Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the US Division of Well being and Human Companies, requested questions from the congress with regard to cuts on the funds, vaccines, Medicaid and different points on Wednesday.

He testified for the home committee for loans within the morning and the Senate Well being, Training, Labor, Labor and Pensions Committee within the afternoon to debate the proposed funds of the administration. These performances mark the primary testimony of Kennedy for the congress since his affirmation hearings on the finish of January.

Listed below are some essential assortment eating places:

1. Vaccines

Kennedy was confronted with numerous questions on his controversial views on vaccines. This contains rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin), who requested if he would vaccinate his kids at the moment for measles. Kennedy mentioned he would “most likely” do for measles, however then acknowledged that his “opinions about vaccines usually are not related.”

“I don't assume folks ought to comply with medical recommendation from me,” he mentioned, including that he’ll clarify the benefits and drawbacks of vaccines. He would additionally not remark if he had been to vaccinate his kids for chickenpox or polio at the moment.

Rep. Rosa Delauro (D-Connecticut) mentioned that she is 'shocked' that Kennedy is not going to encourage households to vaccinate their kids for measles, chickenpox and polio.

“Vaccines are one of many foundation of public well being,” she mentioned. “Vaccines, sure, save lives, and the truth that the secretary of well being and human companies refuses to encourage kids to be vaccinated is a tragedy.”

Within the listening to of the Senate, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) additionally made pictures in Kennedy for his views on vaccines. Murphy argued that he didn’t have guarantees he imposed throughout his affirmation listening to, together with that he wouldn’t scale back the financing assigned by the congress for vaccination applications. He mentioned that Kennedy canceled $ 12 billion in subsidies for the States used to handle and comply with vaccines, which Kennedy requested: “When did I try this?”

Murphy additionally pushed Kennedy if he would suggest households to have their kids vaccinated.

“I'm not simply going to inform those that the whole lot is protected and efficient. If I do know there are issues, I’ve to respect folks's intelligence,” Kennedy replied.

2. HHS fired and minimize

Throughout her opening commentary, Delauro, who’s a member of the Home Credit score Committee, got here from the economic system of the cutbacks of the administration to HHS, NIH, CDC and FDA.

“With you on the helm, the Trump authorities and Republicans within the Congress destroy the crown jewels of our well being system: the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention and the Meals and Drug Administration,” she mentioned. “With the NIH, the world's largest financier of life -saving biomedical analysis, you and Elon Musk have fired or pushed out nearly 5,000 workers, together with among the world's most distinguished scientists.”

She added that Kennedy “scores eliminates” CDC prevention applications, equivalent to for HIV, tobacco and gun violence.

Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) additionally doubted within the cuts on HHS, specifically with regard to Alzheimer's. She is the creator of the Daring Act, who trains suppliers about Alzheimer's and promotes earlier analysis.

“I labored very laborious to make sure that HHS has the means to implement this legislation, which was lately expanded,” Collins mentioned. “I’m involved that the discount of round 10,000 workers concerning the HHS will totally undermine this legislation.”

Kennedy mentioned he’ll work with Collins and that Alzheimer's is working in his household.

3. Medicaid cuts

Rep. Josh Tougher (D-California) pressed Kennedy on the proposed Medicaid-Inenschinations and famous that it could go away 50,000 folks in his group with no medical insurance coverage.

“Why do you assume {that a} group like mine doesn’t deserve entry to the identical primary well being care that Medicaid presents you benefited from?” Tougher questioned, referring to habit therapy that Kennedy acquired prior to now.

“I don't know should you perceive this, or whether or not you simply preserve the democratic speak factors collectively, the cutbacks on Medicaid for fraud, waste and abuse,” mentioned Kennedy.

Kennedy additionally argued that Medicaid is for poor kids, moms and disabled folks, and that adults who might be provided and refuse to register or get a job shouldn’t be eligible for Medicaid. Tougher shot again that the overwhelming majority of individuals work on Medicaid, and that including forms will forestall folks from getting access to Medicaid.

Previous to the hearings, affected person curiosity teams repeated these feedback about Medicaid work necessities.

Photograph: Mikeylpt, getty pictures