RFK Jr. Clashes With Dems Over HHS Cuts Jeopardizing Treasure Coast Health Funds

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday in his first congressional testimony since September, defending a proposed budget cut of more than 12 percent to the Department of Health and Human Services while trading sharp exchanges with Democratic lawmakers over vaccines, measles outbreaks and disputed past statements.

The hearing was the first of seven budget sessions Kennedy is scheduled to attend across House committees and subcommittees over the next week. Kennedy framed the proposed cuts as necessary to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, and emphasized the administration's work to reform federal dietary guidelines.

A more-than-12-percent reduction to HHS would ripple into Treasure Coast communities in concrete ways. Federal health dollars flowing through HHS support programs at Martin Health, Cleveland Clinic Indian River and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce, as well as Federally Qualified Health Centers serving low-income residents in St. Lucie County — populations already navigating provider shortages and rising care costs. The precise dollar impact on Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties has not been confirmed by the state health department district office and will be reported in a follow-up.

Republicans on the committee called Kennedy a "breath of fresh air." Democrats took a different approach, pressing him on the administration's rollback of CDC pro-vaccine public messaging — a shift they argued has contributed to measles outbreaks spreading across the country. In one pointed exchange, Rep. Linda Sanchez of California pressed Kennedy to acknowledge that a six-year-old who died of measles last year in West Texas might have survived with vaccination. "It's possible, certainly," Kennedy said.

Kennedy also grew visibly agitated when Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama confronted him with remarks he made in 2024 as a presidential candidate — comments about Black children and psychiatric medication that Kennedy flatly denied making. A recording of the podcast where he made the comments confirms they were said, according to public records of the broadcast. An HHS spokesperson later offered a clarifying interpretation of the remarks.

Kennedy is scheduled to continue his testimony before additional House subcommittees through next week. Final congressional action on the HHS budget has not been scheduled.

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