and Texas eliminated obstetrics These are Medicaid department services. And under Donald Trump's bill, they're the first to go. And it's not just rural hospitals. We're seeing it in my district, too. The only maternity ward in North Central Massachusetts shut down last year. Then the collapse of Steuart forced two more hospitals to close, including one that served thousands of families.
▶ 2:10:44Boston Children's, one of the best in the country, is also at risk. Your budget slashes Medicaid, which covers over 40% of kids and eliminates programs that trains most pediatricians. Hospitals are already bracing. They're pausing projects. They're cancelling expansions. They're shelving cost-saving investments. The chaos that your budget creates, including decimating NIH, is driving up costs. We're not cutting Medicaid.
▶ 2:11:13There's no cuts to Medicaid. There are simply restrictions in the growth of Medicaid over the next decade. People are going to lose their coverage. Uncompensated care is going to rise. Hospitals are not prepared for that for that reality. Look, here's the truth. People are people are going to die. These hospitals are going to close. Labor and delivery units are going to disappear if mental health services are stripped away. That's the consequence of your policies.
▶ 2:11:43And look, you've already shown that you don't have a grip on your department. You don't know basic things that are on your website or programs that are closing. Gentle lady's time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentle lady from Tennessee, Representative Harshburgger, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. secretary for being here today. Um, first of all, I want you to personally know how much I aligned with your philosophy on uh making America healthy again.
▶ 2:12:11Uh, as Buddy is a pharmacist, so am I, and have done that for 38 years using conventional and traditional functional medicine you know, to fill the gap when traditional medicine either didn't work for that patient or uh when it failed the patient.
▶ 2:12:28And on a side note talking about these clinical trials and these research u you know there's bias in clinical research and we know it is pervasive and it can absolutely reshape the findings uh and the outcomes of of the clinical trial and it's due to the methodology or the design flaws in that or selective reporting on things that they might want to hide and you do not know that until you litigate that.
▶ 2:12:55And so that's just a side note, but what I want to talk to you about is PBM reform. We know the president's talked about pharmacy benefit managers and that reform. Um, you know, there's bipartisan support in Congress on how to address that because they lack um transparency and create conflicts of interest that distort competition, reduce choices for consumers, and increase the cost of drugs.
▶ 2:13:22and they really uh take a toll on independent communityarmacies. Is there anything in the president's budget, sir, that you know that would address the PBM uh industry to make prescriptions more affordable? Yeah, there there are that's a a big concern of the presidents.
▶ 2:13:39The PBMs are now siphoning off about 40% of the costs of pharmaceutical drugs and the president uh wants to end that and he's going to do it through and through a new mechanism of direct to consumer sales of pharmaceuticals that would fence out the middleman alto together.
▶ 2:14:01Yeah, these are issues that we are talking directly about in our negotiations with the pharmaceutical companies now under most favored nation status. Yeah, it's something the president's committed to, something that we're committed to here at HHS and we're going to get it done. Yeah, I think we'd probably have to renegotiate those 340B contracts with that um because those are for underinsured or uninsured patients. So, we can certainly talk about that. So, I'm glad you're working on it.
▶ 2:14:31Um, thank you for your apparent uh interest in functional medicine. You know, compounded medications are something I've done for all these years. And uh we make those customized medications without the dyes, the fillers or uh other ingredients. And we step in when patients can't take those traditional medications.
▶ 2:14:52and what you're doing by banning some of these dyes and things we've done for many years and uh there's issues with some of the regulations that the FDA imposes on us uh areas of common interest that I want to work with you and uh you know, Commissioner Director McCary with there's a blueprint of ideas that I have right here and I'd like to submit this for the record, Mr.
▶ 2:15:16chairman, without objection, that uh that's been released to eliminate redundant and ineffective regulations that impede patient access to those compounded drugs. And uh I'd like to work with the FDA on that and uh fix some of the the incompatibilities and some of the uh unidentified or clarify some of those laws that the FDA has put into place that keeps the patient from adhering to that medication. Well, I I'd appreciate if you provide me a copy of that.
▶ 2:15:46Sure. I'll take the president's executive order. We're required to eliminate 10 regulations for every regulation we adopt. So, we are looking for targets and this sounds like a target-rich environment. Listen, I have many targetri ideas that I would like to just do away with and I will work with you and I think you may have a a copy of that in your office, but I'll be happy to get that to you, sir. Uh it well infusion benefits are another thing.
▶ 2:16:14There's so many regulations in Medicare that prohibits that patient from getting the medication and I've talked to um Dr. Oz about that. Uh when it comes to oncology patients, you know, there was a stark clarification law that they could not mail that to the patient and it's not to the benefit of the provider. You know, I'm in a rural East Tennessee and these patients can't drive theirel to get that medication and they are prohibited from having anyone pick it up. So things like that are what I would love to work with you on.
▶ 2:16:44We would love uh you know it's our objective uh to make sure that infusions can be applied in the home, can be used in the home. And we need to change that. It makes no sense. It's much more expensive for our system.
▶ 2:17:00It's it's literally billions of dollars a year that are unnecessarily spent by forcing these patients, particularly in rural areas, elderly patients, that could easily use the infusions to home to force them to come into a hospital to use them. And it doesn't make any sense and it's, you know, part of the common sense reforms that we're doing here at HHS. Yeah. Thank you, sir. The gentle lady's time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Representative VC, for five minutes of questioning. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:17:30Uh, Mr. Secretary, this country is in the grip of an opioid epidemic that's ripping through America. It's gutting our schools, is shattering our neighborhoods, and it's tearing families apart. Between 1999 and 2019, overdose deaths involving opioids skyrocketed over 500%. And this epidemic has not discriminated. Uh, it is not, it doesn't care if you're rich, if you're poor, if you're black or you're white, if you're Democrat or Republican.
▶ 2:17:58Uh, it takes veterans, mothers, students, and children. Over 240,000 children have lost a parent to opioids. An entire generation grown up with grief and trauma. And over 42,000 veterans uh lost to overdose. And now, instead of strengthening the VA, the administration you work for plans to gut it, cutting 80,000 jobs, cutting resources from heroes who fought for us.
▶ 2:18:23Uh, in 2020, 48,000 Americans died from opioid Despite historic progress under the Biden administration, where overdose deaths dropped 65% from 2023 to 2024, this administration now plans to cut critical programs and fire behavioral health and crisis specialists threatening to strip hundreds of thousands of veterans of lifesaving treatment to prioritize billionaires over those who served.
▶ 2:18:53But most egregiously, uh, in the FY26 budget, the Trump administration is proposing to slash over $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. That is literally a billion dollars ripped away from treatment, prevention, and hope. Mr. Secretary, you don't slash lifelines in the middle of a rescue. You don't call 911 and hang up halfway through.
▶ 2:19:19And you sure as hell don't preach about redemption while cutting the funding that makes redemption possible. So, let's be clear. This isn't a budget. It's a death sentence. And now I have a few questions for you, Mr. Secretary. Mr. Secretary, do you believe the United States is currently facing an opioid crisis? Yeah. And that's why I've reauthorized. Oh, you do? So, uh, do you believe the federal government has a responsibility to combat this crisis? Yes or no? The federal government has a role in it. Certainly. Thank you.
