RFK Jr grilled on vaccine policies and healthcare fraud in bruising House hearing
Source: The Guardian
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, faced a bruising day on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, including being forced to retract accusations against a Democratic congressman after claiming the lawmakers vaccine stance was bought by $2m in pharmaceutical contributions.
...
Kennedy launched his attack on representative Frank Pallone after the New Jersey Democrat hammered him over vaccine policy reversals. Youve accepted $2m from pharmaceutical companies, Kennedy said. Your enthusiasm for supporting the old [vaccine advisory committee] seems to be an outcome of those contributions.
The accusation appeared to reference Pallones shift from raising concerns about mercury in FDA-approved products in the 1990s to later supporting mainstream vaccine policy a change Kennedy suggested was motivated by industry money rather than science.
After a point of order, the Republican chair ordered Kennedy to retract the remarks after lawmakers accused him of impugning Pallones character. But the pharma attack was overshadowed by accusations that Kennedy lied his way into office. Representative Kim Schrier, a pediatrician, asked Kennedy: Did you lie to senator [Bill] Cassidy when you told him you would not fire this panel of experts?
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/24/rfk-congress-hearing-vaccines
Karasu
(2,003 posts)everything that's happening to HHS.
PSPS
(15,217 posts)Virtually every republican appointee in the last 45 years, from cabinet posts to supreme court justices, lied their way into office.
Grins
(9,245 posts)erronis
(22,652 posts)A bit more from the article:
In one moment, representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pressed Kennedy about his ignorance to the Trump administrations reported investigation of UnitedHealthcare, the nations largest health insurer, for criminal fraud in Medicare Advantage plans.
You are not aware that the Trump Department of Justice is investigating the largest insurance company in America? Ocasio-Cortez asked again after suggesting he couldnt confirm that it was happening.
When she said that for-profit insurers such as UnitedHealthcare defraud public programs of $80bn annually, Kennedy appeared confused about the scale: Did you say 80 million or billion?
80 with a B, Ocasio-Cortez said.
bucolic_frolic
(54,032 posts)Parts of the former federal employees will go with private concerns. And let's not forget the alternative medicine and vitamin industries. They stand to make a boatload from patients fleeing traditional health care. Is Kennedy in on it? This hosing could approach the size of crypto.
lastlib
(27,541 posts)...it wasn't "bruising" enough....
If his brainworm isn't bloody pulp, they need to swing the bat a few more times.
IMHO. Jeeez, Bobby Sr. must be spinning in his grave in embarrassment at this dweeb.
ancianita
(42,862 posts)
CountAllVotes
(22,075 posts)She nailed him good.
He had no idea what she was asking him re: a baby with meningitis.
He looked out of place. That's because RFK, Jr. is out of place!
He's a lawyer, not a scientist!
Response to erronis (Original post)
Post removed
reACTIONary
(6,977 posts)... You mean people who actually have knowledge and experience with vaccines were on that committee? Shocking!
womanofthehills
(10,712 posts)If you watched any proceedings of the former committee online you would probably want them removed.
reACTIONary
(6,977 posts).... The committee members are connected to Pfizer. My assessment is that would mean they are knowledgeable and experienced.
Beyond that, I am very satisfied with the direction that our public health officials have taken us in, and don't see any reason for making any changes. What is it that you are dissatisfied with? Where do you think they went wrong?