Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to face House and Senate lawmakers in separate hearings Wednesday to discuss President Donald Trump's fiscal-year 2026 budget and how it factors into the way he is reshaping the agency.
Kennedy, taking questions from lawmakers for the first time since his February confirmation, will first testify at 10:30 a.m. in front of the House Appropriations Committee, where he will discuss efforts to "cut government bloat," The Hill reported, citing a prepared statement posted by the committee.
"The HHS restructuring will serve multiple goals without impacting critical services," Kennedy said. "First, beginning in FY 2026, it could save taxpayers an estimated $1.8 billion per year through a reduction in workforce. Our reductions have focused on aligning HHS staffing levels to reflect the size of HHS prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw around a 15% increase in the number of employees.
"Secondly, it will streamline the functions of the Department. Currently, the 28 divisions of HHS contain many redundant units. The restructuring plan will consolidate them into 15 new divisions, including a new Administration for a Healthy America, or AHA, and will centralize core functions such as human resources, information technology, procurement, external affairs, and policy. Finally, the restructuring will improve Americans' experience with HHS by making the agency more responsive and efficient, while ensuring that Medicare, Medicaid, and other essential health services remain intact."
At 1:30 p.m., Kennedy will testify in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, whose chair, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., grilled Kennedy over his stances on vaccines but eventually voted to confirm him. Cassidy also voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, and Louisiana GOP Gov. Jeff Landry and Trump reportedly discussed backing Rep. Julia Letlow to challenge Cassidy in next year's Republican primary.
People with knowledge of Cassidy and Kennedy's rapport expect Cassidy might stick with a nonconfrontational approach Wednesday that he believes has helped steer Kennedy away from his anti-vaccine impulses since his confirmation, Politico reported.
"It's probably going to be really disappointing for people who want fireworks," said one of the individuals, adding that Cassidy and Kennedy often talk multiple times a week.