US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. Faces Heat During Senate Hearing Over COVID Rules and CDC Changes
Washington, September 5 — US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. faced tough questions from the Senate Finance Committee about his recent decisions and views on vaccines. The three-hour hearing became quite intense, with both Democrats and Republicans expressing concerns.
One of the main topics was Kennedy’s decision to fire CDC Director Susan Monarez last week. Kennedy called her untrustworthy, which sparked debate. Monarez responded publicly, accusing Kennedy of trying to weaken America’s public health system and vaccine protections. Kennedy denied these allegations, saying, “You voted against her a month ago because you thought she was incompetent or not suited for the role. Now I agree with you.”
During the hearing, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Kennedy for limiting access to COVID-19 booster shots. Kennedy defended his stance, saying, “It’s not recommended for healthy people.” Warren also asked if Kennedy agrees that over a million Americans died from COVID-19. Kennedy responded honestly, “I don’t know how many died.”
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy raised concerns about his voters’ struggles to get COVID booster shots due to confusing guidelines. Since taking office, Kennedy has made some controversial changes to US vaccine policy. He has limited who can get COVID shots and replaced all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel with allies from the anti-vaccine movement.
The hearing took place just a day after Florida announced plans to become the first US state to end all vaccine mandates, including those for diseases like chickenpox, measles, polio, and mumps. The move drew criticism from the American Medical Association, which warned that ending vaccine requirements could undo decades of progress and increase risks for children and communities.
COVID-19 continues to be a major health issue in the US. Data shows it was the third leading cause of death in 2020 and 2021, number four in 2022, and dropped to tenth place in 2023. According to the CDC, around 1.2 million people in the US have died from COVID-19 so far, making up about one-sixth of all COVID deaths worldwide.
This intense debate highlights ongoing disagreements over COVID-19 policies and vaccination efforts in the United States.
