RFK Jr. grilled over vaccines, MAHA in back-to-back hearings: Key takeaways

The Hill reports that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before House Ways and Means and Appropriations Committees on Thursday, marking his first congressional appearance in 2026 and the opening of a scheduled seven-day hearing marathon. He defended his record leading the health agency while Democrats challenged him on vaccines and MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) policies; independently corroborated reporting from PBS and the New York Times confirms Kennedy faced lawmakers defending a proposed 12%+ budget cut to HHS and addressed concerns about glyphosate production policy. The article is bylined and sourced from a major national outlet with established editorial standards, though the description cuts off mid-sentence and lacks specific details about which claims Kennedy made or how Democrats specifically challenged him—details visible in fuller coverage from PBS and the Times. Watch for the remaining six hearings Kennedy has scheduled in coming days, as well as FDA meetings this summer on easing restrictions on peptides aligned with MAHA priorities, both of which will signal the scope of policy shifts Kennedy intends to pursue.