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WASHINGTON – Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) on Tuesday tore into Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for his decades of lies about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, saying she will blame him every time someone dies from a vaccine-preventable disease on his watch.

“You have lied to the American people,” Schrier, who is a pediatrician, charged as Kennedy sat silently before a House committee. “You have lied to parents about vaccines for 20 years.”

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“And I also want to be clear that I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccine-preventable illness at your feet,” she said.

Here is a clip of their exchange.

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), who is a pediatrician, told HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that she will blame him for all vaccine-preventable deaths that happen on his watch, given his efforts to sow baseless doubts about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Getty Images

Kennedy, who has a long history of peddling dangerous misinformation about vaccines, was testifying before the House panel about his agency’s budget request when Schrier began describing what happens when unvaccinated babies and children get sick with things like measles, bacterial meningitis or whooping cough.

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“Have you ever treated measles?” she asked.

Kennedy replied, “No.”

“Well, I have. Let me tell you how miserable it is,” said the Democratic congresswoman. “These kids have high fevers, struggling to breathe and they are crying. They suffer. The great news is there’s a vaccine to prevent it.”

Schrier went on, describing babies in the emergency room “so sick,” “floppy” and with high fevers because they have bacterial meningitis. She recalled treating one baby who came down with whooping cough, who was weeks old and had “stopped breathing and turned blue.”

“Let me tell you how scared those parents were,” she said to Kennedy. “I’ve treated a bunch of older kids with it. They cough so hard they vomit. They run out of air. They break ribs. If you don’t catch it before two weeks, antibiotics don’t even work.”

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“You know what‘s great? There’s a vaccine that prevents this,” Schrier said. “Of course, here’s the thing: Vaccines only work if you actually give them. And we know your record on this.”

Kennedy’s record includes pushing the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. He’s floated bizarre conspiracy theories about COVID-19 being “ethnically targeted” to spare Jewish and Chinese people. He’s referenced the Holocaust when talking about vaccines and public health mandates.

As HHS secretary, he has said that getting vaccinated is a personal choice instead of citing science-based evidence that vaccines are safe, effective and strongly recommended. He’s called for cutting billions in funding for a program that provides vaccines to children in low-income families, and he directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to no longer recommend COVID vaccine boosters for children and pregnant women.

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“We believe Sen. Cassidy more than we trust you when it comes to vaccinations.” – Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.)

During Tuesday’s hearing, Schrier also accused Kennedy of pulling a fast one on Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who only voted to confirm Kennedy to his current post because he said he got assurances that the HHS secretary wouldn’t make changes to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of medical and public health experts that provides recommendations on vaccine guidance for various diseases.

Kennedy fired all 17 members of that panel earlier this month, saying in a statement that the move was about “prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda” with a plan to replace the panelists. His actions inevitably mean that, going forward, HHS’s guidance on vaccine safety will be rooted in misinformation and views from outside the scientific community, one vaccine policy expert told HuffPost.

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“Did you lie to Sen. Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts?” she asked.

“I never made that agreement,” Kennedy replied.

After some back and forth, Schrier said she simply doesn’t believe him.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparred with Democrats throughout a House budget hearing on Thursday, with members accusing Kennedy of lying about changes to vaccine oversight, and Kennedy accusing lawmakers of being influenced by campaign contributions from Big Pharma.

Kennedy appeared before the House Energy & Commerce subcommittee on Health to discuss the Trump administration’s budget request for fiscal year 2026. But much of the hearing saw Democrats question Kennedy about his tenure so far as HHS secretary, with several blasting his actions in office.

Kennedy struck a combative tone throughout the hearing, denying that he made any false promises during his confirmation process, defending changes to his agency’s funding and structure, and seeking to turn the tables on claims of conflict of interest.

Here were five key exchanges from Tuesday’s hearing:

Retracts claims about Pallone

Kennedy bristled when Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, questioned his claims of “radical transparency” at his agency and ripped his changes to vaccine oversight.

Pallone specifically cited HHS’s lack of response to congressional inquiries as well as the recent firing of the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as instances where Kennedy failed to practice transparency.

