RFK Jr. defends NIH cuts

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returned to Capitol Hill for back-to-back hearings before the Senate HELP and Appropriations committees to justify the Trump administration's 2027 health budget.

The Secretary struggled to defend deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health, pointing to the national debt as a primary driver.

Senator Bill Cassidy and other members of the health committee questioned Kennedy's commitment to scientific integrity and his department's focus on 'vanity projects' over public health crises.

The hearings highlight the deep ideological divide within the administration over the future of federal medical research and social services.