Latest news with #LaborandPensions
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Austin Community College free tuition program takes center stage at US Senate. Here's why.
At the invitation of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Austin Community College Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart testified at a congressional hearing Wednesday about ACC's innovative free tuition program for in-district high school graduates. In his testimony, Lowery-Hart told members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that community colleges in general have taken on affordability issues "with courage" — and that their voices are often ignored in higher education policy. "We're the entity in the sector of higher education where innovation goes to breathe and where I think higher education is actually being reimagined," Lowery-Hart said. "Community colleges are the sector that have taken on affordability with courage." Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont and former Democratic presidential candidate, specifically invited Lowery-Hart to testify after learning about the success of the program for recent high school graduates. His recently introduced bill, the College for All Act of 2025, would eliminate public tuition and fees for students in certain income brackets. Lowery-Hart said the free tuition program has boosted enrollment by 40% at the college, as well as increased retention and success rates. Sander's bill would be "transformative" for other institutions to have similar success, he said. Lowery-Hart was the only representative from Texas and from a community college on the panel, which also included presidents from a Christian-centered college and a historically Black college and university, a research fellow and a representative from a student borrower protection center. His testimony came as Congress considers a reconciliation bill that would cut Pell Grants for part-time students by increasing the amount of credit hours a student must take to qualify for the aid. For ACC, that would mean 5,000 part-time students could lose Pell access and likely their ability to finish workforce programs, Lowery-Hart said. "Our moral clarity is loving our students to success because this work is personal," Lowery-Hart told senators. "The decisions that you do make aren't just political, they change the trajectory of lives, neighborhoods and communities." Based on ACC's data, Lowery-Hart shared that the average student is 27-year-old "Ashley," a part-time student with two jobs and a young child, who is just one emergency away from dropping out. ACC data shows 40% of its students are food insecure, and 55% are housing insecure. "She is continually in a state of stress because she is one flat tire away or one sick childcare worker away from having to drop out of school, which then could consign her to a life of poverty," Lowery-Hart said. But support at "key moments," such as ACC's free tuition program or emergency fund, can change her family's economic trajectory for generations. Lowery-Hart said the ACC free tuition program is notable among other programs for its breadth and for covering the total cost of admission, allowing other scholarships to go toward meeting students' basic needs. Although ACC has not raised tuition in 12 years, the top reason students still don't attend is affordability, not lack of interest, Lowery-Hart said. He implored senators to remember Ashley as they make decisions affecting higher education. Sean Hassan, chair of ACC's board of directors, said it was "thrilling" to represent community colleges and share ACC's story on Capitol Hill. He said the ACC team also met with Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn's staff while in Washington to discuss the importance of Pell grants and the continued momentum of legislation that would benefit ACC, such as potential changes to the CHIPS and Science Act on semiconductor development. Hassan said ACC's perspective is particularly valuable because of the diversity of students and service area: Its coverage area is larger than the state of Connecticut, and the college annually serves 70,000 students from high school students taking dual credit courses to workforce training for returning adult learners. He said the bipartisanship of the committee hearing made him optimistic about higher education, and he hopes ACC's story inspires others to enact change. 'I am very hopeful, and not just because of the work that we're doing in Central Texas, but potentially because we can serve as a model for others,' Hassan said. 'You can't ever get complacent. We have to keep showing up and making sure we are telling our story, the story of Ashley.' This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ACC chancellor advocates for free tuition, Pell grants at US Senate
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Austin Community College free tuition program takes center stage at US Senate. Here's why.
