RFK Jr. Fumbles as Senators Slam His Health Playbook

Washington, D.C. — The Senate hearing turned into a political boxing match Thursday, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. taking blows from both corners. What was supposed to be a policy checkup looked more like a public scolding, exposing cracks in Kennedy’s approach to America’s health crises.

Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, a Republican doctor with no patience for Kennedy’s vaccine hedging, came out swinging. “Vaccines work,” he barked, accusing Kennedy of eroding public trust just as outbreaks reemerge. Barrasso pressed hard: how exactly would Kennedy ensure vaccine advice is clear, evidence-based, and trustworthy? Kennedy countered with a headline-grabbing promise — no vaccine would ever hit the market again without inert placebo testing, and old vaccines would be re-examined for links to chronic diseases. Admirers called it bold. Critics muttered: reckless.

But the real fireworks came when Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, asked Kennedy a question every health official should have down cold: How many Americans died from Covid-19? Kennedy froze. “I don’t know,” he said, blaming “data chaos” at the CDC. Warner nearly leapt from his chair. “The Secretary of Health and Human Services doesn’t know how many died, doesn’t know if the vaccine saved lives? How can you be that ignorant?” The words landed like a hammer.

Kennedy insists he’s cleaning house. Senators left wondering if he’s torching it instead. In a town addicted to certainty, Kennedy’s mix of doubt and defiance is proving combustible — and the fight over America’s health future is only getting nastier.