Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was scolded by a Democratic senator during an explosive hearing Thursday as being “not worthy” of a gift they had originally intended to give him, but had changed their mind following his testimony.
RFK Jr. testified Thursday in front of the Senate Finance Committee on his experience leading the nation’s top health agency, a hearing that quickly devolved into chaos given some of the Health secretary’s conflicting statements and inability to directly answer questions.
Sen. Ray Lujan (D-NM) said he was so disappointed in the secretary’s performance that he decided against presenting him with the gift he planned to give.
“Two young ladies in New Mexico at a town hall recently gave me this starfish pin; I was going to give it to you today, but after your questioning today, I don't think you deserve it,” Lujan told RFK Jr., following a heated exchange between the two.
“Because what this represents is that everyone one of us can make a difference, something as small as starfish on the beach that got washed up, you throw it back in the ocean. I'm sorry that you're not worthy of this nice little pin. I'm going to pray for you, Secretary Kennedy. I hope we do better, I want you to do better, but today was a failure for you, man.”
The hearing comes in the wake of the continued fallout over RFK Jr.’s firing last week of Susan Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monarez reportedly said she was fired over a dispute with RFK Jr. over vaccine policy, and after being asked by the Health secretary to do something “illegal.”
RFK Jr. disputed the cause for Monarez’s firing earlier in the hearing, telling Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) that she wasn’t fired over a dispute on vaccine policy, but rather, because she told him she wasn’t trustworthy.
Monarez has vowed to remain in her position, arguing that only President Donald Trump holds the authority to fire her.
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