7 burning questions for RFK Jr. as he faces senators on CDC turmoil and more

WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before Congress on Thursday as he continues to face a political firestorm that might determine his future in the Trump administration. Senators will have an opportunity to grill the secretary about major changes he has made in his first six months, some of which have shaken lawmakers’ and public health workers’ confidence in his leadership, even as the White House defends his actions. 

Kennedy was previously scheduled to appear before the Senate Finance Committee this week to discuss the president’s 2026 health care agenda. Now the hearing takes on a heightened level of urgency, as it comes on the heels of a crisis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last week, Kennedy fired CDC Director Susan Monarez. Other top health officials resigned in protest, and nine former CDC directors wrote in The New York Times that Kennedy’s moves to remake the agency are endangering the entire nation. 

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