HHS Secretary Defends FY 2027 Budget before House Energy and Commerce Committee
On April 21, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the HHS fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which provides oversight to public health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Following his testimony to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee the previous week, Secretary Kennedy again highlighted several priority areas for the Administration, including vaccine efficacy, agriculture and food safety, rural health, national security, and the cost of health insurance and medicine in the United States.
During the hearing, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) questioned Secretary Kennedy’s ability to work with the new nominee for CDC Director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, who has a background in public health and deploying vaccines. This line of questioning comes after the abrupt termination of the previous CDC Director, Dr. Susan Monarez, last year (see previous coverage). Rep. Ruiz requested a promise from Secretary Kennedy to follow Dr. Schwartz’s vaccine guidance if confirmed and without interference, to which the Secretary refused.
Later, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), pressed Secretary Kennedy on the proposed funding cuts to several scientific research agencies in the President’s budget request, including NIH, and expressed concern that it would undermine biomedical research in the country and cede global leadership to countries like China. Further, Rep. Fletcher raised concerns on the impacts of the Trump Administration’s continued effort to set a flat 15 percent rate for facilities and administrative (F&A) costs for grants awarded by federal agencies. To this end, Secretary Kennedy argued that due to the overall national debt, the cuts and proposals outlined in the President’s budget request were necessary.
A recording of the hearing, as well as witness testimony, can be found here. Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage of the appropriations process.