RFK Jr., facing calls to resign, testifies before Congress in wake of CDC shakeup

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified for the first time since the shakeup at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, facing calls for his resignation from hundreds of current and former public health officials.

RFK Jr.'s views on vaccines and the CDC

Kennedy defended his overhaul of the agency, saying the changes were “necessary adjustments to restore the CDC to its role as the world’s gold-standard public health agency.” He added, “We are the sickest country in the world. That’s why we have to fire people at the CDC.”

The Senate Finance Committee hearing came a week after Kennedy fired CDC Director Susan Monarez and several high-profile officials resigned.

Democrats on the committee pressed Kennedy over his leadership, while the Trump administration defended him despite backlash to new guidelines restricting COVID vaccine eligibility and his restructuring of a key vaccine advisory panel.

Facing pushback

More than 1,000 HHS staffers have signed a letter urging Kennedy to step down, warning his actions are undermining public health.

At a rally, Democratic lawmakers who are also physicians echoed those concerns, saying the issue is about protecting the U.S. health care system, not politics.

How did RFK Jr. respond?

Kennedy maintains the CDC is "broken" and must refocus on infectious disease, invest in innovation and rebuild trust. He denied pressuring the ousted CDC director to preapprove vaccine recommendations from his restructured advisory panel.

During his testimony, Kennedy denied pressuring the ousted CDC director to preapprove vaccine recommendations from a panel of experts that he replaced.