Kennedy announces policy changes and faces criticism at House hearings

Health newsKennedy announces policy changes and faces criticism at House hearingsThe health secretary appeared before two House committees to discuss proposed funding cuts. Several lawmakers pressed Kennedy about his response to measles outbreaks.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleKennedy faces questioning about measles and preventive services at House hearing02:19Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 16, 2026, 7:20 PM EDTBy Aria BendixHealth Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced blistering criticism from Democrats over his vaccine policy and overhaul of federal health agencies at two House committee hearings Thursday.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Both hearings were about the proposed budget for the Department of Health and Human Services next year. The department’s funding request includes a $15.8 billion reduction from this year, for a total of $111.1 billion.Kennedy has said he intends to consolidate some of the health agencies within HHS and strengthen their focus on disease prevention. Large parts of the hearings Thursday focused on the sweeping changes Kennedy has made since he assumed the role early last year. Lawmakers commented on Kennedy's overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule to include fewer universal recommendations (changes that a judge later blocked), his expressions of doubt about the safety of measles vaccines and his suggestion that Tylenol use in pregnancy could be linked to autism.The Trump administration also instituted large staffing cuts across federal health agencies, some of which have been reversed. Kennedy stood by the firings when Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., pressed him before a House Appropriations subcommittee.The terminated staffers “presided over the biggest decline in health in the history of the world,” Kennedy said. “It was their job to protect us, and they did not do it. They failed at their job.”Kennedy sai...