Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, arrives to testify about the health care agenda for the Trump administration in front of the Senate Committee on Finance in Washington, D.C., on September 4, 2025.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a hostile Senate committee hearing on Sept. 4 as lawmakers pummeled the Health secretary's changes to the department amid major overhauls at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There has been a mass exodus at the agency, including the loss of its director, but others left in protest of Kennedy's leadership and his controversial views on vaccines. The departures have sparked turmoil that has grabbed the nation's attention, a clamor even some of the Trump administration's Republican allies in Congress find hard to ignore.

"We need stability," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said during a Sept. 3 press conference. "He's in charge of the department, and he needs to restore public trust in the CDC."

That same day, more than 1,000 current and former Health and Human Services officials called for Kennedy to step down from his position, saying he was “endangering the nation’s health by spreading inaccurate health information.”

Kennedy has a history of promoting conspiracy theories related to vaccines that have alarmed experts, but have been cheered by MAGA-aligned skeptics and other conservative-leaning activists still angry about COVID-19 regulations. In May, Kennedy announced new restrictions on access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Senate Finance Committee's fiery hearing − which was punctuated by disruptions from protesters − comes as the administration looks to promote its "Make America Healthy Again" commission, which promises to deliver an action plan to combat chronic diseases in children.

But that plan has yet to be released to the public, and calls for Kennedy's resignation or firing have intensified among Democrats and health experts.

Here are several key moments from the Sept. 4 meeting.

RFK Jr. defends CDC firings and slams COVID-19 regulations

Kennedy didn't mince words at the beginning of his remarks, saying the Trump administration is pouring resources into combating chronic diseases that he testified have reached critical numbers in the country and require radical action.

"Under President Trump's leadership, we at HHS are enacting a once-in-a-generation shift from a sick-care system to a true health care system that tackles the root causes of chronic disease," he said.

The nephew of former President John F. Kennedy initially refused to say COVID-19 vaccines had saved lives or acknowledge that more than 1 million people in the U.S. had died from the disease when prodded by senators.

Instead, he defended the CDC ousters, arguing the agency failed during the COVID-19 pandemic, blaming the agency for businesses closures, masking of students at schools and other mandates (many of which were initiated by state governments) that infuriated right-leaning skeptics during the global crisis.

"The people at the CDC who oversaw that process, who put masks on our children, who closed our schools, are the people who will be leaving," he said.

Democrats and health experts hold 'Fire RFK' rally as protester disrupts hearing

About an hour before Kennedy faced tough questions and sharp exchanges primarily from Democratic senators, a rally was held featuring many of those same committee members and other experts who believe he is "unfit" for the role.

"He absolutely must go," Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Maryland, said at the rally before the hearing. "The American people do not deserve to have their health endangered by an HHS secretary who thinks he knows better than experts."

During Kennedy's opening statement, an unidentified protester in a wheelchair shouted at Kennedy about "prior authorization," which is required for insurance coverage on certain medical procedures. The woman yelled that Kennedy was "killing millions of people." She was then ushered out of the hearing room.

Kennedy has long been criticized for his controversial views on vaccines and promoting debunked claims that they are linked to autism. At one point during the hearing, the Health secretary claimed that Black boys who receive the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine have a higher risk of autism, which has never been verified by scientists.

Earlier this year, he was criticized for mixed messaging about a measles outbreak that began in Texas, and he dodged questions about how many Americans died from COVID-19.

Many Democrats slammed Kennedy for firing the members of a vaccine advisory panel and cutting $500 million in funding for developing mRNA technology, which is used in the two most common COVID-19 vaccines.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said that Kennedy has been fueling "mistrust" in the U.S. health care system and that he has "elevated conspiracy theorists, crackpots and grifters" in critical positions that impact life-or-death decisions for Americans.

Cassidy presses RFK Jr. on COVID-19 vaccines

One wrinkle of the hearing that might catch political observers' attention is the exchange between Kennedy and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, who was the swing vote during Kennedy’s confirmation process in January.

The Pelican State lawmaker was critical of the CDC departures a week ago, responding in a social media post that the exits "will require oversight" by a committee he leads.

During the Sept. 4 hearing, Cassidy pressed Kennedy about how he could believe Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for delivering the COVID-19 vaccine during his first term if he previously said the vaccine "killed more people" than the disease, which Kennedy denied saying.

Cassidy also blasted the health secretary for opposing access to the COVID-19 vaccine when he was an attorney for the Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccination nonprofit he led during the pandemic.

"It surprises me that you think so highly of Operation Warp Speed when, as an attorney, you attempted to restrict access," Cassidy said. "You’ve cancelled 500 million contracts using the mRNA platform that was critical for Operation Warp Speed."

Americans want vaccines to be more available, polling finds

The rift over vaccines, typified by Kennedy's hearing, remains a hot button in U.S. politics with Republican-controlled states expressing ongoing skepticism about long-accepted science in the wake of the pandemic.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo moved on Sept. 3 to eliminate all vaccine mandates, for example.

But a new CBS News poll released this week shows that 74% of Americans believe government policies should make vaccines more available. It finds most support health officials urging parents to vaccinate children against diseases, including 57% of Republican and 68% of independent voters.

In terms of Kennedy's effort to improve America's food supply and other priorities, such as prescription medications for children, an Axios-Ipsos survey conducted in June found wide support for some of his policy goals among voters.

That survey found 87% of respondents believe federal officials should do more to ensure that food is safe, and 90% want it to be easier for Americans to understand food safety guidelines.

Many Republican senators gave Kennedy a wide lane to defend his positions and the need for a massive health and wellness push in the country during the Sept. 4 hearing.

But overall, there has been noticeable opposition to Kennedy's leadership among voters: 43% disapproved of how he is handling his job and 36% approved, according to a Pew Research Center poll released in June.

Kennedy says outgoing CDC director is lying about ouster

At various points, senators from both parties asked Kennedy about what happened to Susan Monarez, whom he dismissed as head of CDC last week.

"I told her that she had to resign because I asked her, ‘Are you a trustworthy person?’ And she said, 'No,'" Kennedy told lawmakers.

The remark is bound to create headlines, given he has declined to discuss his interactions with Monarez, who alleged in the Wall Street Journal on Sept. 4 that she was asked by Kennedy to pre-approve recommendations by a newly installed panel "filled with people who have publicly expressed anti-vaccine rhetoric."

"Did you, in fact, do what Director Monarez said you did?" Wyden asked during the hearing.

"No, I did not," Kennedy said.

"So she's lying today to the American people in the Wall Street Journal?" asked Wyden.

“Yes, sir,” responded Kennedy.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr. faces fiery questions amid CDC exodus and other Senate hearing takeaways

Reporting by Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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