▶ 2:19:49An important role. Uh Mr. Secretary, uh you're aware that the president's own brother died from addiction. Uh you've heard JD Vance, the vice president of the United States, talk about his mother's uh addiction. Uh and you've talked about your own uh uh history and your own addiction issues in 1983 where you sought treatment for heroin addiction at a rehab uh facility in New Jersey. Was that treatment effective for you? I I've been sober. Okay.
▶ 2:20:17I also would point out that I lost a brother to this disease. It's a priority for me and it's going to be a priority for HHS. And let me also ask you, do you believe yes or no, do you believe that structured recoverment recovery programs were essential to your own recovery? I I you know I my recovery program was made. Yes or no? Do you think that that do you think that was important for your own recovery? It was important. Okay. So, Mr. Secretary, overcoming addiction is commendable.
▶ 2:20:47I've had family members that have overcome addiction. I I commend you for that. But not everyone have the have have the resources that your family has to get the care that they need. And because you know better than anyone that recovery without treatment is challenging at best. So, Mr. Secretary, please tell me, why would you deny millions of Americans the same access to care that saved your life? We're not we're not denying anybody access to care, congressman.
▶ 2:21:17We're shifting some of the funding away from to the states. The addiction problem in West Mr. Secretary is very different than the addiction problem in Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this, Mr. Secretary. You've credited the 12 steps in your recovery. So, can you tell this committee what is step four? It's making a fearless inventory. Is making a fearless inventory of ourselves. Yeah. And and you remember that one and and do you remember step 12?
▶ 2:21:47Yeah, it's it's uh having had a spiritual awakening, we try to help other alcoholics and addicts. So tell me, Mr. Secretary, yes or no, does cutting off treatment for people still suffering align with step four and step 12? We're not cutting off treatment for anybody, Congressman. As I said, I'm happy to explain it, but you don't give me any chance to answer questions, but which is part of the game that we play here. Mr. Secretary, I I've heard your story.
▶ 2:22:16Again, I think that it's great that you talked about your recovery. Uh but man, you can't pull the ladder and shut the door. There there are people like President Trump's family and your family that have resources, but there are families like mine and Secretary Vance. Gentleman's time has expired. As we said, we're not denying time treatment away from anybody. Committee, the subcommittee is going to take a quick 5m minute break. We'll be right back in 5 minutes.
▶ 2:22:49That's what they said. Oh, good. Good. He came in 10 minutes late.
▶ 2:27:27Yay. Hi
▶ 2:29:10Let the witness get back.
▶ 2:31:45Dr. Miller Meeks for five minutes of Thank you, uh, Chair Carter, and, uh, I thank the secretary for being here with us today. Uh, Secretary Kennedy, I'm going to, uh, uh, gauge my line of questioning on uh some of the things that you're just asked and as you indicated you're aware of the opioid ep epidemic and that it's still a pressing issue in many parts of the country including in my district.
▶ 2:32:13Uh 90 as a physician 90% of acute pain patients receive opioids to manage their pain whether they need them or not. Between 2011 and 2019, opioid prescriptions decreased by 40% from approximately 250 million to 150 million prescriptions dispensed. And this is true across most payer audiences, Medicaid private cash patients. However, among Medicare patients, opioid prescribing actually increased.
▶ 2:32:40Furthermore, Medicare's share of opioid prescribing during this time sus uh increased substantially from approximately 20% of the country's opioid prescriptions in 2011 to 35% in 2019. And that represents a 75% increase in just under a decade.
▶ 2:32:56I have a bill, the Alternatives to Pain Act, that would increase Medicare beneficiaries access to nonopioid alternatives to pain management medications by limiting patient cost sharing, prohibiting the use of utilization management, and incurring encouraging a dialogue between patients and their providers. I was also the director of the Department of Public Health in Iowa, which handles substance use disorder and behavioral health disorders. And I think given your personal experience with this, there was something that you were trying to say.
▶ 2:33:26And if you would, I would like to give you an opportunity to complete your thoughts uh on the previous question. Thank you, Congresswoman. My you know, I this has been a priority for me. I've been 42 years in recovery. I lost a brother to this disease. I lost a niece during the pandemic. We've all lost friends. We've all lost family. This is a national tragedy.
▶ 2:33:54We should be talking about solutions to it and we should be working together. This there's no such thing as Republican children or Democratic children. All our kids are affected by this. We should be able to talk with each other about this without vitriol, without the and try to figure out the best ways for treating our kids. the Trump administration, you know, the the federal government has not done a good job at this.
▶ 2:34:20The Trump administration's policy is to return that money and block grants to the states and let them figure it out. As I said before, addiction in West Virginia or in Iowa is very different than in San Francisco. The solutions are different and uh and we need to to turn those states into laboratories of innovation. they can figure out how to treat their population the most humane.
▶ 2:34:45Some of the best treatment centers I've ever been to are in rural Tennessee with no federal funding, no state funding, and getting extraordinary reductions on recidivism. We want to unleash that spirit of innovation in the states to make sure that we're doing the best we can for our kids.
▶ 2:35:05And in answer to your first question, there's a a very very exciting new drug out there called Joux, which is a nonopioid, very effective nonopioid pain reliever. And we are doing everything we can across our department to promote access to that solution. And would you be supportive of something like my bill, Alternatives to Pain Act, and commit to working with me in providing technical assistance? Absolutely. Thank you, Congresswoman. Um, thank you.
▶ 2:35:35Um, also, um, you've heard concerns about members on HHS restructuring and having restructured a department. Uh, it's never an easy task. Uh, we also know that sometimes money goes to, uh, people within the bureaucracy rather than to the actual delivery of care as you've indicated. Uh, and there's been, uh, changes in NIH funding and HHS funding. And my district, which encompasses southeast Iowa, is very rural.
▶ 2:36:00And I was just wondering if you can explain how HHS will be investing in rural America and specifically rural Iowa to ensure that uh Americans still have access to vital healthcare services. We have uh we have a number of programs for doing that for expanding health care in rural areas.
▶ 2:36:18One of those that I'm most excited about is the uh are these innovations in tele medicine and in uh in AI nursing that is going to deal with some of the treatment the diagnosis issues. Um I've seen these systems in action and they're extraordinary and they you know that AI can now diagnose disease as good as any doctor or you know not as good as let's say let's say the average doctor. Thank you for for clarifying.
▶ 2:36:49My time's expired. Thank you very much, Secretary. I yield back. The gentle lady yields. The chair now recognizes. The gentle lady from Texas, Representative Fletcher, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Kennedy, do you know the requirements for hospitals under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which is commonly called by its um shortened name, Mtala? Yes, I do. And just generally what do you know to require of hospitals?
▶ 2:37:18That every hospital has to treat anybody who comes to the emergency room. And uh they have to provide stabilizing care regardless of their ability to pay um and regardless of the type of care required. Correct. Exactly.
▶ 2:37:32And Secretary Kennedy, you understand that uh American College of Obstitricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine in certain circumstances necessary stabilizing care for the purposes of fulfilling a hospital's obligation undertala could be providing abortion care. Correct.
