Washington, September 4, 2025 — In a gripping Senate Finance Committee hearing, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced sustained bipartisan criticism for diverging sharply from his predecessor’s support for rapid vaccine development under Operation Warp Speed. Senators pressed him on a series of controversial moves, such as dismissing the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, cutting US$500 million in mRNA research, and firing CDC Director Susan Monarez—actions they warned could jeopardize public health infrastructure.
During intense exchanges, Republicans and Democrats alike confronted Kennedy. Senator Bill Cassidy, one of his former supporters, rebuked him for effectively denying access to essential vaccines by making abrupt changes in policy. “Effectively, we’re denying people vaccine,” Cassidy asserted—an accusation Kennedy disputed, defending his position as a necessary corrective.
Criticism intensified over Kennedy’s abrupt dismissal of vaccine experts and restructuring of the CDC’s scientific oversight. Over 1,000 health professionals have now called for his resignation, citing deep concerns about misinformation and weakened vaccination standards. Former CDC Director Monarez, later in a separate op-ed, accused Kennedy of compromising vaccine integrity and politicizing public health.
Despite the pressure, Kennedy partially acknowledged the effectiveness of vaccines in saving lives, though stopped short of defending his full reversal of previous strategies. Meanwhile, he praised the rapid rollout under Operation Warp Speed, describing it as impactful—though prior criticism of the initiative remains on record.
Source: Reuters
