It’s not every September that Capitol Hill finds itself in the throes of a public health firestorm, but this year, the return from summer recess was anything but sleepy. The spark? Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose controversial approach to vaccine policy has ignited fierce debate, resignations, and a political reckoning that’s reverberating across the nation.
On September 4, 2025, Kennedy appeared before the Senate Finance Committee, defending the Trump administration’s health agenda and his own record. "We at HHS are enacting a once-in-a-generation shift from a sick-care system, to a true health care system that tackles the root causes of chronic disease," Kennedy declared in his opening statement, according to CBS News. But the hearing was anything but routine. Tempers flared as senators from both parties grilled Kennedy over his long-standing skepticism about vaccine safety and his recent decisions at the helm of the nation’s top health agency.
The drama had been building for days. On August 27, the federal government announced new restrictions on eligibility for COVID vaccinations, particularly for children and pregnant women. The same day, the Trump White House abruptly fired Dr. Susan Monarez, the recently confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ouster of Monarez—less than a month into her tenure—sent shockwaves through the public health community, prompting a wave of resignations by veteran CDC officials and an open letter signed by over 1,000 current and former Health and Human Services (HHS) employees demanding Kennedy’s resignation. They accused the secretary of mishandling the agency and endangering American lives, as reported by the Alabama Political Reporter.
President Trump, however, has stood by his embattled HHS secretary. Speaking to reporters outside the White House on September 7, Trump described Kennedy as "a different kind of guy" with "a lot of good ideas, but he’s got a lot of ideas." Trump continued, "Normally, they don’t have any ideas and that’s why we have problems with autism and so many other things, because we’re coming up with the answers for autism, you watch. We’re coming up with the answers for other things that normal people, regular people, easy-to-get-along-with people wouldn’t be able to do." Trump’s remarks, reported by Nexstar Media, reflected his characteristic blend of support and hedging—defending Kennedy’s unconventional thinking while distancing himself from some of the secretary’s more controversial positions.
Indeed, Kennedy’s views have drawn sharp criticism, especially his repeated suggestions of a link between vaccines and autism. At the Senate hearing, Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), an orthopedic surgeon and the Senate GOP whip, pressed Kennedy on his vaccine stance: "I support vaccines. I’m a doctor. Vaccines work," Barrasso said. "Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned." Kennedy, for his part, told the committee that HHS is on track to identify "interventions" that are "certainly causing autism"—a claim that has alarmed the scientific community.
Democrats were no less forceful. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) confronted Kennedy directly: "When were you lying, sir – when you told this committee that you were not anti-vax? Or when you told Americans that there’s no safe and effective vaccine?" Kennedy’s reply—"Both things are true"—only deepened the sense of unease in the room.
The fallout from these events has been swift and severe. Four senior CDC officials—Doctors Jennifer Layden, Daniel Jernigan, Debra Houry, and Demetre Daskalakis—have resigned in recent days, some citing Kennedy’s vaccine policies, others the upheaval at the CDC. Dr. Daskalakis, in an interview with CBS News, warned, "We’ve already crossed the line. The COVID recommendations for children and pregnant women are completely not based in any evidence that world experts agree on." He pointed out that by restricting vaccine access, "those kids that could have been protected won’t be." Dr. Jernigan characterized Kennedy’s approach as "death by a thousand cuts, death by a thousand questions, calling into question data that has been accepted for many, many years."
Meanwhile, public confidence in the nation’s health institutions appears to be eroding. A recent poll cited by the Alabama Political Reporter found that only a quarter of Americans at least "somewhat trust" Kennedy’s medical advice, while nearly half expressed outright distrust. The CDC’s vaccine advisory board—now featuring Kennedy appointees—is scheduled to meet later this month to decide future guidelines, a move that has many in the medical community on edge.
Not everyone in Washington is abandoning Kennedy. Alabama’s Republican senators, Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, have reaffirmed their support. "Senator Tuberville was proud to support Secretary Kennedy during his confirmation hearings and is 100 percent supportive of the great work he is doing to Make America Healthy Again now," Tuberville’s office stated. Britt’s spokesperson added, "Senator Britt supports Secretary Kennedy and President Trump’s mission to Make America Healthy Again. The public’s trust in the CDC was significantly eroded after COVID—and with good reason. Senator Britt shares President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s goal to restore public confidence in our health care system and ensure the American people to have the very best science to make informed decisions."
Still, the rift within the Republican Party is evident. While some, like Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), have offered broad support for Kennedy, others—such as Senator Barrasso—have voiced real concerns that "safe, proven vaccines like measles, like hepatitis B and others, could be in jeopardy." Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, himself a physician, defended Kennedy, blaming the scientific establishment for sowing doubts about vaccine safety. "All the doubt over vaccines is—there might be some doubt coming from those who don’t want you to take a vaccine, but quite a bit of doubt is coming from the establishment that I believe is authoritarian in nature," Paul said. "You don’t care whether they tell you what to do. You should just do what you’re told. We know better than you."
Beyond the Beltway, the policy divide is growing. Florida’s Republican governor announced plans to eliminate all childhood vaccine requirements in early September, while Democratic governors on the West Coast are moving swiftly to protect their states’ vaccine programs. Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and former Biden administration official, warned that this "splintering" of public health policy could have dire consequences: "Diseases don’t obey borders," he told CBS News. "Other countries around the world are baffled by our now falling into a civil war over whether the discoveries that have saved the world mattered."
As the CDC’s vaccine advisory board prepares to chart the next chapter in America’s vaccine policy, the nation finds itself at a crossroads. Trust, as Dr. Gawande put it, "helps assuage doubt"—but in today’s climate of political upheaval and scientific skepticism, restoring that trust may prove to be the greatest challenge of all.
