WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate health committee, Bill Cassidy (R-La.), on Thursday invited health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the panel, part of a series of oversight hearings to make sense of the recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A date has not been set for the meeting.
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Kennedy has faced allegations that he has emphasized politics and secrecy over scientific evidence in public health decisions. Cassidy has argued that learning more information about the upheaval at the CDC is critical to President Trump’s — and Kennedy’s — promise for “radical transparency” across health agencies.
“Fortunately, we have a President who has called for radical transparency in government,” Cassidy said in a statement about the invitation. “And it’s with this mandate from President Trump that the [health committee] is conducting this oversight.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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On Wednesday, Susan Monarez, who was ousted as CDC director by Kennedy, and former Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who resigned at the same time, testified before the committee, arguing Kennedy had undermined the agency’s ability to accomplish its core mission.
The officials described efforts by Kennedy to cut out career scientists and usual processes, especially around vaccine policy. Monarez said Kennedy had discussed plans with her to change the childhood vaccine schedule, something Cassidy said would shake Americans’ confidence in the CDC’s vaccine advice.
Kennedy has said Monarez lied and disputed the narratives she and others had put forth about the changes at the CDC.
But Cassidy, who has previously supported Kennedy despite the secretary’s long history as an anti-vaccine activist, has voiced concerns about the administration’s moves on vaccines.
And other Republicans — including, at times, Trump himself — have found themselves at odds with Kennedy.
The invitation to Kennedy to testify comes as opponents and allies alike have characterized the overhaul of the CDC and scrutiny of that overhaul as a turning point for the secretary and his Make America Healthy Again agenda.
Cassidy suggested it was a moment for the public to evaluate the administration’s actions thus far.
“This is how we fulfill the President’s mandate — giving Americans the full picture so they can judge for themselves,” he said.