▶ 2:37:53In cases for example attopic pregnancies in uh botched abortions and in uh those hospitals are required to to uh to provide care. Elective abortions they're not. But they are required to provide abortion care if that is the care that a physician treating the patient determines in their medical judgment is the pay is the care necessary to stabilize the patient and to uh protect their life and health. Correct.
▶ 2:38:22And I because there were confusion about that, I sent out a letter to every hospital in America uh restating that those in those conditions they must uh they must u provide care. Um, okay.
▶ 2:38:40And I think that that's consistent with what we have heard from emergency physicians, obstitricians, other treating physicians that have made clear that in certain circumstances, clinically recognized, evidence-based, necessary medical treatment in various circumstances, including but not limited to the ones you just listed, uh, abortion care is is the necessary stabilizing care, some kind of care that may end a pregnancy. So in those cases, you would agree with me that Iala requires the hospitals to provide that care. Yes.
▶ 2:39:11And um and that's what President Trump believes and you issued you just mentioned that you issued some guidance to all the hospitals and care providers across the country. Um rescending some guidance from the prior administration and making clear that that is the requirement. Um now the guidance that that you rescended was issued shortly after the DOS decision which announced was announced three years ago today um and created some confusion.
▶ 2:39:41And so I think one thing that's important one thing that I hear from doctors in states like mine um is that this kind of guidance and clarity um is very very important to giving the practicing physicians the comfort that they need to do their jobs.
▶ 2:39:57And so, um, I I think it's really important, um, that you continue, uh, and I hope that you'll continue to make as clear as you have today in this hearing that ensures and protects pregnant women in all 50 states. I I will continue to do that, Congresswoman. And with the the time I have left, um, on one other note, um, in response to some questions from Mr.
▶ 2:40:25Palone earlier he talked about as I I believe uh ranking member Deette has as well several of the letters that our committee has sent um or members of our committee have sent to you with concerns about actions being taken at HHS and certainly I agree with a lot of those concerns. I represent uh Houston, Texas and we have an incredible amount of uh research going on through National Institutes of Health.
▶ 2:40:50incredible um development of all kinds of um uh therapies and uh treatments and so we have a lot of concerns. I know you mentioned that you get have gotten thousands of letters from members of Congress. Um, and I can appreciate that.
▶ 2:41:08But I would ask that um recognizing that this committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction and is the committee of jurisdiction over HHS that the requests that come from the M ranking member um that come from the Energy and Commerce Committee get prioritized by your staff in terms of looking at congressional responses.
▶ 2:41:27I think it would be very important um because we have jurisdiction and you've indicated you'll work with a lot of folks here on a lot of different issues and getting those answers and being able to to work um to address the concerns that we have um is really important. So I just ask that you prioritize those responses. You have my commitment to do that, Congresswoman. And I would also say this and it's the same thing that I said to Congresswoman Dingle.
▶ 2:41:52is not our intention to cut anything that is the kind of research that you're talking about which is a critical research we need to be keep America the hub of that kind of research and there was some malicious compliance there was some mistakes made thank you Mr. Secretary my time has expired and soles contact us and we will address them the chair now recognizes the general lady from Florida representative Kamik for five minutes of questioning thank you Mr.
▶ 2:42:21chairman, and thank you, Secretary Kennedy, for being I know that this has been a bit of a an interesting morning, but uh I do appreciate your commitment to uh the initiative to make America healthy again, as well as um all all the other reforms that you're looking to uh initiate.
▶ 2:42:39As someone who represents a very large and rural district in Florida, um, and cares deeply about access to care, especially for our underserved communities, um, I've seen the good that HHS can do, but I've also seen where the bureaucracy, um, fall short in helping people, particularly in rural areas. So, I'm encouraged significantly by your willingness and efforts to restructure the department.
▶ 2:43:02Now I know that there are many broken systems within HHS and um it's going to take a disruptor and sir you are a disruptor and that's what we need in these times because so many people especially here in Congress they want to maintain the same broken status quo. I think collectively as Americans whether you're Republican or Democrat we can agree that we have sick care in this country not healthcare and the culture has been all about maintenance rather than prevention. And so I appreciate all of your efforts in working to try to address that.
▶ 2:43:33Um, so I'm just going to jump right in. As you know, Secretary Kennedy, under the previous administration of Joe Biden, maternal health deserts expanded significantly, leaving over 2.5 million women without access to any sort of maternal health care. In fact, I believe it was one in 25 maternal health clinics closed under the previous administration. And you've pointed out that there are more than 40 different maternal health programs scattered across HHS.
▶ 2:44:01So from where I sit, that sounds like a lot of bureaucracy, and I I I want us to focus on patient outcomes and improving those such as like you do. So walk us through how you're planning on streamlining and making a more coordinated effort to deliver healthcare to moms and moms to be around the country. Yeah, I mean, this is a priority for President Trump. is a priority for me personally. We have a maternal health crisis in this country.
▶ 2:44:28It disproportionately impacts Black mothers have a 2.6 times greater chance of dying in child birth. A black mother with a college education has 26 times greater chance of dying in child's birth than a mother than a white mother with a high school education. So, it's impacting those communities, but it's impacting every American. And we need to protect our moms. We need to protect our kids.
▶ 2:44:58And we need to do a lot better. So, and we intend to do that in this administration. Well, as someone who is eight weeks out from delivery, I know you can't see it because I'm so short. Um, but uh I appreciate that. Um, and I look forward to working with you so we can streamline these services so moms uh can get the help and and access to resources they need. Um, changing gears a little bit here.
▶ 2:45:19The DHS Inspector General has confirmed for us what so many of us have known for a long time, uh, that under the Biden Harris administration, HHS, which is responsible for unaccompanied children, um, they lost track of over 340,000 unaccompanied migrant children. They failed to vet sponsors and they blocked law enforcement from getting critical information to ensure the safety of these children.
▶ 2:45:48Now, we know several investigative reports both from government sources and outside have uh reported that these kids were sent to unsafe addresses, even non-existent ones. Uh they were exposed to trafficking and exploitation, and many of them have not been found to this day. Now, I know you've had a lot on your plate. Uh it's been a a crazy six months. Um but I know this is a top priority for HHS. So, like so many other things that you've been tasked with cleaning up.
▶ 2:46:19Uh what specific steps is HHS taking to restore the accountability, improve the sponsor vetting, and ensure that law enforcement can do its job to protect these children and find these children? Uh I mean one of the major the major reason that the Biden administration lost track of all those children is because they were emphasizing speed over And there were political uh reasons for that. They wanted to get the kids out of US custody.
▶ 2:46:48So they were handing them off to anybody. It didn't require background checks. They didn't require identification. Even I I've watched horror stories of of the same person picking up child after child after child using different names and different addresses. One of the addresses was a strip club. One of the addresses was a parking lot. One of the addresses was an empty lot was filled with shipping containers. And this this character was getting all these kids.
▶ 2:47:17One person got 42 kids to one to one address. What we're doing now is DNA testing on every sponsor. We're doing personal identification. We're doing background checks. And we're doing uh income verification. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you. My time is gentle lady's time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentle lady from New York, Representative Elcasio Cortez, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you so much, Mr.
