Kennedy Faces Bipartisan Fire in Senate Over Vaccine Policies, CDC Shake-Up

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came under withering bipartisan scrutiny Thursday in a three-hour Senate Finance Committee hearing over his controversial vaccine policies and abrupt dismissal of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez.

Republicans and Democrats alike pressed Kennedy on his cancellation of $500 million in COVID-19 vaccine contracts and research funding, as well as his removal of Monarez just a month after she assumed the post with his backing. The firing has triggered resignations by four senior CDC officials and drawn accusations of political interference in vaccine policy.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician and key supporter of Kennedy’s confirmation, accused him of “denying people vaccine” and praised former President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed as a life-saving success. Cassidy asked whether Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for the initiative; Kennedy agreed, but resisted affirming that COVID vaccines broadly saved lives, despite global estimates that they prevented 14.4 million deaths in their first year.

Other Republicans, including Sens. Thom Tillis and John Barrasso, joined Democrats Maggie Hassan, Raphael Warnock, and Bernie Sanders in questioning Kennedy’s stance. Barrasso warned of rising measles outbreaks and the destabilization of federal health agencies.

Kennedy defended his actions, insisting the CDC had “lied” during the pandemic and vowing further staff purges. He denied Monarez’s claim in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that he ordered her to preapprove vaccine recommendations and target career officials for dismissal, calling her statements “false” and “patently ridiculous.” Her lawyers said she would repeat the allegations under oath.

The White House publicly backed Kennedy, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Vice President JD Vance defending him while sidestepping GOP criticism.

Still, pressure mounted: Sen. Ron Wyden, the committee’s top Democrat, joined Warnock, Sanders, and more than 1,000 current and former health workers in calling for Kennedy’s resignation.