Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense scrutiny and bipartisan criticism during a heated Senate Finance Committee hearing on Thursday, where his controversial stance on COVID-19 vaccines and public health policies took center stage.
The 3-hour hearing spotlighted fractures within the Republican caucus and highlighted the challenges Kennedy faces as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Senators from both parties confronted him on his contradictory statements about mRNA vaccines, the COVID-19 pediatric vaccine schedule, and the federal government’s pandemic response.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who had voted to confirm Kennedy, sharply challenged him regarding the availability and recommendation of current COVID-19 boosters. Cassidy cited communications from doctors and constituents frustrated by the difficulty in accessing booster shots, particularly for high-risk populations. Kennedy responded by emphasizing that new COVID-19 boosters would be accessible to anyone who desires one, even though these shots are no longer broadly recommended for most healthy adults, including pregnant women.
Another contentious moment ensued when Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) criticized the lack of clear guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), echoing pharmacists’ and doctors’ confusion about official vaccine recommendations. This muddled messaging has added to public uncertainty during the ongoing pandemic management effort.
Perhaps most incendiary was Kennedy’s repeated assertion linking routine childhood immunizations with an increased risk of autism, which runs counter to overwhelming scientific consensus. He suggested American children receive more vaccines than necessary compared to his own childhood, and advocated for parental freedom in vaccine decision-making. Democratic senators pushed back, citing numerous studies disproving any connection between vaccines and autism.
Three Republican senators also joined Democrats in probing Kennedy’s conflicting assessments of mRNA vaccines and Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s program credited with rapidly distributing COVID-19 vaccines nationwide. This bipartisan skepticism underscores emerging discomfort within GOP ranks about publicly supporting Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric, especially as they balance loyalty to the former president with public health priorities.
The hearing revealed the fundamental tension for Kennedy as HHS Secretary: simultaneously defending his critical views on vaccines while overseeing federal health programs that rely heavily on vaccination to protect Americans. It also raised questions about the future direction of U.S. pandemic policy amid ongoing debates over vaccine efficacy, safety, and public trust.
As the Senate Finance Committee session concluded, witnesses and senators alike expressed frustration with the lack of consistent leadership and clarity from HHS. The raucous exchanges reflected the continuing national debate over COVID-19 vaccines and the politicization of public health that has defined much of the pandemic response.