At the invitation of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Austin Community College Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart testified at a congressional hearing Wednesday about ACC's innovative free tuition program for in-district high school graduates. In his testimony, Lowery-Hart told members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that community colleges in general have taken on affordability issues "with courage" — and that their voices are often ignored in higher education policy. "We're the entity in the sector of higher education where innovation goes to breathe and where I think higher education is actually being reimagined," Lowery-Hart said. "Community colleges are the sector that have taken on affordability with courage." Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont and former Democratic presidential candidate, specifically invited Lowery-Hart to testify after learning about the success of the program for recent high school graduates. His recently introduced bill, the College for All Act of 2025, would eliminate public tuition and fees for students in certain income brackets. Lowery-Hart said the free tuition program has boosted enrollment by 40% at the college, as well as increased retention and success rates. Sander's bill would be "transformative" for other institutions to have similar success, he said. Lowery-Hart was the only representative from Texas and from a community college on the panel, which also included presidents from a Christian-centered college and a historically Black college and university, a research fellow and a representative from a student borrower protection center. His testimony came as Congress considers a reconciliation bill that would cut Pell Grants for part-time students by increasing the amount of credit hours a student must take to qualify for the aid. For ACC, that would mean 5,000 part-time students could lose Pell access and likely their ability to finish workforce programs, Lowery-Hart said. "Our moral clarity is loving our students to success because this work is personal," Lowery-Hart told senators. "The decisions that you do make aren't just political, they change the trajectory of lives, neighborhoods and communities." Based on ACC's data, Lowery-Hart shared that the average student is 27-year-old "Ashley," a part-time student with two jobs and a young child, who is just one emergency away from dropping out. ACC data shows 40% of its students are food insecure, and 55% are housing insecure. "She is continually in a state of stress because she is one flat tire away or one sick childcare worker away from having to drop out of school, which then could consign her to a life of poverty," Lowery-Hart said. But support at "key moments," such as ACC's free tuition program or emergency fund, can change her family's economic trajectory for generations. Lowery-Hart said the ACC free tuition program is notable among other programs for its breadth and for covering the total cost of admission, allowing other scholarships to go toward meeting students' basic needs. Although ACC has not raised tuition in 12 years, the top reason students still don't attend is affordability, not lack of interest, Lowery-Hart said. He implored senators to remember Ashley as they make decisions affecting higher education. Sean Hassan, chair of ACC's board of directors, said it was "thrilling" to represent community colleges and share ACC's story on Capitol Hill. He said the ACC team also met with Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn's staff while in Washington to discuss the importance of Pell grants and the continued momentum of legislation that would benefit ACC, such as potential changes to the CHIPS and Science Act on semiconductor development. Hassan said ACC's perspective is particularly valuable because of the diversity of students and service area: Its coverage area is larger than the state of Connecticut, and the college annually serves 70,000 students from high school students taking dual credit courses to workforce training for returning adult learners. He said the bipartisanship of the committee hearing made him optimistic about higher education, and he hopes ACC's story inspires others to enact change. 'I am very hopeful, and not just because of the work that we're doing in Central Texas, but potentially because we can serve as a model for others,' Hassan said. 'You can't ever get complacent. We have to keep showing up and making sure we are telling our story, the story of Ashley.' This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ACC chancellor advocates for free tuition, Pell grants at US Senate
Global News
15-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
RFK Jr. wavers on vaccines, says not to heed his medical advice
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a committee of Democrats and Republicans Wednesday that the public should not heed medical advice from him, after skirting questions on whether or not he would vaccinate his children. Kennedy faced a bipartisan committee of House representatives, charged with questioning him on proposals for sweeping funding cuts to health care and scientific research for the 2026 fiscal year, and on how he is operating his department. View image in full screen U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum / Getty Images The group of lawmakers probed Kennedy's approach to his job, some arguing that he has endangered vaccine uptake, cancer research and dental health over just a few months in office. Story continues below advertisement But Kennedy stood by the Trump administration's efforts to redraw the boundaries of the US$1.7-trillion-a-year agency, promising it would create a more efficient operation focused on promoting healthier lifestyles among Americans. 'There's so much chaos and disorganization in this department,' Kennedy said during the hearing. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'What we're saying is, let's organize in a way that we can quickly adopt and deploy all these opportunities we have to really deliver high-quality health care to the American people.' The health secretary, who has already downsized his department from 82,000 to 62,000 staff, defended the Trump administration's proposed budget for next year, which includes a $500-million funding boost for his Make America Healthy Again initiative and its intention to slash funding to infectious disease prevention, medical research and maternal health initiatives. Story continues below advertisement The health secretary navigated scrutiny from both sides of the bench, with Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey questioning why he plans to effectively eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4.1 billion in heating assistance to families in need, including those living in remote areas. Kennedy said the cuts would save the government money, despite being warned by proponents of the scheme that getting rid of it would 'end up killing people.' Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska, said any savings made would be felt too late for people in her state. 'Right now, folks in Alaska still need those ugly generators to keep warm,' she said. Kennedy's mixed messaging on vaccines, which has already caused a rift within the health department, also proved contentious during Wednesday's proceedings. 'If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?' Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who described Kennedy as a 'conundrum,' asked at the hearing. 'For measles? Um, probably for measles,' Kennedy said, with a momentary hesitation. 'What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.… I don't want to seem like I'm being evasive, but I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me.' Story continues below advertisement When asked whether he would vaccinate his children against chickenpox, Kennedy doubled down, saying he did not want to give vaccine advice. He said the same in response to questioning about protecting against polio. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2000 and 2023, the measles vaccine averted about 60 million deaths related to the disease, and over the past 50 years has saved an estimated 94 million lives. — With files from The Associated Press
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Recap: RFK grilled over vaccines, lead, job cuts, as protesters tackled at HHS hearing
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the president's proposed cuts to top health agencies as committee members in the House and Senate pummeled him with questions on controversial topics and spending. He testified before the House committee on appropriations the morning of May 14 and before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee in the afternoon. Nearly four months into his new job, Kennedy Jr. answered and dodged heated questions about vaccines, the measles outbreak and a recently approved spending bill. Before the Appropriations Committee, he noted that health agencies were handling the U.S. measles outbreak better than other nations have handled theirs, refusing to answer whether people should get shots for various vaccine-preventable diseases. He declined to comment on reorganization efforts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kennedy, who is known to take controversial stances on vaccines, recently backed vaccination as a preventive tool during a measles outbreak, but noted that vaccines should be left to parents' discretion. At the House hearing, he declined to answer a lawmaker's question about whether he would vaccinate his own child if it were born today. He recently rolled out plans to remove artificial food dyes from the U.S. food supply, which prompted a series of questions from one lawmaker about beloved snack food from his state, Little Debbie cakes. President Donald Trump's $1.7 trillion 'skinny budget' proposal for fiscal year 2026 reduces non-defense spending by 23% compared with 2025. The budget seeks $94 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services agencies, a reduction of about 26% from the 2025 level and cuts programs and staff at agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the CDC. However, the president's budget aims to pump a $500 million infusion into Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, which is geared towards ending what he calls the 'chronic disease epidemic.' The program seeks to tackle the issue through nutrition and physical activity, and by cutting back on medications and improving food and drug quality and safety. One of the last lawmakers to question Kennedy about program cuts tossed out what should have been a softball question. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks asked the Health secretary to discuss the Safe to Sleep campaign that works to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. The question should have hit close to home since the department that houses the campaign, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, was named after Kennedy's paternal aunt. The campaign provides materials and messaging around evidence-based, safe sleep recommendations. The agency's participation in the program, which began in 1994 as the Back to Sleep campaign, was cut on April 1, according to Dr. Rachel Moon, a lead author of safe sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. When asked what office spearheads the campaign, he tried one answer (Health Resources and Services Administration) and then a second (The Administration for Children and Families). Neither was correct, Alsobrooks said. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Alsobrooks' Democratic colleague from Delaware, who sits beside her at the dais, smirked. – Adrianna Rodriguez During committee hearings on May 14, Kennedy told lawmakers that patient privacy will be protected in a new database for autism research, while also reiterating that he thinks rising rates of autism are an epidemic, despite dissent from the medical and autism communities. 'Autism is an epidemic,' Kennedy said. 'Genes do not cause epidemics. They can contribute a vulnerability, but you need an environmental toxin.' On May 7, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced their partnership to research the causes of the autism spectrum disorder, creating a database of autism-diagnosed Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. 'It's entirely voluntary, patient privacy is protected, the data is digitalized and depersonalized… and patients have an absolute right to opt out of it,' Kennedy said. Medical advice? RFK Jr. says don't take any advice from him. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order shortly after restricting state agencies from collecting and sharing autism-related data, in response to federal efforts to create a database for autism research. Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is the clinical name for the condition most people refer to as autism. Autism is defined as "a complex developmental condition that affects communication, social interaction and behavior," says Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America. "Claiming that autism is 'preventable' is not science-based, and places unnecessary blame on people, parents and families," he said. "Autism is not a chronic disease, nor a childhood disease, it is a lifelong developmental condition; it is not an epidemic, nor should it be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic, and using language like that perpetuates falsehoods, stigma and stereotypes." – Adrianna Rodriguez In a rare moment of pushback from Republican lawmakers, Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, pressed Trump's Health secretary on the sweeping layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and cuts in funding for the National Institutes of Health. The Maine Republican noted that caring for people with Alzheimer's costs billions of dollars per year. Collins was a co-author of the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Reauthorization Act of 2024, signed into law by former President Joe Biden. The act authorized $33 million in support per year for Alzheimer's caregiving interventions and other matters. 'How can you ensure that the CDC continues to implement the BOLD Act and the Alzheimer's programs under it when all of the staff responsible for that administration have either been placed on administrative leave or let go?' she asked Kennedy. Kennedy replied that Alzheimer's runs in his family and said he was committed to working with Collins on the issue. However, he noted he was advised by his attorneys not to comment on the CDC reorganization. – Sudiksha Kochi Sen. Tammy Baldwin opened her remarks asking what, she said, she hoped was an easy question: 'Do you think lead poisoning in children is a significant concern?' Kennedy replied, 'It's an extremely significant concern.' Baldwin snapped back about the recent cuts to the CDC's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. In a letter sent to Kennedy on April 23, Baldwin said over 2,000 CDC employees, including the entire Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, were fired. Baldwin highlighted Milwaukee, where community members requested expert assistance from the CDC to help address a growing problem of older elementary school students with lead poisoning, she said. The request for aid was denied due to a lack of staff, Baldwin said. Kennedy countered that the administration didn't intend to halt the work of this branch of government. 'You cannot tell us that you want to make America healthy again when you're willfully destroying programs that keep children safe and healthy from lead poisoning,' she said. – Adrianna Rodriguez Protesters interrupted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a few minutes after he began his testimony before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. About five people in the audience rose from their seats and began charging towards the health secretary shouting, 'RFK kills people with AIDS.' Capitol police escorted the protestors – who appeared to range from people in their 20s to silver-haired men in suits – out of the room. Some were tackled and fell to the floor. Some of the HHS cuts have impacted the United States Agency for International Development, and experts have said the harms trickled down to global humanitarian organizations working on lifesaving programs, including ones that offered HIV health care, worked on landmine removal and provided food aid. – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean referenced Kennedy's history of heroin addiction and recovery when she asked why HHS is 'shuttering' the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 'In active addiction, you know how difficult it is,' she said. 'This matters in my district. I've buried way too many kids.' Kennedy pushed back against the notion that the administration planned to 'shutter' the agency. Instead, he said, it would be 'shifted' into the newly created Administration for Healthy America. The number of Americans who died from overdoses of drugs like fentanyl and meth dropped nearly 30% last year, falling to a level not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC. Experts attribute the decrease to a combination of factors, including the wider availability of the opioid antidote naloxone, along with $50 billion in funding for drug-treatment and youth prevention efforts from the national opioid settlements. 'Why would we – when we're finally seeing some success – bury that success?' Dean asked. – Adrianna Rodriguez Tennessee Republican Chuck Fleischmann pressed Kennedy about a food item that's very important to folks in his state: Little Debbie snacks. He argued that he respects the FDA's process of banning synthetic food colorings over the years, but added that the current colors 'have been deemed safe for many years.' Fleischmann said he represents many snack manufacturers, including M&M's and Little Debbie's. 'You're going to come and visit me in a couple weeks, we can all have some M&M's and Little Debbie's together," he said. "But on a very serious note, we want to make sure that FDA has done due diligence to ensure the safety of these replacement colors." Last month, Kennedy announced that eight artificial dyes will be eliminated from medications and the nation's food supply by the end of 2026. Kennedy in the past has linked food dyes and additives to ADHD and chronic diseases, such as obesity. 'Candidly, I think these guys are safe. They've been approved, but really trying to find substitutes - the costs we've seen estimates five to 10 times to try to fix that. Will you work with me on that?' Fleischmann asked, to which Kennedy replied, 'Absolutely.' – Sudiksha Kochi Skirting a question on an issue that has gained him support and stoked opponents, Kennedy told Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Mark Pocan during a hearing before a House committee he thinks Americans should not be taking medical advice from him. The issue? Vaccines. Pocan asked Kennedy, 'If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?' 'Probably for measles,' Kennedy said, before backpedaling. 'What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.' When pressed on whether he would vaccinate his children for chickenpox and Polio, Kennedy once again said he didn't want to be giving advice. Just last month, Kennedy claimed that measles vaccines are 'leaky' because their effectiveness wanes over time – an argument disputed by medical experts. Outbreaks of the highly contagious infection has led to more than 1,000 cases and three deaths in the U.S, including those of two unvaccinated children in Texas. Measles was eliminated in the U.S. by 2000 but has resurfaced with periodic outbreaks, mostly among people who are not vaccinated. In the current outbreak, 96% of measles cases occurred in unvaccinated patients or those whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the CDC. Measles vaccination rates dropped to about 92% in 2023-2024, below the 95% needed to ensure herd immunity. Babies usually get their first dose of MMR vaccine, which also protects against mumps and rubella, at around 12 months. – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy and Sudiksha Kochi When Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat, asked why the Health and Human Services Department eliminated the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, Kennedy said he was advised by his attorneys not to comment on the reorganization. 