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RFK Jr. Defends 12% HHS Cut, Faces NIH Criticism

4/24/2026

Center

Kennedy Defends Cuts

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended a budget proposing more than a 12% cut to Health and Human Services funding.
He testified before Senate and House committees in Washington on the 2027 budget that retains the cuts.
Lawmakers from parties warned the cuts would harm NIH research, mental-health and women’s health programs.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy criticized Kennedy for failing to honor promised vaccine-panel meetings.

Left

Cassidy Confronts Kennedy

Senator Bill Cassidy, facing a U.S. President Donald Trump-endorsed primary challenge, risks electoral backlash for criticizing vaccine policy.
During a Senate health committee hearing, Senator Bill Cassidy confronted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the measles surge.
Kennedy told Senate Finance Committee the department now backs MMR vaccine, reversing his anti-vaccine stance.
Vaccine law expert Dorit Reiss said Cassidy let Kennedy introduce unfounded vaccine fears into government.

History

Historical Context

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 14, 1986, established a no-fault compensation system for vaccine-related injuries, addressing public fears over vaccine safety. By the late 1990s, childhood vaccination rates surpassed 90%. Today, ongoing debates, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial views, continue to influence vaccine policy and public health funding in the U.S.

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Kennedy Defends Cuts

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended a budget proposing more than a 12% cut to Health and Human Services funding.
He testified before Senate and House committees in Washington on the 2027 budget that retains the cuts.
Lawmakers from parties warned the cuts would harm NIH research, mental-health and women’s health programs.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy criticized Kennedy for failing to honor promised vaccine-panel meetings.

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