Vice President Vance fired back at senators criticizing Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday during his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee.
“When I see all these senators trying to lecture and ‘gotcha’ Bobby Kennedy today, all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal ‘therapies’ for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma,” Vance wrote in a Thursday statement on social platform X. “You’re full of s‑‑‑ and everyone knows it.”
Before the hearing, 11 of the 12 Democratic senators on the committee issued a statement demanding Kennedy’s resignation.
During the hearing, Kennedy had heated exchanges with GOP and Democratic lawmakers. Many referenced past statements he had made, ensuring the public that he would not discourage citizens from getting vaccinated.
“You said you’re going to empower the scientists at HHS to do their job. I’d just like to see evidence where you’ve done that, and I’m sure that you will have some. You [said you] will do nothing that makes it difficult or discourages people taking vaccines,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said.
“There seem to be several reports that would seem to refute that,” he told Kennedy.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hammered down on criticisms during the hearing and noted that the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association have all released guidance challenging statements federal authorities have put out under Kennedy.
Kennedy was also grilled on whether Americans still have access to COVID-19 vaccines due to uncertainty over agency recommendations.
“I would say, effectively, we’re denying people vaccines,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said after reading a social media post from conservative broadcaster Erick Erickson, who said his wife with Stage 4 lung cancer can’t go to CVS and get a vaccine.
As lawmakers continue to question the credibility of Kennedy’s ability to lead the nation’s top public health agency, the Trump administration has stated it maintains confidence in his leadership and decisionmaking.
President Trump lauded Kennedy in early August for his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda and said he was “looking for other answers to other problems, to other sicknesses and diseases.”