RFK Jr. Clashes With Democrats Over Health Cuts and Accusations of Partisan Games

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. isn’t playing politics and he made that abundantly clear during a fiery House Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday. The Secretary of Health and Human Services went head-to-head with Democrats, calling out partisan grandstanding and defending his aggressive push to reform a bloated, disorganized, and waste-ridden department.

At the center of the clash was Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who accused Kennedy of putting American health at risk by consolidating multiple federal health offices under HHS. Kennedy, unfazed, fired back.

“We had nine separate offices of women’s health… We had 27 HIV offices… 59 behavioral health programs,” Kennedy said. “When we consolidate them, Democrats say we’re eliminating them. We’re not. We’re still appropriating the $3.7 billion.”

Kennedy didn’t stop there. In a clear swipe at DeLauro’s decades in Congress, he blasted the “cataclysmic disorganization” of HHS that he inherited much of it developed under her watch.

He also took the opportunity to defend his department’s crackdown on Medicaid fraud, hitting back at Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA) for pushing the false narrative that Kennedy was cutting critical care programs.

“I don’t know if you understand this, or whether you’re just mouthing the Democratic talking points,” Kennedy snapped. “Cuts to Medicaid are for fraud, waste, and abuse.”

The numbers back him up:

• Over 1 million people are fraudulently claiming Medicaid from multiple states

• Another million are illegally collecting both Medicaid and Obamacare

• Illegal immigrants will no longer be funded through federal Medicaid under RFK Jr.’s leadership

These are common-sense reforms unless you’re a Democrat more interested in protecting waste than fixing a broken system.

Still, Kennedy made it clear he’s not just about cutting fat he’s about getting results. When DeLauro touted her 20-year campaign to remove toxic food dyes from children’s products, Kennedy didn’t hold back.

“Give me credit I got it out in 100 days!” he declared.

He was referring to his recent move to phase out petroleum-based dyes, which are linked to health risks in children. Major food companies are already on board, with full compliance expected by 2026 a feat no other HHS secretary has come close to delivering.

In perhaps the most powerful moment of the hearing, Kennedy appealed to common values, urging his critics to focus on what really matters.

“There’s no such thing as Republican children or Democrat children. There’s just kids, and we should all be concerned with them.”

This is what real leadership looks like cutting through the noise, exposing the waste, and pushing both sides to do better for American families.

RFK Jr. may not fit into the modern Democratic mold and that’s exactly why his straight talk is rattling the system. At a time when health care has been hijacked by bureaucracy and partisanship, Kennedy is offering something rare accountability.

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