Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) is a national treasure. Kennedy’s ability to reduce complex issues down to fundamental statements is unparalleled. On Tuesday, May 20th, Sen. Kennedy obliterated the Democrats’ narrative on HHS budget cuts with nothing but a few simple questions.
HHS Secretary RFK, Jr. was under heavy fire from the Democrats that the world would end if the budget cuts he proposed were to actually take place. And be advised these were real cuts, not some reduction in spending increases. Proposed cuts included $18 billion for NIH and $3.6 billion from the CDC.
RFK, Jr. came prepared with facts and not emotion. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) slammed Kennedy for a $3 billion drop in federally funded biomedical research compared to last year.
“We’re cutting waste, we’re cutting duplicative programs,” RFK, Jr. said.
Still, Baldwin wouldn’t let up. She framed the loss of “3,200 fewer grants” as an attack on “life-saving programs.”
RFK, Jr. slammed back. “We spend 70% of the world’s biomedical research out of NIH. 70%. And we’re the sickest country in the world.”
RFK, Jr. continued by noting that his agency’s growth was 38% over the last four years. Where did all that money go? Kennedy pointed out that the problem with America’s health care is not the amount being spent but rather how it is being spent.
Of course, for the Democrats it was all sound and fury without substance.
Then it was Senator Kennedy’s turn. The Senator dismantled the entire narrative with a few simple questions.
The first line of questioning pointed out that HHS staff went from 82,000 to 62,000, the same level it was at before COVID in 2019.
Sen. Kennedy sarcastically asked, “Is this the first time that an institution in America has ever downsized?”
“I don’t think so,” RFK Jr. replied.
Sen. Kennedy went on and kept ramming this point home.
“Microsoft just announced that they were going to reduce their workforce by 6,000 people. You think that’ll be the end of Microsoft?”
“I don’t think so,” RFK Jr. answered.
“Meta—I still call them Facebook—just announced they’re going to reduce their workforce by 3,000 people. You think that’ll be the end of Meta?”
“I imagine it will not,” RFK Jr. said.
“Yeah. Think maybe the people at Meta know what they’re doing?” Sen. Kennedy asked.
“I think that they do,” RFK Jr. responded. “They make a lot of money.”
“Do you hate NIH?” Senator Kennedy asked.
“I love NIH,” RFK Jr. said earnestly. “I grew up with NIH. I visited when I was a boy. I loved science, and those were my favorite afternoons visiting the labs.”
Then Senator Kennedy got serious. Kennedy stated that the best way to increase medical funding research was to ”stop the stealing.” Kennedy gave a primer on how the stealing takes place.
“Let’s suppose NIH gives a university $100 million for medical research. That university takes $30 million of it, doesn’t spend it on the research, and uses it to subsidize the rest of their university. Does that show a commitment to medical research?”
Let’s be reminded that private grants typically see 10% to 15% in indirect costs. RFK, Jr. cited Stanford University as an example of bloated spending. Apparently Stanford was taking 78% in indirect costs and no one knew where the money was going. Senator Kennedy noted, “In Louisiana… we call that stealing.”
Senator Kennedy went on to touch on other subjects. The Senator completed his time by noting, “You understand, Mr. Secretary, there’s nothing you can do that’s going to make many of my Democratic colleagues happy. You get that, don’t you?”
“I do understand,” RFK Jr. replied. “I’m coming to understand that, Senator. Yes.”
Senator Kennedy killed the “budget cuts kill people” narrative and exposed how bloated spending has failed the very people it’s meant to help. Another fine job by the Senator from Louisiana.
See the full exchange below. It’s nothing short of glorious.