Congress Hosts HHS Secretary Kennedy for FY 2026 Budget Hearings
As the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process gets underway, Congress invited Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to defend the agency’s budget request in both chambers (see previous COSSA coverage). On May 14, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held separate hearings while the Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee held their respective hearing on May 20.
In both chambers, Congress raised concerns over FY 2025, questioning Secretary Kennedy on whether the agency is withholding funding that has been appropriated by Congress, which would be illegal. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House LHHS subcommittee, pressed Secretary Kennedy on the issue, to which he argued that Congress has “the power of the purse” and otherwise evaded the line of questioning. He also made claims that no “working scientists” had been fired from his agency. This drew concerns from both chambers as hundreds of grants and programs have lost funding in recent months and mass layoffs have occurred under his leadership (see previous COSSA coverage). Further, when prompted by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) on whether he would uphold the autonomy of the institutes and centers (ICs) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) until Congress completes a thorough review of the proposed reorganization, Secretary Kennedy failed to provide an answer, indicating that a temporary restraining order does not allow him to discuss the reorganization efforts. A lack of transparency from the Secretary drew further questioning from many members of Congress, including Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who is currently the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which appeared to upset Secretary Kennedy, who then blamed the Senator for having “presided over the destruction of the health of the American people.”
Further, Ranking Member DeLauro and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) questioned Secretary Kennedy on the metrics of determining which grants to terminate and requested further information on the matter which Secretary Kennedy would not offer, claiming an “analysis” could not be provided. Other lines of questioning included concerns over Secretary Kennedy’s controversial statements on the safety of vaccines and fluoride, with Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, pushing against these beliefs and committing to “working together” on these issues. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee, also raised concerns over U.S. drug prices.
Some members of Congress were supportive of Secretary Kennedy’s changes to HHS, including Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who claimed during the HELP hearing that universities were “stealing” from NIH through indirect costs (see previous COSSA coverage). Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), joined Sen. Kennedy’s critiques of indirect costs, arguing that all of the funding should be put directly towards the research.
A recording of the House LHHS hearing can be found here and the Senate HELP hearing can be found here. A recording of the Senate LHHS hearing can be found here. Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on the FY 2026 appropriations process.