Senators Grill RFK Jr. on Vaccines, Drug Costs, Promo Videos

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced hours of pointed questioning from U.S. senators Wednesday over the measles vaccine, skyrocketing drug costs, and his agency's use of government resources for self-promotional videos — testimony with direct consequences for Treasure Coast families relying on federal health programs.

Kennedy appeared before the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, capping a week of congressional hearings that marked his first sustained Capitol Hill testimony since September. The appearances come as the U.S. has recorded more measles cases in 2025 than in any year in three decades, and as Kennedy — who built a public career on anti-vaccine activism before joining the Trump cabinet — has altered the federal childhood vaccine schedule without input from outside scientific advisors.

For the roughly 490,000 residents of Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties, the policy currents swirling through those hearing rooms are not abstract. Federal vaccine guidance shapes what pediatricians in Port St. Lucie and Stuart recommend to parents. Medicaid and Medicare Advantage, both raised in Wednesday's hearings, cover hundreds of thousands of Floridians on fixed incomes and at the lower end of the wage scale — populations that make up a significant share of the Treasure Coast's demographics.

Under questioning from Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kennedy gave what amounted to his clearest public defense of the measles vaccine to date. "We promote the measles vaccine," Kennedy said, adding that the shot prevents measles in 97 percent of recipients. "I've always said that. That's what the science says." The statement stands in tension with years of public statements Kennedy made before taking office.

The administration's new drug discount portal, TrumpRx, also drew scrutiny. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) noted that Protonix, a common heartburn medication, lists for $200 on TrumpRx compared to $16 at Costco. Kennedy acknowledged he did not know the Costco price and said the comparison conflated brand-name and generic drugs. Warren was unmoved, stating: "If you're buying a drug on TrumpRx, there is a more than one in four chance that Trump's discount is actually a price hike."

Kennedy also could not say whether President Trump had authorized a series of promotional HHS videos — including one featuring Kennedy and musician Kid Rock drinking milk in a hot tub — when pressed by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). "I've never discussed it with the President," he said.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician who cast the tie-breaking committee vote to confirm Kennedy, struck a restrained tone after months of public criticism over Kennedy's vaccine policy reversals. Cassidy used most of his questioning time to ask about health savings accounts and Medicare Advantage but did observe: "When I see outbreaks numbering in the thousands and people dying once more from vaccine preventable diseases, particularly children, it seems more than tragic."

Kennedy's tenure continues to draw attention beyond policy. Three cabinet secretaries have been fired in the last seven weeks, and Kennedy was absent from mention in the President's most recent State of the Union address.

The HHS budget request for fiscal year 2027, which prompted the week's hearings, now moves to full Senate consideration. No vote date has been confirmed.

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