Democrats on the Home Methods and Means Committee seized on public well being insurance policies enacted underneath Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday and tried to pin the rise in measles circumstances within the U.S. on Kennedy’s vaccine-skeptical rhetoric.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., went after adjustments to the childhood immunization schedule by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention — which falls underneath HHS — eradicating the common advice for a number of pictures. This was later temporarily blocked by a federal choose.
Sanchez referenced a measles outbreak that spread across West Texas final yr, infecting greater than 700 folks and resulting in the deaths of two unvaccinated school-aged children, the primary U.S. deaths from measles in a decade.
Kennedy has lengthy sown doubt within the security and effectiveness of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. Regardless of being a required vaccine in all states to attend public faculty, charges have been steadily lowering over the past decade, CDC knowledge reveals.
“Do you agree with the vast majority of medical doctors that the measles vaccine may have saved that kid’s life in Texas?” Sanchez requested, in reference to the primary demise.
“It is potential, definitely,” Kennedy replied.
Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies throughout a listening to of the Home Committee on Methods and Means on Capitol Hill, April 16, 2026 in Washington.
Heather Diehl/Getty Photos
Sanchez went on, saying she was “appalled” by what she known as Kennedy’s determination final yr to finish the CDC’s “pro-vaccine messaging,” referring to the CDC ending a flu vaccination marketing campaign throughout Kennedy’s first full week as well being secretary.
Sanchez claimed pausing the marketing campaign was correlated with will increase in preventable deaths, particularly amongst unvaccinated youngsters who died from the flu. The lawmaker and secretary sparred over whether or not the choice was made on the path of President Donald Trump.
“Did President Trump approve your determination to finish the CDC’s pro-vaccine public messaging?”
“You’ve got acquired loads of misinformation there — initially,” Kennedy mentioned earlier than being interrupted. “Let me reply to the statements that you’ve got made,” he added.
“No, reply my query. Please, sir, I’ve restricted time. Did President Trump approve your determination to finish the CDC’s pro-vaccine public messaging?” Sanchez mentioned.
After some forwards and backwards, Kennedy claimed the U.S. has carried out a greater job at dealing with measles than different nations.
“There is a international measles epidemic. We have carried out higher in stopping than any nation on the earth,” Kennedy claimed.
“There is no nation that has seen a much bigger share enhance than this nation,” Sanchez responded.
“That is not true. Mexico has 3 times our measles, they usually have one [third] of our inhabitants,” Kennedy replied. “Canada has double the circumstances, they usually have one-eighth of our inhabitants. We have carried out higher at stopping measles than any nation.”
Medical organizations and public well being consultants have been essential of the federal authorities’s response to the continued measles outbreak, together with Well being Secretary Kennedy’s delayed public acknowledgment that the measles vaccine helps stop an infection.
The Pan American Well being Group (PAHO), which is part of the World Well being Group, decided final yr that Canada had misplaced its measles elimination standing. Mexico and the U.S. are additionally prone to shedding their elimination standing, given the continued outbreaks over the previous 12 months.
Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies throughout a listening to of the Home Committee on Methods and Means on Capitol Hill, April 16, 2026 in Washington.
Heather Diehl/Getty Photos
“Did President Trump approve your determination to finish the CDC’s pro-vaccine public messaging marketing campaign?” Sanchez repeated.
“We have carried out higher at stopping measles than any nation on the earth,” Kennedy claimed.
After extra forwards and backwards, Sanchez accused Kennedy of constructing “horrible” choices affecting youngsters’s lives.
In the meantime, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., alleged that Kennedy is a harmful conspiracy theorist, blaming him for undermining public well being.
“Youngsters have died as a result of measles is working rampant underneath your watch, largely as a result of President Trump allowed your conspiracy theories to run our public well being,” Thompson informed Kennedy.
“Individuals want critical management, grounded in proof and science. As a substitute, we have now you and this President elevating misinformation and undermining primary public well being,” he added.
Thompson mentioned measles circumstances throughout the nation have been at roughly 500 throughout President Joe Biden’s four-year time period, and the circumstances had hit 2,300 throughout Trump’s first yr of his second time period, with Kennedy main the well being division.
Medical organizations and public well being consultants have pointed to Kennedy’s vaccine-skeptical rhetoric, even earlier than he turned well being secretary, as a possible driver for vaccine hesitancy throughout components of the nation.
Kennedy is the founding father of Kids’s Well being Protection, a vaccine-skeptical group that has promoted views on vaccines that aren’t supported by scientific proof.