“What are you afraid of?” Pallone asked Kennedy. “I mean, with regard to vaccines, are you just afraid of receiving public comments on proposals where you just think these are fringe views that are contrary to the views of most scientists?”

Kennedy, who has in previous hearings taken issue with not having enough time to answer, used his time answering Rep. Neal Dunn’s (R-Fla.) question to address Pallone.

“Congressman Pallone, 15 years ago, you and I met. You were, at that time, a champion of people who had suffered injuries from vaccines. You were very adamant about it. You were the leading member of Congress on that issue,” said Kennedy.

“Since then, you’ve accepted $2 million from pharmaceutical companies in contributions, more than any other member of this committee,” he continued. “And your enthusiasm for supporting the old [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices], which was completely rife and pervasive with pharmaceutical conflicts, seems to be an outcome of those contributions.”

Kennedy was likely referring to Pallone having previously raised concerns in the ’90s about the presence of mercury in products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), ranking member of the health subcommittee, immediately raised a point order, saying Kennedy was “impugning Mr. Pallone.”

Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) asked that the clock be paused. After a brief back and forth with committee members and staffers, he acknowledged it was a valid point of order and asked Kennedy to retract his remarks about Pallone.

Kennedy retracted his words.

‘You lied to Sen. Cassidy’

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) accused Kennedy of lying to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who was the deciding vote in advancing Kennedy’s nomination out of the Senate’s health committee, which Cassidy chairs.

Cassidy made it known that he was on the fence about confirming Kennedy even after two confirmation hearings. He was ultimately convinced by commitments he received from Kennedy, including that he would “maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes.”

According to Cassidy, Kennedy had also requested his input on hiring decisions at HHS.

But earlier this month, Kennedy got rid of all 17 expert members of ACIP, replacing them with eight members who Cassidy has expressed skepticism about. The Louisiana senator called for an upcoming ACIP meeting to be delayed, noting how some new members “lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them.”

“I just want to tell you that for most of us sitting here right now, we believe Sen. Cassidy more than we trust you when it comes to vaccinations. It sounds to me like you gave him the answer he needed to hear in order to get his confirmation vote, and then as soon as you were secretary, you turned around and did whatever you want. You fired all 17 members,” Schrier said to Kennedy.

“You lied to Sen. Cassidy.”

Kennedy denied ever making any such agreement and said he had not broken any promises to Cassidy. A spokesperson for the senator said Tuesday, “As Senator Cassidy has said publicly, the commitment was about the ACIP process, not staffing.”

‘Defend the spend’ initiative

Kennedy appeared to be unaware of the “defend the spend” initiative being carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has seen grants at agencies including HHS paused pending manual review.

The process, meant to weed out grants that conflict with Trump’s agenda, will reportedly compel grantees and officials to justify spending, according to The Washington Post.

DeGette, the ranking member, told Kennedy, “Hospitals, universities and community health organizations have told me and the other members lately that funds are stuck at HHS due to this so called ‘defend the spend’ initiative.”

DeGette said she had questioned Kennedy about this initiative in a letter two months ago but never received a response. She asked if HHS had conducted a cost-benefit analysis on the “defend the spend” actions.

“I don’t know anything about the Washington Post article,” Kennedy said repeatedly.

When DeGette asked if Kennedy knew anything about the initiative, Kennedy said, “About what?”

HIV vaccine research

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) needled Kennedy on the canceling of funding for HIV prevention research, including several trials looking at potential vaccines against the virus.

“I’m perplexed why, in April, your administration shuttered nearly every unit in the CDC Division of HIV prevention and reassigned CDC top HIV official, Dr. Jonathan Mermin, given that CDC has historically been the cornerstone of domestic HIV prevention efforts. Do you know the percentage of all federal funding for HIV prevention provided by your agency?” Carter asked Kennedy.

“Congressman, we don’t intend to cut HIV treatment. We are — part of the reorg is reassigning HIV treatment,” Kennedy began before Carter cut him off.

“What I’d like you to know is it’s 91 percent of all federal funding for HIV prevention. 91 percent,” said Carter.

