Overview

• Kennedy defended his fiscal 2026 HHS budget request before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee against questions about cuts to federal health programs.
• He said he overhauled the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to remove members with pharmaceutical conflicts despite bypassing a public comment period.
• Rep. Raul Ruiz pressed Kennedy on multiple citation errors in his “Make Our Children Healthy Again” report, and Kennedy admitted he did not fact-check its sources.
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenged his lack of awareness of a Justice Department investigation into UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage payments.
• Louisiana Rep. Troy Carter and other Democrats criticized steep reductions to HIV research and vaccine development funding, but Kennedy argued smarter spending would yield better health outcomes.