'We are under a court order not to do any further planning on the reorganization, and I've been advised by my attorneys not to comment," Kennedy told the Connecticut lawmaker. "But I will just say broadly, many of the programs that the Democrats are now saying were cut (at) the CDC were not cut at all." On May 9, a federal judge said the Trump administration must temporarily halt its sweeping government overhaul because Congress did not authorize it to carry out large-scale staffing cuts and the restructuring of agencies. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco sided with a group of unions, non-profits and local governments, and blocked large-scale mass layoffs known as "reductions in force" for 14 days. Dozens of lawsuits have challenged DOGE's work on various grounds, including violating privacy laws and exceeding its authority, with mixed results. Illston scheduled a hearing for May 22 to consider a longer-lasting preliminary injunction. – Sudiksha Kochi and Reuters Connecticut's Rep. Rosa DeLauro, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, opened her remarks by blasting President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for laying off federal employees at the Health and Human Services Department and proposing spending cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The New England Democrat donned a flashy outfit at the hearing. Known for her 'hipster' style and jazzy accessories, DeLauro often stands out from her colleagues with her attire and brightly dyed hair accents. Her clash with Kennedy, once questioning began, came to a heated peak when DeLauro questioned the nation's top health official over a recently approved spending bill that funded the government through Sept. 30. Lawmakers contend the Constitution assigns them the responsibility to decide how much to spend. But Trump and his allies argue Congress sets limits while he can spend less than lawmakers provide. 'You have an obligation to carry out the law and implement what Congress has done,' Delauro said, shaking her head. 'Unbelievable.' – Adrianna Rodriguez and Sudiksha Kochi Mother's Day hike? RFK Jr., grandkids swim in contaminated DC creek despite advice to 'stay out' Top health organizations representing patients with Alzheimer's, cancer, heart and lung disease are warning of the dangers posed by recent and proposed federal budget cuts as Kennedy testifies before a pair of Congressional committees on May 14. Leaders from the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer's outlined the consequences of these cuts and called on Congress to 'take immediate action' to protect funding for biomedical research and disease prevention. In roughly five weeks this year, the U.S. National Institutes of Health terminated $1.81 billion in medical research funding, according to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on May 8. 'The actions taken to date and proposed further actions to cut research funding will undermine public health, weaken our global competitiveness and delay and deny cures and treatment for patients in need,' said Emily Holubowich, national senior vice president of federal advocacy at the American Heart Association. – Adrianna Rodriguez Americans worry about the Trump administration's ability to contain an ongoing outbreak of measles, while the vast majority believe that vaccines for the disease are safe, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. Just 31% of respondents in the two-day poll agreed with a statement that the administration is handling the measles outbreak responsibly, while 40% disagreed and the rest were unsure or did not answer the question. The poll comes as Secretary for Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is testifying before a pair of Congressional committees on a range of controversial topics, including vaccines. The United States is currently facing its largest single outbreak of measles in 25 years, with the number of cases crossing the 1,000 mark as of May 8. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported three deaths, including two unvaccinated children in Texas. 'We're doing a better job at CDC than any nation in the world at controlling the measles outbreak,' Kennedy said before Congress. – Reuters Health officials have reversed cuts made in April to a massive women's health program that has been around for about thirty years. On May 6, researchers at the Women's Health Initiative learned the decision to let the program expire had "been rescinded' and that they could 'move forward with new task orders in September," according to a statement. The WHI has led women's research since the 1990s into conditions such as cancer and heart disease and influenced clinical guidelines throughout the decades. – Adrianna Rodriguez A group from the Alzheimer's Association of America lined up early outside the House Appropriations Committee meeting room. Dean Brenner, a volunteer with the association, said they had come to express their opposition to the HHS cuts, which include many Alzheimer's-related programs and research. 'There are 7 million people over the age of 65 suffering from Alzheimer's,' Brenner said. Many in the group, including Brenner, a Washington, D.C. resident, were wearing purple, the official color of the organization. He said he joined the association after his mother died in 2018 from the neurodegenerative disease. 'We just want to make sure we are top of mind for members of Congress,' he said. – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Last month, Kennedy announced he was banning artificial food dyes, phasing out eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the nation's food supply. Kennedy has long criticized Big Food and Big Pharma, blaming the nation's 'chronic disease epidemic' on additives and junk food. He's also directed his department to conduct studies aimed at identifying "environmental toxins" behind the rising rates of autism. His critics have hammered him over his views on vaccines. Kennedy has also pushed to curb fluoride use in the water supply, saying the chemical used to protect teeth is making Americans "stupider." He has touted his plan to scale back its use in drinking water. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Recap: RFK Jr. defends massive HHS budget cuts before Congress
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.