Researchers looking into potential HIV vaccines were told earlier this year that funding would not be extended, with HHS reportedly telling them that currently available approaches were believed to be enough to eliminate HIV. Kennedy denied personally making the decision to cut funding.

When Carter defended these studies as saving lives, Kennedy retorted, “Show me one life.”

“I can show you a whole lot of lives if you got a minute. I’m insulted that you would suggest that there aren’t lives that have been lost,” Carter said. “People are dying every day, sir. And for you to say, show me one, there are people all over this country that are suffering the loss of their loved ones, sir.”

Alleged DOGE conflicts of interest

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) used his time to make the case that Kennedy’s close advisors have significant conflicts of interest that went directly against his aims of promoting “radical transparency” within his department.

Auchincloss brought out displays laying out alleged conflicts of interest relating to HHS special government employee Calley Means, a close advisor to the secretary and brother to Trump’s nominee for U.S. surgeon general, as well as DOGE health czar Brad Smith.

He pointed out that Means is co-founder of the company Truemed, which sells fitness tools and supplements that can be bought with HSA/FSA funds, noting how the GOP’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and the MAHA agenda both call for the expansion of HSA use for health and wellness products.

“So that’s a direct revenue stream for his company while he’s working in the government,” said Auchincloss.

When pressed by the congressman on whether he would require Means to sign financial disclosure forms, Kennedy insisted he had no power to force Means to do anything.

Kennedy then asked if Auchincloss had accepted $400,000 from pharmaceutical companies. The secretary appeared to have a list of lawmakers and the funds they’ve received from the pharmaceutical industry, which he held up with a grin.

“The reason you know that is because I have financial disclosure forms and I’m asking him to submit the same thing,” Auchincloss shot back.

Auchincloss further noted that Smith is chairman & CEO of Main Street Health, whose major investors include top health insurance companies that sell Medicare Advantage plans.

“They’re his investors. He owns this company. They own him and while he was there he set the rules and reimbursements for CMS to hook up his investors,” said the congressman, asking Kennedy whether CMS should continue to do business with Main Street Health.

Kennedy said, “Are you saying we should cut Medicare Advantage?”

“Mr. Kennedy your dissembling and diversion distracts from the fact that you refuse to be radically transparent with either Mr. Means or Mr. Smith,” said Auchincloss.

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA) grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a House hearing on Tuesday and asked Kennedy if he lied to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) when he promised to keep a key federal vaccine advisory committee intact.

Schrier, a pediatrician, spoke of the importance of vaccines to keep kids healthy and noted that “I know Senator Cassidy had concerns about your views on this.”

“And so when he voted to confirm you as Secretary of HHS on February 4th, he explained that decision by saying on the Senate floor that, quote, ‘If confirmed, you will maintain the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes.’ But then two weeks ago, you fired all 17 experts on that very committee. Mr. Secretary, question for you. Did you lie to Senator Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts?” Schrier asked.

Kennedy replied, “I never made that agreement.”

Schrier hit back, “So are you saying that Senator Cassidy lied when he was on the Senate floor, lied to the American people?”

Kennedy replied, “I didn’t see that statement by Senator Cassidy. I’ve only heard it from you, but if he said that I agreed to it, it would be inaccurate. I made an agreement with him, and he and I have talked many times about that agreement.”

“I just want to tell you that for most of us sitting here right now, we believe Senator Cassidy more than we trust you when it comes to vaccinations. It sounds to me like you gave him the answer he needed to hear in order to get his confirmation vote. And then as soon as you were secretary, you turned around and did whatever you want. You fired all 17 members,” Schrier added.

“I’m complying with all the agreements that I’ve made–’ Kennedy replied as Schrier cut in, “Mr. Secretary, you’re now on the record. You lied to Senator Cassidy. You have lied to the American people. You have lied to parents about vaccines for 20 years. And I also want to be clear that I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccine-preventable illness at your feet. I yield back.”

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.

Despite issuing guidance that measles can be treated with simple vitamins, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted Tuesday that he’s never actually had to help someone recover from the disease before.

