WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifying on Capitol Hill for the first time since he was confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary in February, on Wednesday shot down attempts by lawmakers to probe a wholesale reorganization and slashing of staff at the department, citing a court’s gag order issued just the day before.

Kennedy appeared before two influential panels — the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — that are examining the Trump administration’s $94 billion budget request for the department in fiscal 2026.

Kennedy defended that request as well as the government’s response to a measles outbreak and proposed changes to biomedical research.

But lawmakers seeking answers on the major reorganization, which included terminating thousands of employees, left without answers.

“As of 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon, we are under a court order not to do any further planning on the reorganization, and I’ve been advised by my attorneys … not to talk about it,” he told House appropriators, adding that some programs under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were transferred to the newly formed Administration for a Healthy America. “I’m not permitted to talk in any more detail.”

Ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., asked Kennedy for a list of which programs have been eliminated under the reorganization, why they were chosen and what criteria were used.

“That is information that this committee needs in order to be able to do our job in terms of appropriating funds,” DeLauro said.

Kennedy said he would “gladly provide” her with that information but said the court order prohibits him from doing so. The health secretary similarly cited the order in declining to provide details to a question from Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., about how the reorganization changes oversight of the 340B drug program.

It wasn’t clear which lawsuit challenging the reorganization gave rise to the order. The department faces more than 100 lawsuits across the country on the issue.

Kennedy made a point to say that he ensured the early childhood education Head Start program’s funding was not cut in the reorganization. He praised the program, alongside Medicare and Medicaid, as the “foundation of the MAHA agenda.”

That defense came even as an earlier “passback” version of the HHS budget in April would have sought to close the Head Start program. The subsequent “skinny budget” request did not provide details about how much funding, if any, the White House is seeking for Head Start.

Medical research

Kennedy was freer to talk about other subjects, such as the budget’s plan to cut spending by about 26%, with the largest cuts proposed for the National Institutes of Health.

DeLauro asked Kennedy if HHS was also freezing and withholding funding that Congress appropriated in fiscal 2025 for life-saving NIH research. The continuing resolution maintains NIH funding levels, but DeLauro said the agency has cut biomedical research compared to the same period the previous year.

“We appropriated it. It is the law of the land for NIH research to obligate those funds by Sept. 30 of this year,” DeLauro said. “Or are you planning to break the law by impounding congressionally appropriated funds?”

“We are not withholding any funding for lifesaving research,” Kennedy answered. “If Congress appropriates me the money, I’m going to spend the money. You have the power of the purse here,” Kennedy said.

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., asked Kennedy if the administration viewed enacted funding as a suggestion or a directive.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s the president’s budget. My duty is to defend it,” said Kennedy, reiterating it was up to Congress to determine funding. “There’s no agency head that I know of that wants to see his agency gutted or his budget lowered.”

In response to the worst measles outbreak in years, Kennedy told House appropriators, “We are doing a better job at CDC today than any nation in the world in controlling this measles outbreak.”

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., asked whether he would vaccinate for measles if he had young children today.

“For measles, probably for measles. What I would say is that my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant,” Kennedy said. “I don’t want to seem like I’m being evasive, but I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.”

Pocan countered that this was his jurisdiction because the CDC does give advice on vaccines.

Kennedy gave similar responses about chicken pox and polio.

Senate HELP

Protesters interrupted Kennedy’s opening statement at the Senate HELP hearing, chanting, “RFK kills people with AIDS.” Capitol police officers removed them from the room.

“That was a made-for-C-SPAN moment,” Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said.

Cassidy noted that Kennedy’s appearance in the Senate was the first time in at least 20 years that an HHS secretary had testified before the panel on the president’s budget.

“Much of the conversation about HHS agenda has been set by anonymous sources in the media and individuals with a bias against the president,” Cassidy said. “Americans need direct reassurance from the administration and from you, Mr. Secretary, that these reforms will make their lives easier, not harder, and that’s why I’ve invited you.”

Ranking member Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., criticized the Trump administration over its executive order on Monday that seeks to bring drug prices in line with those in other countries, which are often lower because of how their health care systems negotiate prices.

Sanders said he would soon introduce a bill that he says would accomplish the same goal of ensuring Americans pay the same as other countries for drugs.

“This executive order, like Trump’s previous executive orders on the subject, will likely be thrown out by the courts, and we will be back to exactly where we are today, paying by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” he said.

Cassidy pressed Kennedy on reports of the department’s decision to close the National Institutes of Health’s office of long COVID. Kennedy said his son has experienced long COVID.

“The COVID office was cut by an executive order from the White House,” Kennedy said. “Everybody at NIH and at CDC is committed to these kind of studies. And I can tell you personally, I will make sure that they happen.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, pressed Kennedy on the proposed cap on indirect costs for research that institutions can receive from the NIH. Collins last month called on the Trump administration to reverse the clawbacks on biomedical research.

Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., and Kennedy had a heated exchange over whether Kennedy recommends that people receive the measles vaccine.

“You told the public that the vaccine wanes very quickly. You went on the ‘Dr. Phil’ show and said that the measles vaccine was never fully tested for safety. You said there’s fetal debris in the measles vaccine,” Murphy said.

“All true, all true,” Kennedy responded.

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