▶ 2:47:45Chairman, and thank you, Secretary Kennedy, for being here today. Um, it's actually not our first time meeting. We met a very, very long time ago when I was nine years old in Westchester Putinham County at a Rivereper event. Um, and I remember back then you talking about uh the importance of science and environmental action at that time.
▶ 2:48:11um listening to a lot of your discussion and a lot of the messages that you provide to people. Um you talk a lot about corporate influence and corruption in government and this is an area that's very important to me and it's an area that um I do a lot of work in.
▶ 2:48:36Um, I am as a public servant completely financially divested of any conflicts of interest with any healthc care companies, any stocks, any uh any lawsuits that I would financially benefit from. Are you? Am I? Yes. You're completely divested. Yes. You have no financial interest in any lawsuit, crypto, none of that. No. Oh, crypto. I own some I own Bitcoin. Okay.
▶ 2:49:06And do you have any other securities or assets? I don't I mean I had to go through this with the Office of Government Ethics and I had a few interests that were very minor that I divested. Okay. Just checking. I'd always like to question what the field is before I enter uh conversations. Um so thank you for that.
▶ 2:49:28Um, in the health care space, something that we've both spoken to is that some of the worst actors are in the for-profit medical space are are are in for-profit health insurance, big pharma, etc. And one of the worst companies actually is United Healthcare in this respect. United Healthcare is the largest health insurance company in the country.
▶ 2:49:53They are the largest employer of doctors and own thousands ofarmacies, clinics, surgery centers, and home health agencies as well as hospice providers. Uh, Secretary Kennedy, are you aware that President Trump's Department of Justice is reportedly investigating United Healthcare for criminal insurance fraud in some of their for-profit health insurance plans like Medicare Advantage? I'm not aware of that investigation.
▶ 2:50:16You are not aware that the Trump Department of Justice is investigating the largest insurance company in America that No, I'm not aware of for fraud and Medicare Advantage. No, I'm not aware of that, but that you have jurisdiction over. It doesn't surprise me. Okay. In your submitted testimony, you said HHS takes seriously our role as responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.
▶ 2:50:43Um, are you aware that for-profit insurance corporations like United Healthcare have been found to be defrauding public dollars of more than $80 billion a year? I'm not aware of that number, but I aware that there is fraud across the for-profit sector.
▶ 2:51:02Respectfully, uh, Secretary Kennedy, if we we're making decisions around waste, fraud, and abuse, this is the largest source of waste, fraud, and abuse of public dollars in the public insurance space. Say $80 million. 8080 billion a year. Um, 80 Did you say 80 million or 80 billion? 80 with a B. Billion with a B. Yeah.
▶ 2:51:27Um, if that's the case, why did you nearly the rate that taxpayer dollars give for-profit insurance companies like United next year? If you don't know those things, double the rate. How did I do that?
▶ 2:51:49So, your agency nearly doubled the taxpayer dollars that for-profit insurance corporations like United will be paid next year, meaning these companies, the largest of whom is under investigation, criminal investigation by the Trump admin administration, will be receiving an additional $25 billion from your agency. How is that happening? Um, I would be happy to submit to the congressional record evidence of this.
▶ 2:52:17Um, I will enter the CMS press release from April 7th of 2025, uh, into the record, which states that Medicare Advantage corporations will now receive a 5.06% increase in payments next year under your jurisdiction, Mr. Secretary. This is up from 2.2%. I mean what raises from the Biden administration. You are doubling the rate that the Biden the gentle lady's time has expired.
▶ 2:52:47Criminally investigated companies. The gentle lady's time is expired. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Michigan, Representative James, for five minutes of questioning. Mr. Secretary, welcome. Thank you for your time and your service. I um grateful for you being here. We've gotten to have some real good conversations here today. uh because when it comes to health of this country, as has been said many times before, we do not have a health care system. We have a sick care system. I'm just going to jump directly to my questions here.
▶ 2:53:15Um in your time in in your research, uh do you have any uh objectives or any ideas and how to reverse the perverse incentives and some of the abuses that are happening with big companies and big government that are hurting people right now?
▶ 2:53:31I mean at every level of the system there are as you say it's just a bundle of perverse that encourage people that basically put every actor in the system pharmaceutical companies providers hospitals and insurance companies in a advantageous position if they increase the number of sick Americans and the level of our illness.
▶ 2:53:55And the way that we need to change that broadly is to realign the or that people are getting paid to actually make people better. So we want outcomebased medical care. We want valuebased medical care. We're working through the center for medical intervention for CMI at uh CNN to explore a number of pilot projects that will do just that. And then we want to roll them out across the system.
▶ 2:54:22But we're looking for every opportunity and I had meetings all this week including with all the big insurance companies that will do exactly that. They want to do it too. They understand this is not what anybody wants. It's and we've spoken with insurance companies too and that's a big issue. U but another big issue in the United States is we are still treating all calories equal and they should not be. Ultrarocessed junk food doesn't stack up to the calorie from an apple or fresh Michigan produce.
▶ 2:54:49We all know that we need to step up and address the fact that ultrarocessed foods drive obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. But in Congress, we're still tiptoeing around the fact that less than 10 of% of Americans even follow current guidelines. Current food system is poisoning poor people. And it's wrong. During uh this this drives up costs in our health care system or sick care system, and it drives up our national debt. It's a national security issue.
▶ 2:55:15Are there any plans that you can share here today to address the food deserts in urban areas and rural areas across states like Michigan? You mentioned changing some incentives. Well, the leading areas before people get sick in the first place is a great place to do it. Uh yes, Congressman, the first thing that we need to do is to recalibrate the dietary guidelines and we're those are due in December.
▶ 2:55:42We got a 453page from the Biden administration that was just the product of the same kind of industry uh uh control that put Froot Loops at the top of the food pyramid. And we're now going to give Americans a four or fivepage document that tells them what they should be looking for, particularly in their locality. And when we do that, it's going to drive good food.
▶ 2:56:09It's going to it's going to reduce the amount of processed food in our school lunch programs and our military and our hospitals and other and it's going to drive good food. That's going to create markets for good food all over the country. And that's one of the ways we penetrate the food deserts. Very good. There's also programs under Medicaid to make sure that people in food deserts on Indian reservations and urban areas etc. And get good food. Very good. We absolutely have to take care of the poorest of the poor.
▶ 2:56:38We need to make sure that folks u who deserve it u can have support u from from us. Yes. By the way, we're going to be we're going to be we're going to have the dietary guidelines out at least by August. So, we're going to be months early. Uh and I'm working with Brook Rollins on that and they're going to be very good. The government being early on a on something that's that's great. Uh Secretary Kennedy, yesterday you and CMS administrator uh Oz secured an industry pledge to fix our broken prior authorization system.
▶ 2:57:06I hear stories from places like Flint, Michigan, where Dr. Bobby Mu Kamala uh Muk Kamal Allah uh sought prior authorization for full cancer screening after his patients stage one tonsil cancer diagnosis so that he could determine the best treatment outcomes. When the patient finally received the PET scan 3 weeks later, the cancer progressed to stage two. These prior authorization reforms are critically necessary. What are you talking to industry folks about to hold them accountable for their pledges?
