[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6063165,"mediaKeyId","3270606-0fe1d2425a39ed035c73b26ac92be567","parentId",3270606,"title","Senators press HHS nominees over measles outbreak, vaccines and Secretary Kennedy's public statements","audioSeconds",5803,"startMs",1447000,"endMs",7250000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270606-0fe1d2425a39ed035c73b26ac92be567&start=1447&end=7250","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270606-0fe1d2425a39ed035c73b26ac92be567/thumbnail_1447000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063165/Senators-press-HHS-nominees-over-measles-outbreak-vaccines-and-Secretary-Kennedys-public-statements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063165-3b2354a1ef54e5e316ef1fa46ece02bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154445&Signature=h9Deg1ksokfovWKFMBGUFWOZlNDzvDMCh9J~oJy0WGa4wiP77trxAp3FFxNMsrbdSyE6LK5YSRVuR5L6uYVKMrattttA3ykl2V1vqKcFnzPB3bA22-VgdCJzsp5N-kwlNhTWeGAkqMfqwMDYD6CjKV13GWxcXPK8Zx4yJ1SQjhuiCr9yfQqht88ZZShSblUC4~12Mh6sMV0JneKcVnGe8zXBsGfI~bEX549LGfR-VM3~6dNKBrD1KtuIGIe7OiHAKhIxOu2KfQi0DMCg1Vfn9RyMrkS~cn-dGR1fGFYvGvQfgt~pXE27dK4qdFtC3jQub7W6RW0U2KCZsot-1AEkbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Finance","date","2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","article","Senators at the Senate Finance Committee hearing pressed Jim O'Neil and Gary Andres about Department of Health and Human Services leadership and the response to recent public-health crises, with sustained focus on the national measles outbreak and statements by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Lawmakers said agency rhetoric and personnel moves have undermined public trust during outbreaks, and they asked whether the nominees would counsel the secretary differently. The exchanges focused on verifiable facts from the hearing — case counts cited by senators, reported staff reductions, cancelled research, and nominees' stated positions — rather than on outside analysis.

The issue matters because HHS and CDC guidance shape vaccination policy, outbreak response, and public confidence in preventive measures. Several senators described recent statements and actions by the secretary as dangerous and said the department has moved away from evidence-based guidance.

Ranking Member Ron Wyden opened by citing the scope of the outbreak: \"As of Friday, there have been 935 cases reported across 30 states,\" and he told the committee he was concerned that Secretary Kennedy \"continues to offer up lies and junk science that are dissuading parents from vaccinating their kids.\" Wyden also read a quote he attributed to Secretary Kennedy about Americans living with autism: \"These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem,\" and he said those comments were \"bone-chilling.\" Wyden and other senators said the comments and certain program changes have discouraged parents from seeking care and diagnosis.

Senator Elizabeth Warren critiqued multiple actions by Secretary Kennedy, saying, \"Secretary Kennedy has fired the experts, peddled dangerous conspiracy theories, and moved HHS decision making into the shadows,\" and asked whether O'Neil would have advised against such steps. Senator Warren also asked whether O'Neil would advise differently on the agency's handling of avian flu.

O'Neil repeatedly affirmed his support for vaccination and the MMR vaccine in particular. He told the committee, \"I strongly support vaccines. I think they're the greatest [public health intervention]...I've received it. So have my children.\" He said physicians and the department should pursue \"the best and most rigorous science\" and that medical professionals should lead medical guidance. When asked directly whether the secretary's response to measles was effective, O'Neil said the secretary \"has advocated parents get the MMR vaccine\" and that he agreed with that advocacy; he also said he had not been involved in the secretary's internal decisions.

Some senators pressed for yes-or-no answers. Senator Wyden asked O'Neil whether he supported proposed Medicaid cuts; O'Neil declined a simple yes-or-no and said he supports focusing Medicaid on ‘‘protecting the most vulnerable populations.'' On whether he agreed with specific Kennedy statements about autism, O'Neil said he believed the secretary was speaking about severe autism and replied in some cases that \"I believe that is true in some cases,\" emphasizing the heterogeneity of the spectrum and the need for research.

Other senators reiterated concerns about nonstandard medical claims reportedly broadcast by the secretary and asked whether O'Neil would ensure that HHS medical professionals' recommendations prevail. O'Neil said he would rely on physicians and rigorous science but also noted he had not reviewed the specific studies some senators cited and offered to review them.

Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maggie Hassan raised the collateral effects of HHS staffing reductions on surveillance and research; Warren and Wyden said research on vaccine hesitancy was canceled and CDC analyses had been withdrawn. O'Neil said that if confirmed he would work to preserve essential functions and correct mistakes.

