Latest news with #HELP)Committee
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr visibly startled by protesters amid angry confrontations over cuts and vaccines at health hearing
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced angry protesters and aggressive questioning from Democrats about everything from his record of sowing mistrust in vaccines to massive staff cuts at the department. Kennedy testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee about the Trump administration's budget request for the 2026 fiscal year. Almost as soon as the hearing began, protesters began to interrupt the hearing. Some held up signs as they yelled 'RFK kills people with AIDS' while Ben Cohen, the co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry's, blasted US support for the Israeli military onslaught in Gaza. At one point Kennedy seemed visibly startled by an outburst from spectators behind him, although he quickly regained his composure and smiled before continuing. Kennedy has come under criticism for slashing the services at the department. Under his leadership, Health and Human Services has slashed multiple research grants. In March, Kennedy slashed numerous employees at various agencies at the department and began to eliminate the Administration for Community Living, which helps people with disabilities and elderly people stay in their communities rather than nursing homes. Earlier in the day, Kennedy testified before the House appropriations subcommittee that focuses on funding HHS. But protesters were not the only ones who pushed Kennedy, who has spent years promoting the long-debunked theory that vaccines cause autism. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who leads the Democratic minority on the HELP Committee, criticized the Trump administration's support for potential cuts to Medicaid in congressional Republicans' massive bill which they hope to pass on a party-line vote by the end of the year. 'The cuts are not true cuts,' Kennedy said. 'The cuts are elimination of waste, abuse and fraud.' Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut had a fiery exchange with Kennedy about his comments on vaccines. Murphy, one of the most outspoken Democrats, criticized how the HHS Department canceled $12bn worth of vaccine grants. 'You also said specific to the measles vaccine that you support the measles vaccine, but you have consistently been undermining the measles vaccine,' he said. Murphy referred to Kennedy's remarks that the vaccine wanes quickly, that it was never fully tested for safety and that it contained fetal debris. 'All true,' Kennedy said. 'Do you want me to lie to the public?' Kennedy's comments come despite the fact that he had said amid a measles outbreak that the measles vaccine is 'the most effective way to prevent the spread,' which had come after Kennedy spread doubts about vaccinations for years. Throughout the hearing, the presiding chairman of the committee had to hit the gavel after senators and Kennedy went over their time or interrupted each other. Other senators criticized cuts to the department led by Kennedy as well as by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin said how the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention fired its entire lead poisoning staff, which meant a request from Milwaukee schools to investigate lead poisoning was denied. 'I don't know what you would say to parents who must now test their children for lead and deal with school closures, but do you intend to eliminate this branch at CDC' she asked, which Kennedy denied. 'You cannot tell us that you want to make America healthy again when you are wilfully destroying programs that keep children safe and healthy from lead poisoning .' But Kennedy did not just face aggressive questioning from Democrats. Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine both asked Kennedy about reductions in staff to administer programs such as for Alzheimer's research and education. 'I'm concerned that the reductions in force of approximately 10,000 staff across the HHS will completely undermine this act,' she said. She specifically cited how the Healthy Aging Branch had its staff placed on administrative leave or let go. Kennedy responded by saying that division had been folded into another one. He added that agencies were not eliminated but just reassigned under the reorganization of HHS that Kennedy announced in March. He also criticized a decision by the National Institutes of Health, which is under HHS, to cap the amount of indirect cost research institutions can charge the NIH to 15 percent. 'What we heard was that this cap will mean is less basic research, fewer clinical trials and that it will also cause our scientists and researchers to leave the United States and go to other countries,' she said. Kennedy responded by saying that many universities with larger endowments received large indirect payments and that the cap was an industry standard. 'I understand the University of Maine, the University of Alabama, many other universities, state universities, were not abusing,' he said. 'We have a plan for how to address issues like what's happening at the University of Maine.' In the same respect, Murkowski highlighted cuts to the low-income energy assistance program (LIHEAP). 'You know the temperatures can get really, really tough,' she said of Alaska. She also said that cuts to other occupational safety programs could affect fishing in Alaska and domestic violence and sexual assault funding. Despite this, very few Republicans criticized Kennedy's comments about vaccines, with only Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican chairman, pushing back against Kennedy's claims that vaccines had not been tested against a placebo. In fact, the rotavirus, measles and HPV vaccines had been tested against one.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New push from Kaine aims to close retirement gap for Virginia's youngest workers
