Senate HELP Committee Questions HHS Budget Cuts, Reorganization and Staff Reductions

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Thursday pressed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the department's fiscal 2026 budget proposal and a reorganization that has led to widespread reductions in staff and program consolidations.

The committee's questioning centered on whether HHS can preserve core services while cutting administrative functions and reallocating funds.

Kennedy told the committee he will "shift funding away from bureaucracy and toward direct impact," and that the budget aims to "preserve legacy programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start" while consolidating other offices into what he described as an "Administration for a Healthy America." He said the department would "prioritize these families especially Native American and Alaskan communities" and "protect IHS funding, streamline its operations, and give the tribes more autonomy in managing their resources." (Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services)

Lawmakers raised a string of concerns about how the cuts and restructuring are being implemented and communicated. Senator Patty Murray recounted a constituent's report that treatment at the NIH Clinical Center was delayed and demanded a specific count of staff cut at NIH; Kennedy said he could not provide an immediate number and asked Murray's office to contact his staff for follow-up. Senator Lisa Murkowski, among others, warned that some programs eliminated or moved could cause real harm in states with specific needs such as LIHEAP in Alaska and occupational health work for commercial fisheries.

Senators repeatedly said program offices have been "folded" into new consolidated units and that staff have been placed on administrative leave or given reduction-in-force notices. Kennedy said some of the actions were administrative and that "as far as I know, we have not fired any working scientists" and that some RIF notices have been rescinded.

Members pressed Kennedy on several program areas:

- NIH: Concern about proposed reductions and a cited figure that NIH-related research funding has been curtailed; Kennedy said research staff doing science were not the targets of cuts and pledged continued support for key research.

- CDC and public health preparedness: Senators said eliminating certain block grants could damage states' ability to respond to outbreaks. Kennedy said CDC retains a legal obligation for national pandemic response and that HHS would "meet that obligation."

- NIOSH and firefighter/commercial fishing safety: Senators worried cuts at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health would disrupt mine safety, firefighter health and the Center for Marine Safety and Health Studies; Kennedy said he has restored positions in Cleveland and Morgantown and that key functions would continue.

- Head Start and other early-childhood support: Lawmakers described delays in previously appropriated Head Start funds that forced local programs to delay opening and said HHS had provided "roughly a billion dollars less to Head Start programs" in recent months; Kennedy said he believed the funding was allocated and pledged to investigate reported processing delays.

- LIHEAP: Alaska's delegation warned that proposed elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program would be life-threatening in certain regions; Kennedy said he had already spent $400 million this year on the program and would spend appropriated funds if Congress provided them.

Several senators also cited a temporary restraining order (TRO) in litigation over the reorganization; Kennedy said his attorneys had advised him not to discuss details while litigation is pending.

Why it matters: Lawmakers said the reorganization and staffing actions are occurring while communities rely on HHS programs for clinical trials, disease surveillance, occupational health and early-childhood services. They asked for specific staffing numbers, clearer timelines, and assurances that services would not be interrupted.

What was directed or pledged: Kennedy committed to (1) follow up with Senator Murray's office about the NIH clinical-trial delay; (2) maintain legal pandemic-response responsibilities at CDC; (3) restore or protect specific NIOSH activities and World Trade Center-related programs where practical; and (4) review claims of delayed Head Start payments and report back.

The hearing produced no committee votes or formal policy changes. Lawmakers repeatedly pressed for written answers and additional documentation about staffing, grant distributions and program continuity.