RFK Jr defends leadership as lawmakers grill him on vaccines
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy JR defended the supervision of US health institutions at a fiery hearing on Thursday, while MPs grilled him on vaccination policies and other comprehensive agency changes.
While the Democrats accused Kennedy of lying and restricting the access of Americans to vaccines during a three -hour testimony, several Republican senators increased concerns.
The hearing comes a week after Kennedy ignited the US Disease Control and Prevention Centers (CDC) leader in a clash on vaccination policies.
In February, Kennedy has made a series of changes that worried health professionals since he took the rudder to the Health and Human Services Department (HHS).
In June, he expelled each member of a panel of independent vaccine experts for vaccines.
Public health experts expressed their concerns about the qualifications of members with many vaccine critics.
Susan Monarez, former president of the CDC in a Wall Street Journal published on Thursday, said he was fired for refusing a rubber stamp from the panel for refusing vaccination.
At the hearing of Thursday, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, suppressed Kennedy to blame.
Health secretary, “reliable” after asking if there is a person to resign Monarez’e rejected his claim, rejected. “No,” he said he answered.
The vaccine advisory panel was one of the policy changes that Kennedy brought up during the hearing and led to conflicts.
While Senator Maggie Hassan accused the health secretary of restricting access to vaccines, Kennedy answered in anger: “You just make up something.”
“Sometimes when you make a accusation, this kind of confession, Mr. Kennedy,” Hassan said.
The deputies have repeatedly questioned Kennedy’s stance in the Covid-19 vaccine, including Senator Mark Warner, who asked the health leader how many lives he had saved during Pandemik.
Kennedy said he didn’t know because of the “data chaos” under the biden administration.
“You have experienced this job for eight months, and don’t you know the data on whether the vaccines have been saved?” Warner asked.
Kennedy then said that the vaccine saved a “quite few” lives.
Republicans took a more measured tone with Kennedy, some praise their leadership, and others asked him to clarify that they defined it as contradictory explanations.
He said he planned to ask Kennedy to ask Kennedy why his actions were not “matched”.
Republican deputy Kennedy said he accused some scientists of lying in their response during the hearing.
“I just want to see the scientific evidence of this,” he said.
The most challenging Republican inquiry came from Senator Bill Cassidy, who gave an important vote to approve Kennedy, after giving Kennedy assurance that he would only support a few US vaccines policies.
Cassidy pressed Kennedy on his stance on Covid-19 Vaccines and accused him of restricting access to shoots because of the contradictory suggestions of health institutions.
Under the leadership of Kennedy, the US Food and Pharmaceutical Administration has recently recently approved a number of Covid strengthening shots for less groups of adults and medical conditions.
“We effectively deny people’s vaccines, Cass Cassidy said.
“You’re wrong,” Kennedy replied.
Kennedy’s hearing comes a week after the 600 CDC employee firing in addition to Ms. Monarez.
Only weeks ago, 500 bullets fired 500 bullets into the center of an armed CDC in Atlanta and killed a police officer. Inspectors say the shooter accused the Covid-19 vaccine for committing suicide.
Hundreds of HHS officials wrote a letter to Kennedy and misinformed him, accusing him of fueling insecurity to public health officials.
They pointed out their statements about vaccines, including Covid-19 shooting and vaccination against measles.
This year, the United States has seen the worst of the worst measles for decades.
While Kennedy approved the vaccine as the best way to prevent measles, he made the wrong claims about the safety and effectiveness of the shooting.
