RFK Jr. supports heavy cuts to HHS budget during intense hearings
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Congress this week that Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative served as the model for spending cuts now reshaping the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy said his team implemented the plan but reversed some cuts made in error.
Kennedy testified for several hours Wednesday before both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate HELP Committee. While the hearings focused on President Trump’s proposed 2026 budget, lawmakers also raised questions about Kennedy’s autism research initiative, a measles outbreak in west Texas, and the department’s restructuring, which has led to the departure of 20,000 employees through firings, buyouts or early retirement.