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Kennedy defends CDC upheaval in contentious hearing

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced tough questions from senators over the course of a nearly three-hour Senate hearing Thursday.

© The Hill, Greg Nash

Kennedy was at times both dismissive and annoyed by questions, often getting into shouting matches with Democrats.

Kennedy repeated vaccine misinformation, attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and offered differing explanations on his vision for remaking the agency. Kennedy has upended HHS in just six months on the job, but the CDC has borne the brunt of his efforts.

The CDC has lost thousands of employees and nearly half its budget. Within the span of just a month, the agency faced a fatal shooting at its Atlan

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