HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Appears Before Congress in Series of Hearings
Published April 20, 2026
By AACOM Government Relations
Federal Policy OME Advocate
- On April 16, 2026, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee to defend his budget and HHS priorities. He highlighted several priorities, including:
- Nutrition education in medical education, noting more than 50 medical schools have made commitments
- Rural health, highlighting a proposed $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund and a $135 million investment to extend rural residency programs and nutrition services
- Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about increases in vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, and questioned Secretary Kennedy on changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, as well as broader healthcare affordability issues and potential cuts to federal health programs.
- Secretary Kennedy also appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, addressing the administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget request on April 16 and April 17. Additional hearings are scheduled for next week, including appearances before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.