On Wednesday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
This marked his first congressional testimony since taking office in February. The hearings centered on the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal year 2026 HHS budget, which includes deep cuts to public health agencies, significant layoffs, and major organizational restructuring.
There were many interesting clips that streamed on social media as a result of that hearing…all of which make Kennedy look like a gladiator defending both science and Americans from the pharmaceutical-media complex that the Democrats support. Elite media will claim that our new HHS Secretary was “grilled” or forced to “defend” himself.
However, the reality is he gave everyone much to consider, if they were willing to listen.
I will start with the one I thought was most important: the National Institutes of Health funding research based on a now discredited paper on the cause of Alzheimer’s Disease.
As a reminder, in 2006, a paper published in Nature by Sylvain Lesné and colleagues from the University of Minnesota claimed to identify a specific subtype of amyloid-beta (Aβ*56) as a key culprit in Alzheimer’s disease, showing that this protein assembly caused dementia symptoms in rats. However, a 2022 investigation showed that images used as part of the dataset were manipulated.
The controversy surrounding the amyloid hypothesis is part of a broader concern about scientific fraud and the lack of replication in research.
Kennedy’s call for at least 20% of NIH budgets to be allocated to replication studies addresses the rare occurrence of such practices, which is critical for validating scientific findings.
This is supported by the need for transparency in publishing raw data and peer reviews, as current practices often fail to ensure the integrity of research outcomes.
The implications of this issue extend beyond Alzheimer’s research, affecting public trust in scientific institutions and the allocation of research funds. The NIH’s role in funding and controlling scientific discourse has been criticized, especially in light of its influence over a $30 billion annual grant process, which can shape research outcomes and opinions. This situation underscores the need for systemic changes to prevent similar occurrences and ensure that scientific research remains a pursuit of truth rather than a battleground for entrenched interests.
Next on the list of my favorite bits is his interaction with Connecticut Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. She accused Kennedy of destroying the “crown jewels” of the health system.
To which Kennedy replies: “Anybody thinks that we did old standard medicine in this country from these institutions, look at our children. They’re the sickest children in the world.”
He then addresses DeLauro: “Laura, you say that – excuse me, Congressman DeLauro, you say that you’ve worked for 20 years on getting food to die out. Give me credit. I got it out in 100 days.
Kennedy then passionately pleads for collaboration: “All right? So let’s work together and do something that we all believe in in this country for God’s sake. We can all do that together.”
He emphasizes unity across political lines: “It’s not – there’s no such thing as Republican children or Democratic children. There’s just kids, and we should all be concerned with them.”
As Kennedy began his opening statement in front of the Senate, several individuals in the audience stood and loudly accused him of causing harm, chanting, “RFK kills people with AIDS.” Capitol Police quickly intervened, removing the demonstrators from the hearing room, with some being physically tackled to the ground to restore order.
Ben Cohen, a Ben & Jerry’s co-founder, was among the demonstrators, which makes sense given Kennedy’s priorities for healthy, preservative-free food.
The hearing has been described as a “masterclass,” and I am inclined to agree. Kennedy displayed his years of experience as a lawyer to great effect, effectively countering the hostility and ignorance.
There are more clips on many other subjects. I urge you to watch the exchanges instead of relying on the pharma-paid media accounts of what occurred during the hearing.
More video is here:
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