A visibly frustrated lawmaker tried to find out why Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has allegedly avoided legitimate public review of his policy decisions on vaccines.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, Kennedy's actions on vaccines since taking the helm of HHS, include launching a government study on autism "led by someone who has previously promoted debunked links between vaccines and autism; changing recommendations for COVID vaccines; and pulling back on vaccine research and development, such as canceling a contract with drug company Moderna to develop a new flu vaccine using mRNA technology, which was used to make COVID vaccines."
On Tuesday, Kennedy testified before the the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health.
Ranking member Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) looked pained as he said to Kennedy, "You have made a number of major decisions about vaccines. Again, there's been no public process or public accountability on that either. What are you afraid of? I mean, with regards to vaccines, are you just afraid of receiving public comments on proposals? Do you just think these are fringe views that are contrary to the views of most scientists and that the public comments will reflect this?"
Pallone added, "You say you want transparency, but there's been no public process for any of this. Why?"
"We have a public process, for regulating vaccines," Kennedy began. "It's called the ACIP committee, and it's a public meeting --"
Pallone interrupted, "You fired the committee! You fired the ACIP!"
Kennedy fired all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this month. He then named eight new members to the committee that helps guide the CDC's vaccine policies, many of whom have been described as "vaccine critics."
Kennedy continued, "I fired people who had conflicts with the pharmaceuticals industry --"
"Oh, I mean, that's just —" Pallone's voice trailed off as Kennedy continued his explanation, before remarking, "OK, but there's been no...all right, look, I can't...the bottom line is here, we have no transparency, you feel no responsibility to Congress whatsoever, and you just continue this ideology that's anti-science, anti-vaccine. That's all I see. I see nothing else, and I don't think I'm ever going to get a response, and so I'm going to have to ask...my time is up."
Pallone looked defeated at the end of the confrontation.