Overview

• House Democrats launched an investigation into HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handling of the bird flu outbreak, citing his controversial proposal to let the virus spread among poultry.
• Kennedy's strategy, criticized by experts as dangerous, risks viral mutations that could increase the likelihood of human transmission and a potential pandemic.
• A new bird flu strain, H7N9, recently emerged in Mississippi, killing 46,000 birds and intensifying concerns about the outbreak's trajectory.
• Layoffs at HHS, including staff involved in bird flu response efforts, have further complicated containment and mitigation strategies.
• Democrats have requested documentation from Kennedy on inter-agency coordination and consultations with public health experts regarding the federal response.