▶ 2:57:34the and the the largest companies in the industry and we I brought them all have now pledged made the pledge to us yesterday that they're going to get rid of 80% of the prior authorizations and they're also going to um they're going to make their uh their systems interoperable so it's much easier for a doctor to very quickly before you leave the office you should have that prior authorization. The gentleman's time has expired.
▶ 2:58:04The chair now recognizes a gentleman from Massachusetts, Representative Okinos, for five minutes of question. Good afternoon, Secretary. Uh, you've emphasized throughout your career concerns about corruption and conflicts of interest in healthcare. Yes. About corruption in healthcare. Yes. Yeah. And you've pledged during your confirmation hearing and then again today, quote, radical transparency. Yes. Yes. Yes. And you explained to my colleague from New York that you divested yourself. Yes.
▶ 2:58:34Yes. And you fired the 17 members of ASIP because you think they have conflicts of interest. Yes. Yes. And do you think that everybody within Health and Human Services at a senior level should hold themselves to a a standard of radical transparency and divestment? Well, I'm going to hold them to that standard, but So, not everybody should hold themselves to a Yeah, everybody. and OG makes them all divest. So, so everybody should divest and everybody should be radically transparent who works for you. Yes. Yes.
▶ 2:59:04And uh does that include people who have involvement in health and human services policym even if they're not in your department? Would you want them to be radically transparent as well? Uh um I don't have any control over anybody except those in my department. Well, I I think you do. Uh let's talk though about how radically transparent you have been to date because I want to ensure for the American public that they're getting what you pledged. Uh Mr. Kelly means is a special government employee. He's also a White House adviser.
▶ 2:59:34You know him well. He actually introduced you to Donald Trump and he's the founder and the owner of Trummed. Now Trummed is a company that sells saunas and supplements and maybe medical devices that you describe to people with using pre-tax dollars. uh and he has described his mission as routing federal funds away from health insurance programs towards these health savings accounts. Now, Mr.
▶ 2:59:55Means has tremendous influence over Medicare and Medicaid uh based on the executive order on making America healthy again and the one big beautiful bill which both call for the expansion of HSA usage for these uh wellness and supplement products. So, that's a direct revenue stream for his company while he's working in the government. So my question is, would you require Mr. Means to sign the financial disclosure forms that you're very familiar with?
▶ 3:00:22I I have no power to do that, but I find it interesting that you bring that up. Would you interest I'm going to reclaim my time? Pharmaceutical companies have been in the White House for generations of you. This is my time, Secretary. My time. Would you require in keeping with radical transparency that this individual uh who you're very close with who has a major role in shaping Maha agenda uh and you have said so yourself publicly on mute many times. Would you require him before working on the Maha agenda that he sign those disclosure forms? I have no power to require that.
▶ 3:00:51I can require people in my agency and I've done that. Will you continue to work with him if he does not sign those forms to with Mr. Means? Will you continue working with him if he does not sign those forms? I work with everybody including all the pharmaceutical. Do you think that he should Do you think that he should respond to the letter that I wrote? Do you think that he should respond to the letter that I wrote requiring him or asking him I should say to be transparent about potential conflicts of interest between True Med and CMS and the Maha agenda? Would is that something that he should do in your opinion in keeping with divestment?
▶ 3:01:22I mean because you've said sir you wrote me a letter. He he said sir you said before you saying you wrote me a letter. I wrote Mr. Means a letter asking him to respond. Do you think he should respond? That's between you and him. As I said, there's been pharmaceutical companies for generations in the White House and nobody complained about Secretary, you said that everybody who works on health policy should follow high standards of radical transparency and divestment. So, I've asked him questions about whether he's done that. Should he, in keeping with what you just said at the top of this, should he be radically transparent?
▶ 3:01:51Let me ask you this. Have you accepted $400,000 from pharmaceutical companies? The reason you And the reason you know that is because I have financial disclosure forms and I'm asking him to submit the same thing. So, should he do the same thing? Because when he doesn't, let's talk about what happened. Let's talk about Mr. Brad. You be prevented from accepting money from pharmaceutical companies because it says here you've accepted 400,000. Mr. Kennedy, you asked uh Miss Okaziocortez, how did I do that when when she talked about the higher rates given to the Medicare Advantage organizations? I actually have an answer for you. How did that happen? The answer is Mr. Brad Smith.
▶ 3:02:20So he was in charge of Doge Healthcare and his biggest investors at his company, Main Street Health, are the Medicare Advantage organizations, the five biggest health insurance corporations in America. They're his investors. He owns this company. They own him. And while he was there, he set the rules and reimbursements for CMS to hook up his investors. So I'm going to answer the question that you asked Mr. Kaziocortez. It is because of conflicts of interest. Do you think that CMS should continue to do business with Main Street Health under your watch? Is that radically transparent?
▶ 3:02:48Are you saying that we should cut Medicare Advantage? Do you think that Main Street Health should continue to do business with Medicare and Medicaid given the Are you saying we should cut Medicare Advantage? Mr. Kennedy, your dissembling and diversion distracts from the fact that you refuse to be radically transparent with either Mr. or Mr. Smith. I'm going to enter for the record now documents. You didn't give any claims Aenclaus oversight letters to means and the board of True Med and Main Street without action. All submitted. The gentleman's time has expired.
▶ 3:03:18The chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Obti, for five minutes of questioning. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for being here. I particularly appreciate your enthusiasm for using artificial intelligence to enhance productivity at HHS. I think in your testimony, you said the AI revolution has arrived and we would agree with you.
▶ 3:03:39Uh I was the chairman of the House Artificial Intelligence Task Force last year and we produced a report in December that had a whole chapter on healthcare because we believe that there is no industry in the United States that's going to be more more radically transformed by AI than healthcare. Uh you also testified about the health care cost challenges that we're facing in this country.
▶ 3:04:02the fact that we spend between two and three times per capita what other developed countries do and we achieve worse health care outcomes and I think you and I share a belief that AI can help with that. So I am delighted that you are applying AI to make HHS more efficient. I think you testified you're using it to uh expedite uh drug approvals which is wonderful.
▶ 3:04:23Uh I'm wondering though if uh how we can catalyze attacking it from the provider standpoint because we have uh physicians that spend twice as much time on administration as they do on patient care. Uh and we've got reports from think tanks that indicate that if we utilize AI effectively, we can cut 10% off of the cost of providing health care to Americans.
▶ 3:04:46So what can HHS do to catalyze the adoption of AI and the uh the securing of those benefits on the provider side? We are doing that at every level of the department and and I'm surprised it's only 10%. It's just the ways fraud and abuse um and particularly the fraud AI has the capacity to detect fraud now and we're using it in the department for that reason. Uh we're using it for diagnostics.
▶ 3:05:14were using it for Um the agreement that I made yesterday with the pharmaceutical companies should cut off much more than that from paperwork from doctors. And so we are uh we're using it everywhere that we can and uh and we hope to drive it into the health care system in this country at every level including the providers. Right.
▶ 3:05:39Well, I think that there's no more powerful pulpit for evangelizing that than the post that you hold. And so I hope that you will help drive that because uh it's not enough that just HHS uses AI to include its productivity. We need to make sure we get this adopted within industry and uh within the provider community. Uh and a follow-up question on that.
