US EditionSusan Collins Again Chooses Optics over Substance
- Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Of the Department of Health and Human Services faced tough questioning from Senator Patty Murray during a tense Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the agency’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026.
- The conflict arose after Kennedy's department withheld billions in funding appropriated by Congress, including cuts to child care and NIH grants, which Kennedy disputed despite reports confirming reductions and staff layoffs.
- During the hearing, Murray questioned Kennedy about who decided to withhold grant funding and accused him of presiding over destruction of public health while Kennedy blamed Murray’s tenure for declining American health outcomes.
- Kennedy’s proposed budget contained over 530 redactions and requested dramatic cuts that Murray described as "devastating," warning these would worsen public health and erode U.S. Biomedical research leadership.
- The exchange highlighted deep divisions over HHS funding priorities and raised concerns that the budget cuts could harm millions relying on health programs amid America’s ongoing chronic disease epidemic.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Lewiston Sun Journal
Susan Collins again chooses optics over substance
Sen. Susan Collins “presses RFK Jr. during contentious hearing.” How many times have we seen this headline? In this case, it reminds me of someone asking an arsonist to explain why he kept starting fires after hiring him to be the chief of the fire department. As I recall, the senator explained that her vote […]
RFK Jr. Melts Down in Senate Hearing—GOP Senator Forced to Step In: ‘Mr. Secretary, Hold Back!’
A Senate hearing spiraled out of control when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. exploded in anger after being pressed on a basic question about child care funding—forcing a Republican senator to step in and calm things down. The clash began during a budget hearing when Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) took aim at Kennedy’s leadership. She criticized what she called “illegal” cuts to staffing and funding at HHS and said his ear…
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