U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense bipartisan scrutiny during a contentious three-hour Senate Finance Committee hearing on September 4, 2025, as he defended his sweeping changes to Covid-19 vaccine policies and the recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, stood by his decisions to limit vaccine recommendations, fire the CDC director, and overhaul advisory panels, sparking sharp exchanges with lawmakers and drawing both criticism and cautious support from President Donald Trump.

Kennedy’s tenure has been marked by bold moves, including laying off thousands of federal health workers, dismissing scientific advisors, and restricting Covid-19 vaccine access to those over 65 or with high-risk conditions. These actions, which contradict assurances made during his confirmation hearings, have alarmed medical groups and prompted several Democratic-led states to issue their own vaccine guidelines. At the hearing, Democrats, including Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), accused Kennedy of undermining public health, with some calling for his resignation. Wyden attempted to have Kennedy sworn in, citing a history of misleading statements, but Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) rejected the request.

Republican senators, typically supportive of Trump’s Cabinet, also expressed concerns. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) pressed Kennedy on his contradictory stance on Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, which expedited mRNA vaccine development in 2020, yet Kennedy has criticized the safety of those vaccines. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), both physicians, questioned Kennedy’s handling of vaccine policy and the abrupt firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, a Trump appointee, less than a month into her tenure. Monarez, in a September 4 Wall Street Journal op-ed, claimed Kennedy pressured her to preapprove recommendations from a newly appointed vaccine advisory panel filled with skeptics. Kennedy denied the ultimatum but admitted ordering her to dismiss career CDC scientists, calling them untrustworthy.

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The hearing saw heated exchanges, with Kennedy accusing Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) of complicity in unrelated assassination attempts on Trump when questioned about his rhetoric’s impact on CDC staff safety. He dismissed Sen. Ben Ray Lujan’s (D-N.M.) questions on autism research as “gibberish” and clashed loudly with Sens. Warren and Tina Smith (D-Minn.). Kennedy also defended his CDC shakeup, criticizing past lockdown and masking policies as ineffective, a claim contradicted by studies showing their role in reducing Covid-19 transmission.

At a White House dinner with tech leaders on September 4, Trump, asked about Kennedy’s performance, said he hadn’t watched the hearing but expressed confidence in him, noting, “He means very well.” Trump acknowledged Kennedy’s unconventional views, stating, “It’s not your standard talk, I would say, and that has to do with medical and vaccines,” but praised his “different take” given global and national health challenges.

The hearing underscored deep divisions over Kennedy’s leadership, with Democrats arguing his policies endanger public health and some Republicans signaling tighter oversight. The CDC remains in turmoil following Monarez’s firing and the resignations of several top officials in protest. As Kennedy continues to reshape federal health policy, his actions will likely face further scrutiny from lawmakers and the medical community.

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