▶ 3:06:02Uh I've talked to stakeholders across the industry about what they're doing to use AI uh using AI to uh to improve healthcare. Uh there is a large level of frustration with organizations like CMS and I don't think it's intentional. I just think it's a big bureaucracy and they're kind of hidebound where someone comes up with a really revolutionary I AI based I don't know a diagnostic tool or treatment option but there just isn't accommodation in the system for it.
▶ 3:06:31There isn't a a billing code uh or there's a recognition that that uh uh that these can lead to cost savings. So you know we obviously we want to be good stewards of taxpayer money as well but h how can we change the rules to make sure that we're saving the money that we should be saving with AI? We we need at Medicare, at Medicaid, and at CMS leadership that is absolutely committed to this transformation.
▶ 3:07:01And we have that today. We have Dr. Oz, we have Chris Clamp and who came out of the tech arena and is now using his knowledge to transform what we do there. People send me every day of the week, people are sending me innovative ideas that sound wonderful and we have a way to screen those now. I send them over to Chris Clump. I sent them over to Clark Miner.
▶ 3:07:24We brought people in just to do AI and that kind of transformation and we are those ideas are being explored one at a time and the ones that work are being innovated are being introduced and integrated into our system. So we're doing that today. you're going to see major changes over the next four years. Right. Well, I'm very happy to hear that. I think it's going to create require a partnership between the executive branch and us here in the legislative branch to make that possible.
▶ 3:07:54Uh and if you haven't read our the health section of our task force report, I'd encourage you to peruse that because uh we're going to need to work together to get this done. But thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you, Congressman. The gentleman yields. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana, Representative Carter, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Secretary Kennedy, I want to ask you about how the department is gutting our federal investment in prevention and treatment of HIV.
▶ 3:08:20I'm perplexed why in April, your administration shuttered nearly every unit in the CDC's division of HIV prevention and reassigned CDC's top HIV official, Dr. Jonathan Murman. Given that CDC has historically been the cornerstone of domestic HIV prevention efforts, do you know the percentage of all federal funding for HIV prevention provided by your agency CDC?
▶ 3:08:47Uh, Congressman, we don't intend to cut HIV treatment. We are part of the reorg is reassigning HIV treatment. But respectfully, sir, you have it's not the the response to your answer to the question. And what I what I'd like you to know is it's 91% of all federal funding for HIV prevention. 91%. These cuts have been devastating for prevention of critical trials.
▶ 3:09:14You say you don't want to cut, but the reality is you have and and sir in a second. According to the report in the American Association of Medical Colleges, AAMC, 160 active clinical trials associated with NIH overall were terminated in 2025 and more than onethird of those, 38% investigating topics were related to HIV AIDS. Mr. Chair, Mr.
▶ 3:09:42Chairman, I'd like to unanimously enter into the record impact on NIH grant terminations that have been sanctioned and approved by this agency. Without objection, we have 27 HIV departments. We have we spend 7.5 billion a year, not 1 billion, 7.5 billion. Those are being consolidated and transferred to the respectfully Mr. Secretary Healthy America. Respectfully, Mr.
▶ 3:10:11Secretary, there have been cuts. We're not talking about consolidation. We're talking about cuts midstream, in the middle of research, in the middle of action. Cut. Let me be more specific. An example of what these cuts in HIV clinical trials mean. The adolescent trial network for HIV intervention which supports studies of teenagers and young adults received a stop work order that shut down research at 14 sites where seven studies were being conducted. Were you aware of that, sir? We have not.
▶ 3:10:39Sir, I know we have not cut any clinical trials. Were you aware of that, sir? Respectfully, as I said, were you aware, sir? Yes or no? Either you were. You weren't. As far as I know, we haven't cut any clinical, but I'm telling you by your own records, you are. So, apparently that means you were not aware. Number two, Mr. Secretary. Were you aware that your department greenlighted these grants for termination? Did you make these decisions? Like I said, as far a lot of the information that I've heard from this side of the aisle today has been untrue. Mischaracterization. Mr.
▶ 3:11:08Secretary, you're testifying that you are unaware who within the administration of your department made decisions to terminate research at 14 sites where seven studies were being conducted. This is unacceptable, sir. Lastly, I'd like to bring your attention termination of HIV vaccine studies. These cuts make up a $258 million. Secretary Kennedy, did you make the decision to terminate these studies? Uh, I didn't personally make that decision, but I understand. you sanctioned them.
▶ 3:11:38How could you possibly justify such an action? We've been studying an HI been promising an HIV vaccine since 1984. And every year, Congress pours money into it. And every year they haven't come up with cut forward motion by getting rid of NIH dollars that critically do research that save lives. And because it hasn't happened yet, well, we haven't. It's my time. It's my time. So, it's my time, sir. Show me. I can show you a whole lot of lives if you got a minute.
▶ 3:12:09I'm I'm insulted that you would suggest that there aren't lives that have been lost. People are dying every day, sir. And for you to say, "Show me one." There are people all over this country that are suffering the loss of their loved ones. Sir, here's the reality. Here's a whole bunch of studies I'd like to submit for unanimous consent to the record that will debunk many of the things that you're saying and will in fact prove that you aren't being forthright with us or the American people.
▶ 3:12:34May sir, without objection, as we look and we listen and we see where we are, the challenge and the fear, sir, of the state of now and the arrogance and the unwillingness to be forthright with the American people. Mr. Secretary, your uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and your father, Senator Robert F.
▶ 3:13:02ity were towering champions for working Americans, for justice, for dignity, and for those without a voice. They fought to lift people up. So, I'll ask this rhetorical question as I end. The gentleman gentleman's time has expired. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from New York, Mr. Langworthy, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr.
▶ 3:13:27Secretary, first I'd just like to offer you a moment to respond to the outlandish claims that were put in front of you just now. Yeah, I you know, as I said, we've got 27 HIDV divisions. Some of those were cut. Some of the studies that were not where we poured billions of dollars in and they were yielding nothing have been cut. We're looking for a real solution. And we're looking to do evidence-based gold standard science. And we're going to do that.
▶ 3:13:53and we're going to do it to take care of the of the most desperate, most vulnerable Americans, including people of HIV. And there there has been no withdrawal of any of that commitment. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, and I appreciate your leadership and your vision and your efforts to make America healthy again. Uh, one area that's of particular importance to me in my district is newborn screening.
▶ 3:14:19And with changes to the advisory committee on heritable disorders in newborns and children, there's some uncertainty about the future of recommended uniform newborn screening panels. Uh I'd love to hear what you're thinking about ensuring continued progress related to newborn screening and whether you see an opportunity for us to work together to strengthen and modernize this process.
▶ 3:14:40Yeah, the you know the the program for newborn screening and the FACA the the federal advisory committee was started I think in 2019 or was set to expire in 2019. It was reauthorized every year since then but over the last two years it hasn't produced a single recommendation. We can do that from HERSA and that's what we're going to do.
▶ 3:15:05We are working at HERSA to do to develop new uh new indications that should be screened for and we're going to continue to to to meet that obligation. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Uh now to supply chains. I want to bring to your attention a national security concern related to the shortage of nitro gloves. Uh our nation depends almost entirely on imports in this area of nitro gloves with China supplying nearly half of that supply.
