Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who heads the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the current administration, advised Congress on Wednesday that individuals “should not seek medical guidance” from him.
These remarks occurred on May 14 during a House Appropriations Committee meeting, where the committee examined the administration’s proposal, which was unveiled on May 2.
During the session, Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin questioned Kennedy about whether he would vaccinate his child against measles if he had one now.
“Probably for measles,” Kennedy initially stated, before retracting his statement. “I don’t think people should be taking advice — medical advice — from me….I think if I answer that question directly, it will seem like I’m giving advice to other people, and I don’t want to be doing that.”
Kennedy has previously expressed concerns regarding vaccine safety. Since being appointed to lead HHS, he has attempted to distance himself from these views and recently supported vaccination as a preventative measure during a measles outbreak.
However, he still asserts that vaccination decisions should be left to the discretion of parents and has continued to .
“Okay, but that’s kind of your jurisdiction, because the CDC [Center for Disease Control] does give advice,” Pocan countered. The CDC offers direction on preventing diseases, creating optimal health practices, and ensuring access to vaccinations.
The hearing primarily addressed proposed significant cuts to health services within the Administration’s budget proposal, requesting $94 billion for HHS agencies—approximately a 26% reduction from the 2025 funding level. The budget also aims to reduce programs and personnel at several HHS agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the CDC.
The budget also suggests allocating $500 million for Kennedy’s initiative, which involves decreasing the HHS workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees and prioritizing “ending America’s epidemic of chronic illness.”