Ending: The nominees' answers — firm endorsements of vaccines coupled with repeated statements that they were not involved in prior decisions — left several senators unconvinced that the department's current approach would change. Senators said they would follow up with written questions and expect detailed responses during the committee's ongoing oversight of HHS.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hearing to Consider the Nominations of James O'Neill, of California, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, vice Andrea Joan Palm, resigned and Gary Andres, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, vice Melanie Anne Egorin, resigned","oneSentenceSummary","During confirmation hearings, senators challenged nominees on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements and HHS actions amid a measles outbreak and other public-health incidents; nominee Jim O'Neil repeatedly affirmed support for MMR vaccination but stopped short of criticizing Kennedy's overall approach.","taxTitle","Finance: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1993,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6063169,"Finance Committee presses HHS nominees on agency reorganization, staff cuts and program disruptions",6230,1258000,7488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3270606-0fe1d2425a39ed035c73b26ac92be567&start=1258&end=7488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3270606-0fe1d2425a39ed035c73b26ac92be567/thumbnail_1258000.jpg","/articles/6063169/Finance-Committee-presses-HHS-nominees-on-agency-reorganization-staff-cuts-and-program-disruptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063169-7dd0a6237349c8c03ceae9a025d607ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154445&Signature=Ko67orpclt9cc~FzwDC-qsu~QdZPjLud9NE8-xh7QveUIpP0s978s202Iyy8nKJol8sLPTkw5H19ozxDpL11uxv0KuWHRlLR~20Zbw1Pxk2G2whqHiqijxA~AlDNFzG8WN7fAv4GaNNbgI8NmqtHbEyWHABac5iS3MSS9409~dLXHHaApa8D6MnMmFsCVYjn0lvhKZxmzBq5QCzGJinog99IvXeo7U5LfJOT6W71xHOX0Vp9ao1HZ9hOVkO~SQuxZVL22XS3lV5r~fAwYcH1FDs9J7fYhf-EdQkvcS5elmYd2qNZC1vG~0XcniWgt7~cQ3Nkd4TcOqJNWIlOFg2C9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jim O'Neil and Gary Andres faced sustained questions from the Senate Finance Committee on whether the Department of Health and Human Services' reorganization and reductions in force have impaired essential public-health functions.

Committee members led by Ranking Member Ron Wyden and several Democrats said recent personnel cuts have left gaps in programs from CDC research to local assistance programs. Senators pressed both nominees on whether they would restore disrupted programs and provide timely responses to congressional oversight requests.

The exchange mattered because HHS runs programs that serve seniors, children, emergency responders and public-health surveillance; senators warned that staffing decisions and paused programs risk public-health consequences and reduce congressional oversight.

Wyden cited reported department losses and program impacts as he introduced the hearing and questioned the nominees' alignment with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s approach. Wyden said, \"Over the past several weeks, Health and Human Services has lost 20,000 workers\" and described program reductions ranging from cancer researchers to Meals on Wheels support. He asked whether O'Neil would be a \"yes man\" for current leadership; Wyden pressed for clarity about nominees' positions on budget and program priorities.

O'Neil, a nominee for deputy secretary who previously served at HHS and as CEO of SENS Research Foundation, said he did not participate in the staffing and budget decisions but repeatedly pledged to preserve essential statutory functions and to correct mistakes if confirmed. \"If the department has made a mistake, it should correct the mistake promptly,\" O'Neil told Senator Grassley. He added that his understanding of the secretary's reorganization was that \"the essential functions of the department should be preserved\" and that combining duplicative functions can be appropriate.

Gary Andres, the nominee for the department's congressional liaison role, told senators he would be \"more available and present myself up here on Capitol Hill\" and pledged responsiveness to congressional inquiries. In response to concerns about delayed answers to written questions, Andres said, \"I do commit that I will... be as responsive and accountable and timely and transparent as possible.\"

Senators detailed specific program disruptions. Senator Maggie Hassan said the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer is \"at a complete standstill,\" quoting the registry's notice that enrollment and research were halted after a reduction in force at NIOSH. Senator Patty Murray and others raised LIHEAP, noting temporary staff losses that administer heating-assistance funds for low-income households. Senator Wyden and others discussed Head Start and asked O'Neil whether he supported the program; O'Neil said he had worked with Head Start previously and considered it essential but that he had not been involved in any recent decisions to reduce it.

Other lawmakers pressed on additional priorities that would fall under deputy-secretary or liaison responsibilities if the nominees are confirmed: PBM and drug-supply transparency, rural health, organ transplant system management, foster care services, cybersecurity for health data, and NIH-funded research. On NIH funding and a proposed $18 billion reduction cited by Senator Campbell, O'Neil said he had not been involved in the budget's development and emphasized support for \"gold standard research\" and ensuring funding supports replicable science.

No formal committee actions or votes occurred during the hearing; senators left the record open for follow-up questions. The committee's chair reminded members to submit any questions for the record by the committee deadline.

If confirmed, the nominees will join an agency at the center of debate about program continuity, transparency to Congress, and how to preserve statutory functions while pursuing organizational changes. Senators signaled they expect written follow-ups and oversight on specific program restorations and staffing decisions.

Ending: The committee paused the hearing pending additional questions and scheduled a vote in committee on the nominations; senators said they would monitor responses to letters and requests for records.","Nominees for deputy HHS secretary Jim O'Neil and congressional liaison Gary Andres defended their records and gave conditional commitments to correct mistakes as senators pressed them about recent reorganization-related staff reductions and paused programs at HHS and CDC.","actionData","errors"]

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Senators press HHS nominees over measles outbreak, vaccines and Secretary Kennedy's public statements

Finance Committee presses HHS nominees on agency reorganization, staff cuts and program disruptions