▶ 3:15:35Now thanks to the previous administration, our current stockpile uh that the country holds is about a 10day supply and much of it is expired or or near its expiration date. This means that if China decided to restrict our access to nitro gloves tomorrow, it could cause serious disruptions to our health care system. uh can can we work together uh with this committee to address this ongoing vulnerability for our medical supply chain? This is a vulnerability that we're very much aware of.
▶ 3:16:05Um there's questions about whether we can produce that particular item in this country. I've been uh traveling over the past couple of weeks in uh to Argentina and to Ecuador, both of which have a interest in producing these products for the American market.
▶ 3:16:24It's a much more secure supply chains than relying on We're going to continue to offer incentives to develop these products here, but at the same time, we're going to explore our relationships with friendly nations who can produce them in their countries at a low price, low enough price for use, ubiquitous item and uh and strengthen our supply chains. Thank you very much.
▶ 3:16:50And also on the area of supply chains, uh trust in the FDA was shattered under the previous administration and nowhere was that failure more uh clear than during the infant formula crisis. The Biden administration was totally asleep at the wheel while infants got sick, shelves went empty, and the American people got nothing uh but silence. Uh your budget includes $15 million to modernize infant uh formula oversight.
▶ 3:17:15Can you walk us through how that funding will be used and if the department is working on any other efforts to strengthen the infant formula supply chain? It was one of our first priorities when I came into the department. We launched operation stork to make sure that our that the quantity of of uh infant formula is available is enough to supply the demand but also to improve the quality to do everything that we can to re-calibrate the formulas.
▶ 3:17:46We're doing that right now at FDA and at NIH and we're working with manufacturers all over the country in Florida, Texas, and elsewhere to build up our supply chain so we never have a shortage again. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, for your efforts there and for for all that you're doing. I have 23 seconds if you want to respond to any of the other out outrageous claims because no one's let you get a word in edgewise over there. Yeah, I I you know, I would love to be here for a conversation and actually a lot of these issues are very complex.
▶ 3:18:15They don't lend themselves easy to sound bites and I would love to have a conversation at some point with the Democrats about their concerns about these issues. I think our values are the same, but uh uh gentle the gentleman's time has expired. The chair now recognizes a gentleman from Ohio, Representative Lansman, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh thank you uh Mr. Secretary for being here.
▶ 3:18:43You were talking earlier about maternal health and I want to just come back to maternal health and the uh that exist in this country uh particularly between black moms and everyone else. The there is a bipartisan effort that emerged from this committee before I got here. Uh Mr. Carter uh uh and and others uh supported the the safe motherhood and infant health program.
▶ 3:19:13Now, this is an effort at HHS that focuses entirely on best practices, collecting data, trying to figure out what's working in terms of maternal health uh uh to improve uh healthy birth outcomes, etc. I think and I I'm I I genuinely believe this was zeroed out either accidentally or by an by some sort of oversight because obviously there's no waste fraud and abuse here.
▶ 3:19:42This is just the data collection associated with uh obviously a huge priority of yours which is maternal health. So I as we sort of go through this budget process, is this one area where you're willing to work with us to see if in fact we can restore funding for something that is saving uh the lives of mothers, eliminating helping to eliminate these disparities and obviously improving birth outcomes
▶ 3:20:12across the country. 100%. And I'd love to operate on a bipartisan basis. If you contact my office, I'm happy to meet with you about it. Uh, this this is a program that came out of this committee. I I I don't know if it was unanimous, Mr. Carter, Mr. Chairman. I suspect it was, uh, but it it got zeroed out. So maybe we Okay.
▶ 3:20:30Number two, uh, Head Start because we're I'm just on the trajectory, healthy birth outcome, uh, you know, brain development is is happening at its its fastest rate um, in those early years. And then we get Head Start, which has been a gamecher uh for millions, tens of millions, something that your family has led on. It got zeroed out, but then the money got restored, which was good.
▶ 3:20:56And I'm I'm just hoping that you can sort of u assure everyone because I'm getting I'm getting calls on a regular basis from folks back home that they aren't sure if this is going to stick, if their Head Start funding is going to get pulled and what that's going to mean for families and for children. Um Head Start funding is okay. That's not going to get touched. Yeah. I mean, my uncle Sergeant Trevor started Head Start.
▶ 3:21:24It takes care of 750,000 of the poorest kids in America. It not only takes care of those children and teaches them basic fundamental skills, but it also trains their parents on parenting skills and the metrics for kids who graduate from those programs. And I and you know in every met every indisha are better.
▶ 3:21:45I uh I'm very grateful to Rusfold at OM for meeting with me about that and then restoring the funding and I will continue to protect that funding. Thank you. Um last last one, NYOSH. Uh I have a NYOSH office or facility in and in and Cincinnati. Um one of the largest as you know NAOSH focuses entirely on worker safety. That's what they do.
▶ 3:22:11and uh we were able to work together to restore about 300 positions uh mostly as it relates to firefighters and miners. There are still you know I I don't know I guess,00 to,200 positions that are on the chopping block. Are you willing to sort of reconsider or work with us on the the the remaining uh positions at NYOSH recognizing that some of the 10,000 FTs were were over it was a mistake, right?
▶ 3:22:38including the ones that were working on the the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, the World Trade Center Health Program, those kinds of things. The other uh folks at NYOS in Cincinnati are doing exceptional work to keep workers safe. Um are you willing to to work with us on protecting those jobs? Absolutely. And if Congress funds it, I will, you know, I'll I'll keep the the program open. So, um, but Congress did fund it.
▶ 3:23:08I mean, this, so it was funded this time around. Yeah. So, those jobs hopefully will get restored or some of them. I'm happy to meet with you about that. All right. Um, I have a few things to add to the to the record. Um, I also would like to work on some of the rare disease stuff, but I'll include that in my uh what I submit. Thank you. Thank you, Congressman. Thank you. The gentleman yields.
▶ 3:23:36The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Ohio, Representative Rulie, for five minutes of question. Thank you, Chair Secretary Kennedy. Thank you for your work to make America healthy. Again, thank you for the $10 million from NIH to fund long-term health studies related to the train derailment in East Palestine. During most of the year, it took Biden over a year to visit East Palestine.
▶ 3:24:04There are officials at all levels denying the potential for long-term health concerns. Newly released emails from the Biden FEMA show that they knew about the possibilities of long-term health concerns, but chose to keep the information from the public. The way the only way that we can know the potential health issues to be conducted by these studies is within the first 72 hours of the disaster that we had a baseline for health problems that would develop in the future.
▶ 3:24:33These are just not my constituents concerns. These are my friends and neighbors. Because you see, I live within 20 minutes of the disaster site. Thank you to Senator JD Vance for standing alongside with us, never denying the possibility of health concerns in the future and always fighting for more funding. This administration is showing what leadership really looks like. A welcome change. President Trump is committed to the gold standard science and has promised transparency with the HHS.
▶ 3:25:05So what I want to say to you is when this first happened, local, state, and federal elected officials all gathered around East Palestine and they basically said that there was nothing to see here and we could go back to normal and you didn't have to worry about the future. I was one of the few guys that said, "I'm very worried about the future. I'm worried that when JD threw a rock into the creek that we salt chemicals.