Kennedy was excoriated by Washington Representative Kim Schrier before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Tuesday. She torched Kennedy for continuing to spread vaccine misinformation and refusing to listen to medical experts while he leads the nation’s public health policy.

“Have you ever treated measles?” asked Schrier, a former physician.

“No,” Kennedy said with a short laugh.

“Well I have,” Schrier said. “Let me tell you how miserable it is: These kids have high fevers, struggling to breathe, and they are crying. They suffer. The great thing is that there’s a vaccine to prevent it.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have described the current measles outbreak in Texas as the worst uptick the agency has seen in measles cases in the last 25 years. But the lackadaisical public response to the contagion has only been made worse by Kennedy’s politics, which include unfounded claims that the disease-eradicating vaccine was contributing to higher autism rates in kids.

Schrier also accused Kennedy of lying to Republican Senator Bill Cassidy during his February confirmation hearings when he promised not to alter the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Cassidy was a critical vote for Kennedy clinching the Cabinet role.

“But then two weeks ago you fired all 17 experts on that very committee. Mr. Secretary, question for you, did you lie to Senator Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts?” Schrier asked.

Kennedy denied having made that commitment altogether, calling it “inaccurate.”

“I made an agreement with him, and he and I talked many times about that agreement,” he said of Cassidy.

Kennedy claimed that all 17 members had potential conflicts of interest before instating eight new members who were reputed vaccine and Covid-19 skeptics.

In May, Kennedy justified a religious Texas community’s decision not to receive the vaccine by claiming that the measles vaccine contains “aborted fetus debris” as well as “DNA particles.”

It should go without saying, but the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine does not contain pieces of aborted fetuses. The vaccine contains live or weakened measles, mumps, and rubella viruses and ingredients to stabilize the solution.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. was confronted over his firing of vaccine advisory committee members and accused of lying at a brutal hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

The known vaccine skeptic appeared before a House subcommittee to testify on the president’s health budget, but he was taken to task by multiple House Democrats, including Rep. Kim Schrier, a former pediatrician.

It came after Kennedy abruptly fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices this month.

Kennedy replaced them with eight new members, including vaccine skeptics, and the panel is set to meet for the first time on Wednesday.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee on June 24, 2025. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

At Tuesday’s hearing, Schrier brought up Kennedy’s confirmation and noted Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said at the time he would be supporting Kennedy only after receiving Kennedy’s commitment to maintain the C.D.C. vaccine advisory panel without changes.

“Did you lie to Senator Cassidy when you told him you would not change this panel of experts?” Schrier asked Kennedy.

“I never made that agreement,” Kennedy responded.

When asked if Kennedy was saying Cassidy was the one who lied, Kennedy claimed he never saw his statement, but if the senator said he agreed to keep the panel without change, that would be “inaccurate.”

Schrier told the secretary then that most of those on the committee believe the senator more than they trust Kennedy on the subject of vaccinations.

“It sounds to me like you gave to him the answer that he needed to hear in order to get his confirmation vote and then as soon as you were secretary, you turned around and did whatever you want,” the congresswoman accused Kennedy.

“You’re now on the record, you lied to Senator Cassidy. You have lied to the American people. You have lied to parents about vaccines for 20 years, and I also want to be clear that I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccine-preventable illness at your feet,” the rep. told him.

On February 4, Cassidy, a doctor who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor explaining his vote after agreeing to support Kennedy’s close confirmation.

“He has also committed that he would work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems, and not establish parallel systems. If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes,” Cassidy said of Kennedy at the time.

This week, Cassidy publicly broke with Kennedy for the first time when he called for the vaccine advisory panel to delay its first meeting.

Although the appointees to ACIP have scientific credentials, many do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology. In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias… — U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) June 23, 2025

Cassidy wrote that many of Kennedy’s new appointees to the panel “do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology.”

“In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them,” Cassidy posted on X.

“Robust and transparent scientific discussion is important, so long as it is rooted in evidence and understanding. Wednesday’s meeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel, and no CDC Director in place to approve the panel’s recommendations,” Cassidy continued.