Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary RFK Jr. on Tuesday was attacked at a House hearing for firing CDC vaccine advisers, and was accused of lying about protecting vaccines in order to become the top U.S. public health official.
“I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccine-preventable illness at your feet,” Rep. Kim Schrier, a Democrat from Washington state, said to Kennedy during a hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that evaluated the 2026 fiscal year budget request for HHS.
Kennedy earlier this month named eight new people to serve on the vaccine panel, after he fired all 17 sitting members. His new picks included people who have pushed pseudo-science and railed against vaccines, leading scientists and health care professionals to fear they’ll work to make it harder for Americans to access vaccines.
“Vaccines only work if you actually give them, and we know your record on this,” Schrier said to Kennedy at the hearing. “We rely on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of experts, to recommend which vaccines people should get at which ages and the like.”
Schrier argued that Kennedy — who has a history of attacking vaccines — firing the previous advisers who recommended safe vaccines directly contradicted his promise to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to protect vaccines. Cassidy cited that promise as a reason he voted to confirm Kennedy to the HHS secretary role.
Schrier: “Did you lie to Sen. Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of [vaccine] experts?”
RFK Jr.: “I never made that agreement.”
Schrier: “Are you saying that Sen. Cassidy lied?”
RFK Jr.: “If he said that I agreed to it, it would be inaccurate.”
