RFK grilled during contentious hearing
The Excerpt
USA TODAY
4.4 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 15 May 2025
⏱️ 15 minutes
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Summary
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was grilled Wednesday on Capitol Hill, where he talked about measles, vaccines, fluoride and more.
USA TODAY Education Reporter Zach Schermele discusses why the Trump administration's policies could jeopardize the tens of billions of dollars foreign students bring to colleges and cities.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused a House Democrat of defending a terrorist after he suggested she was ignoring a court order to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported.
Harvard scientist Kseniia Petrova has been charged with smuggling as she fights deportation.
USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jessica Guynn takes a look at a wave of legislation targeting diversity, equity and inclusion that's moving through Republican-controlled statehouses.
Why are woodpeckers attacking cars?
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Thursday, May 15th, 2025. This is the excerpt. |
| 0:14.6 | Today we break down a fiery hearing over health and RFK Juniors plans, plus international college students bring billions to the U.S. |
| 0:22.2 | That may change, and how Republican statehouses are joining Trump's fight to root out DEI. |
| 0:29.2 | Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the president's proposed cuts to top health |
| 0:33.8 | agencies as committee members in the House and Senate peppered him with questions on |
| 0:37.9 | a number of health topics and spending. Many questions revolved around the Secretary's response to a |
| 0:42.7 | measles epidemic, which last week crossed the 1,000 cases mark in the U.S., the largest single |
| 0:48.1 | outbreak in 25 years. The outbreak has also recently spread to both Mexico and Canada. |
| 0:53.8 | If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles? |
| 0:57.3 | For measles? |
| 1:00.1 | Probably for measles. |
| 1:02.9 | You know, what I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant. |
| 1:08.8 | I have directed Jay Batachara. |
| 1:11.6 | Sure. No, like I said, I don't want to... |
| 1:12.6 | So that everybody can make that decision, but I, you know, I don't want to be... |
| 1:16.6 | It seems like I'm being evasive. |
| 1:18.6 | Yeah. |
| 1:19.6 | But I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, for me. |
| 1:23.6 | Right, no, I got that. And I'm not asking you to give the milk advice, but would you vaccinate your child for measles? |
| 1:28.2 | I think if I answer that question directly, that it will seem like I'm giving advice to other people, and I don't want to be doing that. I want people to make uprope. |
| 1:36.6 | But that's kind of your jurisdiction, because CDC does give advice. Democratic Representative Mark Pocan from Wisconsin. When pressed on whether he would vaccinate his |
| 1:44.4 | children for chicken pox and polio, Kennedy once again dodged the question and said he didn't want to be |
... |
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