&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'I don’t think anybody knows': Robert F Kennedy Jr questioned on US Covid death toll in Senate hearing")
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr sparred with senators from both parties on Thursday (September 4) during the Senate hearing, defending his sweeping overhaul of the country's health agencies while fending off accusations that he has undermined science and dismissed the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kennedy said drastic measures were necessary to reverse what he described as America’s profound health crisis, including removing senior officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But his testimony quickly turned combative, as lawmakers pressed him on vaccine policy, pandemic deaths, and allegations from his ousted CDC chief.
Democrat Ron Wyden confronted Kennedy with an opinion piece by former CDC Director Susan Monarez, published in the Wall Street Journal. Monarez accused Kennedy of insisting she sign off on vaccine recommendations shaped by a panel of figures critical of immunisation programs. Kennedy flatly rejected her account, insisting he never held a private meeting with her and accusing Monarez of fabricating her claims.
Republican John Cornyn asked whether Kennedy thought Covid had been politicised. Kennedy replied that the entire process was corrupted by politics and dishonesty, saying his goal now is to “remove politics from science.” The most tense exchange came when Senator Mark Warner demanded to know how many Americans had died from Covid.
Kennedy replied that “nobody knows,” blaming mismanagement of data. Warner erupted, calling him ignorant for not acknowledging official government figures, which show more than 1.2 million deaths.
Senator Catherine Cortez accused Kennedy of spreading misinformation about vaccines. Kennedy shot back that she was “making things up,” prompting Cortez to retort that “sometimes an accusation is a confession.” Elizabeth Warren zeroed in on Kennedy’s vaccine policies, asking if he threatened Monarez with dismissal for resisting changes to childhood immunisation schedules. Kennedy said he fired her after she admitted she was not trustworthy. Warren accused him of jeopardising public health and told him directly he should step down.
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Independent Senator Bernie Sanders challenged Kennedy’s dismissal of mainstream science, pointing out that the American Medical Association and other professional bodies overwhelmingly disagree with his views. Kennedy instead cited television physician Dr Oz and a handful of advisers as his scientific support. Sanders accused Kennedy of painting himself as the only honest actor while labelling everyone else corrupt.