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is backing bipartisan legislation aimed at helping workers as young as 18 — particularly those who enter the workforce straight out of high school — gain access to employer-sponsored retirement plans, a benefit many currently don't receive until age 21. On Monday, Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, teamed up with HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., to reintroduce the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act. The bill seeks to eliminate regulatory and financial barriers that discourage employers from offering retirement benefits to younger employees, a gap that disproportionately affects low-income and non-college-bound workers. 'Contributing to a retirement plan early on sets people up for financial security in the future,' Kaine said. 'I'm proud to introduce this bipartisan bill that would ensure younger workers have access to their employer-sponsored retirement benefits when they are starting out in their careers.' Under existing federal law, employers who offer 401(k) or other defined contribution plans are only required to make them available to workers 21 and older. While companies can voluntarily lower the participation age, many don't, citing the cost and complexity of compliance under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). A 2021 report by the Plan Sponsor Council of America found that 40% of employers restrict retirement access to workers under 21, leaving many younger employees without the chance to begin building savings during their first years in the workforce. 'Americans who don't attend college and immediately enter the workforce should be given every chance to save for retirement,' Cassidy said in a statement. 'This legislation empowers American workers, giving them more opportunities to plan for a secure retirement.' The proposed legislation would require employers to open their retirement plans to eligible employees beginning at age 18. It would also delay ERISA audit requirements that are triggered when younger workers are added and exempt those employees from certain retirement fund testing mandates that increase administrative costs for employers. Advocates for the legislation argue that starting retirement contributions even a few years earlier can significantly improve long-term outcomes, thanks to the power of compound interest. The proposal has drawn endorsements from a wide range of organizations, including the Insured Retirement Institute, Edward Jones, TIAA, LPL, the American Benefits Council and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. 'The Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act will expand the opportunity for more younger workers to start saving earlier for retirement by allowing them to participate in their employer-sponsored workplace plans,' said Paul Richman, chief government and political affairs officer at the Insured Retirement Institute. 'This measure will not only help younger workers get into the habit of contributing to their retirement savings, but it will also provide additional years for their savings to grow to ensure a more secure financial future.' The bill builds on a similar measure introduced in 2023 and reflects broader Democratic efforts to expand access to financial tools for working-class Americans. It also aligns with Kaine's long-standing emphasis on workforce development and economic opportunity — particularly for those who do not follow a traditional college path. The proposal now awaits consideration by the full Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Evening Edition: First 100 Days – Fighting Anti-Semitism On College Campuses
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy (R) is leading the fight against anti-Semitism on college and university campuses across the country. Senator Cassidy is the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee which will bring up for consideration the 'Antisemitism Awareness Act' and another piece of legislation to fight anti-Semitism. Senator Cassidy has been very critical of how schools have responded to the rise in anti-Israel protests since the October 7th terror attack by Hamas. FOX's Ryan Schmelz speaks with Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, about the legislation the HELP Committee is proposing and he shares with us his feelings on what has been accomplished by the administration in their first three months. Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Watch live: Senate holds hearing on rising antisemitism on college campuses
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is holding a hearing on the perceived rise of antisemitism on college campuses. Antisemitic incidents have risen significantly in the last year on college campuses as protestors demonstrate against the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The hearing comes after Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who chairs the committee, and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation earlier this year to make it easier for students to file civil rights complaints against their schools. The 'Protecting Students on Campus Act,' would ensure that universities have funding to respond to complaints and would require the Education Department to brief Congress monthly on the issues risen and how they are being handled. The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT. Watch the live video above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
27-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Watch live: Senate holds hearing on rising antisemitism on college campuses
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is holding a hearing on the perceived rise of antisemitism on college campuses. Antisemitic incidents have risen significantly in the last year on college campuses as protestors demonstrate against the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The hearing comes after Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who chairs the committee, and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation earlier this year to make it easier for students to file civil rights complaints against their schools. The ' Protecting Students on Campus Act,' would ensure that universities have funding to respond to complaints and would require the Education Department to brief Congress monthly on the issues risen and how they are being handled. The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT. Watch the live video above.