▶ 3:25:32I'm really worried that the venom burn never needed to happen." I was there when Norfolk Southern convinced Governor Shapiro and Governor DeWine to do the venom burn. And now we have problems and we have possibilities of not only cancer that's developing right now with union workers that were on ground zero cleaning up the site, but the future is so scary.
▶ 3:25:53So, I am so curious because at the time you stood with us and you said we can't go back to normal and now that you're in the position of the secretary, I would love to know what your overlook of this whole situation is. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Congressman. I a following the burn and the crash and the burn, I visited East Palestine on multiple occasions. I met with families. I visit them in their homes and even farther away than you live.
▶ 3:26:21I talked to the Amish farmers, the Menanite farmers who had done the extraordinary put generations of work into keeping their their farms clean and all of a sudden they were finding that they were risking dioxin and other deadly chemicals that were coming down in the fallout. We saw people with immediately with illnesses, with respiratory problems, with gastrointestinal problems, with eye problems at the site.
▶ 3:26:49And we promised, I promised them I'd do everything I could to help them. This week, because of JD Vance's promise and my promise, we uh we uh issued a $10 million to NIH to go in and do honest science there from a government agency, and we're going to fully disclose whatever we find and let the chips fall where they may. I appreciate that so much, Secretary.
▶ 3:27:15And let me uh let me give you the last two minutes of my time to go over any subject that was talked about during this committee or any uh thought process you would like to convey to the committee for the last minute and 45 seconds. Thank you. Uh again, what I'd say is that you know these are issues that are of concern to every American.
▶ 3:27:37one of the, you know, a couple of the congressw women have have um congressmen and men and women have uh on the Democratic side have raised issues about ASIP. The ASIP committee that we fired was a committee that was rife with conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical company.
▶ 3:27:58They had committed multiple acts of malpractice including allowing now kids when you know in when I was a kid got three vaccines today they get 69 to 92 jabs of 19 vaccines before between conception and when they're 18 years old and none of them have been safety tested with the exception of the COVID vaccine. It's the only one that had a pre-licicensing safety trial.
▶ 3:28:26How can you mandate which effectively is what they do these products to healthy children without knowing the risk profile? So they know you know they do efficacy studies and they show that it cures the that it averts the disease. They don't do safety studies. And what we're going to do the new ASIP panel which has great scientists on them none of them are the the leading statistician alive in the world today, Martin Coldorf is the chair of that committee.
▶ 3:28:57The inventor of the mRNA vaccine, Robert Malone is co-chairing the committee. We have scientists, immunologists, toxicologists, every kind of of medical discipline that you would want on that committee. And we're going to have gold standard science now and good recommendations. The gentleman's time has expired. The chair now recognizes the last member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from New Jersey, um, Representative Keane, for five minutes of questioning. Thank Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:29:27And, uh, I want to thank Secretary Kennedy for being here today. Uh, I am very interested in learning about the plans for restructuring and streamlining at HHS. I'm especially interested to hear how these changes will improve New Jersey's impressive industry.
▶ 3:29:46Right now, there are many innovators in my district who are de developing treatments to diseases that currently have no treatments or they are improving the quality of life of patients around the country by developing improvements to existing therapies. New Jersey's innovators should be proud of their work and Congress and HHS should do everything that we can to enable this innovation to benefit patients.
▶ 3:30:11Secretary Kennedy, in your testimony, you discussed the changes happening across HHS and I'm hopeful that your efforts can improve processes across your department's various agencies. I've heard from stakeholders in New Jersey about these changes and they could impact the prescription drug approval process.
▶ 3:30:29Could you speak to how you are looking to ensure that these changes have no negative impact on drug application review and approval timelines, new guidance or general FDA response times to drug sponsors? Are you talking about the personnel changes? Yes. Uh they're not going to have any impact and we have met repeatedly with the biotech industry, including people from New to assure them of that.
▶ 3:30:54We uh want to light a fire under biotech in this country and that's exactly what we're going to do. It is the future of The stuff that is happening, the developments and innovations that are happening in that space should be exciting to all of humanity and we're going to make sure that the United States remains the center of biotech of the biotech revolution.
▶ 3:31:18Uh China is putting huge amounts of money into this space and it's important that we do the same thing. We're going to try to take down dismantle the barriers uh to biotech development and approval and to make sure that we do everything that we can to support that industry. Thank you. U second question, Secretary Kennedy, I appreciate your comments earlier on innovation and the role that cell and gene therapies play in that space.
▶ 3:31:47However, we must not forget the innovation that continues in the small molecule drug space, especially since these drugs can often be more convenient for patients. So, admit changes at FDA over the past several months, including the Centers for Drug Evaluation and Research. How are you ensuring that FDA can continue to enable innovation and flexibility in its reviews and approval of small molecule drugs?
▶ 3:32:14I mean that is a it's that is a delicate path that I think we all have to talk about. We have to work with Congress to uh to reform the pill penalty and there is a provision in that in the big beautiful bill. Um but and it's something that Congress ultimately is going to decide.
▶ 3:32:35We want to make sure that you know the it's is the small molecule drugs that you can take at home, the pills uh that the elderly consume in this country and we want to make sure those are available and that those are at a convenient cost and to some extent the pill penalty has uh dampened innovation in that space and a lot of the money has the investment money has moved to the uh to the large molecules the long molecule space
▶ 3:33:06and but it's a delicate balance and uh and we try to resolve that in the bill big beautiful bill. I think it's something that both sides of the aisle have an interest in and that we all ought to be trying to strike right balance. I look forward to working with you uh in that regard legislatively or administratively.
▶ 3:33:25Uh at earlier this year, Secretary Kennedy, the administration issued an executive order that called for you and the FDA commissioner look at administrative and legislative recommendation to improve the process by which prescription drugs can be reclassified as over-the-counter medications. This is commonly referred to as switch and important to me since New Jersey has a number of over-the-counter drug manufacturers.
▶ 3:33:53How can we work together to make sure that FDA approaches its work on OTC medicines, including switches, in a common sense and least burdensome manner to make sure that we realize the full potential of OTC benefits for American consumers. This is an opportunity that we're deeply interested in that we're committed to at FDA and uh I would urge you to talk not just to me but to Marty McCary about that.
▶ 3:34:19I think you'll be very very uh gratified by the interest by his openness to those kind of innovations. The gentleman's time has expired and I yield back. And the gentleman yields back. Uh that concludes questions from the members of this subcommittee. I ask unanimous consent to insert in the record the documents included on the staff hearing documents list. Without objection, so ordered. I'd like to take thank our witness again for being here today, Secretary Kennedy.
▶ 3:34:48Thank you very much for your presence here. Members of this subcommittee and those who are present and waved on may have additional written questions for you. I'll remind members of this subcommittee and those who are present and waved on that they have 10 business days to submit questions for the record. And I ask the witness to respond to those questions promptly. Members of this subcommittee and those who are present and waved on should submit their questions by the close of business on Wednesday, July the 9th.
▶ 3:35:16Without objection, the subcommittee is adjourned. Okay, you ready to go?